Broccoli Extract May Shield Skin from UV Rays

Unprotected prolonged exposure to sunlight raises the risk of ultraviolet (UV) radiation to cause or accelerate skin aging as well as skin cancer. Albena T. Dinkova-Kostova, from Johns Hopkins University (Maryland, USA), and colleagues fed broccoli sprout extracts, high in glucoraphanin, a precursor to compounds in broccoli that have been identified as potent anti-carcinogens, to laboratory mice previously exposed to UV radiation.  The researchers found that a daily dose of 10 moles of glucoraphanin inhibited the subsequent development of skin tumors, with skin tumor incidence reduced by 25% and tumor volume by 70%.