Anti-Aging Tip: Try These Cancer Fighters for Lunch and Dinner

By Al Sears, MD

New research is giving us a window into the world of phytochemicals - compounds found in many fruits and vegetables. Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and cabbage) and leafy greens have two particular phytochemicals - indole-3-carbinol (I-3-C) and chlorophyll - that are proving to be powerful weapons in the fight against aging.

I-3-C, abundant in broccoli and spinach, can affect key stages in age-related cancers like prostate, breast, and colon cancers. When a cell in one of those tissues mutates and becomes cancerous, I-3-C can actually program the cell to “commit suicide” and die before the cancer spreads.

Acting at a different stage in cancer protection, chlorophyll connects to cancer-causing toxins in the gut and prevents them from being absorbed. Chlorophyll is present in all green leafy vegetables, but is especially high in spinach.

Both I-3-C and chlorophyll are available as supplements, too. I-3-C comes in a pill form. I recommend 100 mg to 200 mg daily. Chlorophyll comes in both a powder and a pill, and is present in “green drinks,” like chlorella and spirulina. If you’re taking the pill form, look for chlorophyllin - a powerful derivative of chlorophyll. An effective daily dose is 100 mg to 200 mg.

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