Cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli and kale contain trace elements that break down into compounds called isothiocyanates. They have anti-inflammatory properties that prevent cell damage and cancer.
The study from Pennsylvania State University, US provided strong evidence as to why vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and Brussels sprouts should be part of a general healthy diet.
Researchers have uncovered the mechanism by which broccoli helps protect the lining of the small intestine, thereby inhibiting the development of the disease in mice.
The study from Pennsylvania State University, US provided strong evidence as to why vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and Brussels sprouts should be part of a general healthy diet.
According to the researchers, they found that molecules in broccoli, called aryl hydrocarbon receptor ligands, bind to the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) on the wall of the small intestine, which is a type of protein called a transcription factor. This binding, they found, initiates a variety of activities that affect the functions of intestinal cells.
Their findings are published in the journal Laboratory Investigation. Certain cells that line the intestine, or intestinal cells, help organize the entry of beneficial water and nutrients into the body and keep out harmful food particles and bacteria, thereby maintaining a balance. These cells include enterocytes that absorb water and nutrients, goblet cells that secrete a protective layer of mucus and Paneth cells that secrete lysosomes that contain digestive enzymes.
In this study, researchers fed an experimental group of mice a diet containing 15 percent broccoli—the human equivalent of about 3.5 cups per day—and fed a control group of mice a typical laboratory diet that did not contain broccoli. They then analyzed the animal tissues to study the extent of AhR activation and the concentration of intestinal lining cells. They found that the mice that did not eat broccoli lacked AHR activity.
Reduced AHR activity was found to result in an altered bowel barrier function, which led to decreased transit time of food in the small intestine and also decreased concentrations of cells lining the intestines.
“The intestinal health of the mice that were not fed broccoli was compromised in a number of ways that have been linked to disease,” Purdue said.
“Our research suggests that broccoli and possibly other foods can be used as natural sources of AHR ligands, and that diets rich in these ligands contribute to the resilience of the small intestine,” said study author Gary Purdue. .
“These data suggest that dietary cues, relayed through the activity of the AhR, can remodel the cellular and metabolic repertoire of the gastrointestinal tract,” said Andrew Patterson, another study author.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)
