Original article:
http://my.webmd.com/content/Article/73/88989.htm

Broccoli May Thwart Herpes Virus

New Research Suggests Compounds in Cruciferous Veggies May Knock Out
Herpes

By Denise Mann
WebMD Medical News  
Reviewed By Brunilda  Nazario, MD
on Monday, September 15, 2003

Sept. 15, 2003 (Chicago) -- A compound found in broccoli, cabbage, and
brussels sprouts may hold the key to thwarting the herpes virus,
according to preliminary research presented Sunday at the 43rd annual
Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy
(ICACC) in Chicago. The new findings may be one more reason to make
broccoli one of your five to nine servings of fruit and vegetables
each day.

Preliminary lab studies of monkey and human cells found that
indole-3-carbinol (I3C), a compound found naturally in broccoli and
other cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage and brussels spouts, may
interfere with factors that helps cells reproduce.

The researchers found that I3C can inhibit herpes simplex virus, which
also requires these factors to reproduce.

Nearly 100% Effectiveness

In their study, the researchers first treated human and monkey cells
with I3C. They then infected the cells with one of two strains of the
herpes virus, either HSV-1, which can cause either oral or genital
herpes, or HSV-2, which causes genital herpes. The researchers also
infected the cells with a herpes virus strain known to be resistant to
the current available drug therapy, Zovirax.

The compound blocked the virus from reproducing by at least 99.9%,
according to lead researcher Terri Stoner, a graduate student at
Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine in Rootstown, Ohio.

"[I3C] appeared to inhibit various types of the herpes virus," Stoner
tells WebMD. And because it is found naturally in food, the compound
appears to be safe.

According to the American Social Health Association, about 50% to 80%
of adults in the U.S. have oral herpes and about one in five has
genital herpes, but as many as 90% are unaware that they have the
virus. As with all viruses, there is no cure.

Herpes is different from other common viral infections because once it
is introduced it lives in the body over a lifetime, often without
symptoms or with periodic symptoms.

Cautious Optimism

Many experts here exercise caution when interpreting the new findings.
"This is very early information, and in contrast to some of the other
viruses, we do have some pretty good antiviral therapies for herpes,"
says Ronald B. Turner, MD, professor of pediatrics at the University
of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville.

"It is fairly common for drugs in the laboratory to have some
activity, but it is a difficult step to see how the drug works in
humans," he says.

"The science is really nice, but it's a huge step to see if the data
has any clinical applications," says Per Ljungman, MD, PhD, of the
Huddunge University Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden.

He tells WebMD that while we do see resistance to Zovirax in patients
with herpes, it occurs predominantly in patients with weakened immune
systems due to HIV infection or transplants.

Moreover, he says, "There have been several promising drugs for herpes
over the last decade that have never been developed" and that
"resistance to [Zovirax] has not been too huge of a problem."

Eat More Broccoli

So should we eat more broccoli if we have herpes?

Both Turner and Ljungman note that there are already many good reasons
to eat more broccoli, and while herpes treatment may one day prove to
be another good reason, it is way to early to say.

In fact, boiled broccoli has more vitamin C than an orange and as much
calcium as a glass of milk, according to the USDA's nutrient database.
One medium spear has three times more fiber than a slice of wheat bran
bread. Broccoli is also one of the richest sources of vitamin A that
is found in the produce section.

Broccoli has also been shown to protect against cancer. Researchers at
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore have
discovered that broccoli is rich in substances called isothiocyanates
-- chemicals shown to stimulate the body's production of its own
cancer-fighting substances.

Scientists at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston have
reported that broccoli, along with spinach, helped to minimize risk
for cataracts and prevent stroke.

SOURCES: 43rd annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents
and Chemotherapy, Chicago, Sept. 14-17, 2003. Per Ljungman, MD, PhD,
Huddunge University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. Ronald B. Turner, MD,
professor of pediatrics, University of Virginia School of Medicine,
Charlottesville, Va. Terri Stoner, graduate student, Northeastern Ohio
Universities College of Medicine, Rootstown, Ohio.

© 2003 WebMD Inc. All rights reserved.