The latest research suggests that a substance present in broccoli may help prevent serious lung disease.

Lung conditions such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is often caused by smoking and is responsible for 30,000 deaths in the UK every year.

This latest study from the US found that the compound ‘sulforapane’ increases activity of the NRF2 gene in human lung cells which protects them from toxic damage.

The compound which is found in broccoli was recently discovered to protect against damage to blood vessels caused by diabetes.

Vegetables such as broccoli have also been linked to a lower risk of heart attacks and strokes.

In the latest study, a team from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine found significantly lower activity of the NRF2 gene in smokers with advanced COPD.

“This is an important study for the 3 million people in the UK with COPD because of its findings about the imbalance of oxidants and antioxidants in the lungs,” said a spokeswoman for the British Lung Foundation.

“We know broccoli naturally contains important compounds but studies so far have taken place in the test tube and further research is needed to find if you can produce the same effect in humans.”

You can stop smoking using alternative medicine and complementary therapy treatments.

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