One of the ingredients that make cabbage, broccoli, and related vegetables so healthy and protective is their content of I3C. I3C has cancer fighting activities mostly because it is converted to a metabolite known as DIM (3,3'-Diindolylmethane). In this new study scientists from the Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University School of Medicine show that DIM enhances the drug Taxoteres ability to kill advanced prostate cancer cells (hormone-refractory prostate cancer cells).

Researchers at the Veterans Administration Medical Center, Karmanos Cancer Center and Wayne State University in Detroit report that a combination of Curcumin, the constituents in the herb Turmeric combined with Resveratrol showed greater inhibitory effects against cancer cells compared with either agent used alone. The researchers incubated human colon cancer cells with varying concentrations of Curcumin, Resveratrol or both agents combined. Untreated cells served as controls.

A team of Australian and Japanese scientists report that increased intake of soy foods is connected with improving lung function and a reduction in the risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in older men and women. COPD occurs mainly in smokers. It is characterized by coughing, phlegm production and shortness of breath, and it is a leading cause of death and illness worldwide.

Specific components of the Mediterranean diet appear to be responsible for its health benefits. The diet is traditional in countries surrounding the Mediterranean especially in Italy and Greece. It consists of various locally-grown, in-season fresh vegetables, legumes, fruits, nuts, cereals, fish and seafood, moderate red wine consumption, and monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acids and antioxidants from olives and olive oil.

Researchers from the Queen’s University Centre of Vision and Vascular Science and the Waterford Institute of Technology reported that a supplement containing high amounts of the carotenoids Lutein and Zeaxanthin in addition to the antioxidant nutrients zinc and vitamins C and E, helped preserve macular pigments in patients with age related macular degeneration (AMD), retarding the progression of early to late stage disease. Macular degeneration is the leading cause of vision loss among older individuals. 433 subjects with early stage macular degeneration received the nutritional supplement or a placebo.