Spicy broccoli? It's a great way to serve up those little green spears.

Why? Because broccoli and red chili peppers fight two of the deadliest cancers.

Spice Is Nice
It's early, in terms of research, but scientists were pleased to see that phenethyl isothiocyanate -- a compound found in cruciferous veggies like broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower -- stopped ovarian cancer cells from spreading in a recent lab study. (Here's why men should eat cruciferous veggies, too.) Capsaicin, found abundantly in red chili peppers, showed similar effects on pancreatic cancer cells. It's welcome news about cancers that are often not discovered until the later stages.

Perfect Pairing
So how can you get both veggies in one fell swoop? Tonight, try this Spicy Orange Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry recipe from Eating Well. You can look up more broccoli and pepper recipes with their search tool.

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Capsaicin induces apoptosis in human pancreatic cancer cells by activating mitochondrial death pathway. Humphreys, I., Loganathan, S., Srivastava, S. K., Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research 2005;46:Abstract 2469.

Antiproliferative effects of phenethyl isothiocyanate against human ovarian cancer cells via inhibition of epidermal growth factor receptor. Loganathan, S., Humphreys, I., Srivastava, S. K., Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research 2005;46:Abstract 5194.

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