DIM, a compound that has been recently found to have immune boosting and anti-cancer properties stems from the Brassica classification of vegetables, and this will come as no surprise to most folks whose mom asked them to eat green, leafy vegetables. And what will raise eyebrows everywhere is when one sees the vegetables that have this life-giving compound such as cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale and cauliflower on that list.
Not only is this compound recommended as a part of a cancer prevention diet but it is also being considered as a part of the conventional cancer treatment medication Taxol where its role is to reduce the patient’s resistance to this important drug.
Diindolylmethane, which is obtained by the autolytic breakdown of glucobrassicin that is present in the vegetables mentioned earlier, has in all, properties such as immune modulation, apoptosis promotion and suppression of inflammation that have caused the National Cancer Institute to begin studies of this compound on various forms of cancer.
According to a study, in eating these Brassica vegetables just once a week reduces the risk of breast cancer in women by 40 % and the risk of prostate cancer in men by 52 %. Interestingly, no other vegetable group is able to come close to these statistics.
And with its anti-viral and bacterial properties that have come to light to scientists, this compound is now being experimented with, in order to find a cure to a wide range of diseases.