Scientists at the New York Hormone Research Institute in the United States have discovered that the much lower incidence of breast cancer among Chinese and Japanese women compared to Western women is due to their frequent consumption of cabbage.
According to surveys, the annual incidence of breast cancer per 100,000 women is: 6 in China, 21 in Japan, 48 in Northern Europe, and 91 in the United States.
Scientists at this institute have found that cabbage contains a compound that helps break down estrogen linked to breast cancer. This compound is called indole-3-carbinol and accounts for about 1% of the weight of cabbage.