Woad And Breast Cancer

You probably haven't heard of the herbal plant woad. But, you've most likely seen the blue face paint in the movie "Braveheart." That's a woad product. OK, maybe not in the movie itself.

A new study concluded that woad could help fight breast cancer. The BBC News reports:

Woad, which belongs to the same plant family as cauliflower and broccoli, contains high levels of the compound glucobrassicin.

The Italian team at Bologna University discovered woad contains 20 times more glucobrassicin than broccoli.

They were also able to boost its concentration by damaging the plant.

When the leaves are damaged, glucobrassicin is released by the plant as a defence mechanism.

Its derivatives can kill some plant pests. Notably, they also have anti-tumour properties and are particularly effective against breast cancer.

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So, broccoli and cauliflower are good for fighting breast cancer. The study found that woad is better at fighting it. Both pieces of information are new to me. Overall, this is good news for breast cancer patients.

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Braveheart