Cancer Watch - water and cruciferous vegetables are recommended by researchers as possible bladder cancer deterrents - Brief Article

Vegetarian Times, Dec, 1999 by Cristin Marandino

When asked which types of cancer are the greatest threat to men's lives, we don't usually think of bladder cancer. Yet it is the fourth-leading cause of cancer-related deaths among American men, behind lung, prostate and colon. Attempting to understand this often overlooked disease, researchers at Ohio State University, in collaboration with scientists at Harvard's Medical and Public Health schools, recently turned their attention toward bladder cancer prevention.

In a study tracking 48,000 males over a 10-year period, investigators looked for links between dietary patterns and bladder cancer risk. What they found was that water--lots of water--and cruciferous vegetables are a man's best friend when it comes to fighting the disease. Although the intake of any fluid decreased risk, water provided the most benefit. Men who consumed six or more eight-ounce glasses of water a day had a 49 percent lower incidence of bladder cancer than. those who drank one cup or less. The fluid promotes the elimination of waste and dilutes the urine, both of which reduce the bladder's exposure time to potential carcinogens.

Cruciferous vegetables, specifically broccoli and cabbage, were also effective at lowering bladder cancer risk. Just half a cup of cabbage or two half-cup servings of broccoli per week reduced risk by 44 percent, compared with those who ate less than one serving of either vegetable per week. Although researchers aren't sure exactly which compound in the vegetables provides this protection, their findings lay important groundwork for future research. "Now we can try to identify specific agents that are involved. Perhaps we can purify theses compounds and use them in chemoprevention studies," said lead researcher Steven Clinton, M.D., Ph.D., of Ohio State University. "We may be able to grow vegetables to enhance the amount of these potentially beneficial substances or make extracts for people at high risk of bladder cancer." Clinton also says that future research will extend to women to determine whether the same dietary patterns offer similar benefits for them.