“An association has also been established with colon cancer and prostate cancer,” explained Emily Ho, an associate professor in nutrition and exercise sciences at Oregon State University. “There is pretty strong evidence from studies that compounds found in cruciferous vegetables may have cancer-fighting properties.”
The new study is, however, among the first to look at the role that cruciferous vegetables can play after a cancer diagnosis.
But Ho cautioned that many questions about the connection between vegetables and cancer risk remain.
“There are still a lot of unanswered questions about what, exactly, is in [cruciferous vegetables] that is protective,” she said. Researchers do not understand exactly what the underlying mechanisms are and what impact these vegetables may have at the tissue level, she said. Furthermore, research has not yet made it clear whether supplements could have the same potential effect as vegetables themselves seem to have.