You know you should be eating more broccoli, but here's another compelling reason to add the cruciferous green veggie to your diet. It may reduce your odds of a cancer diagnosis. Scientists from Oregon State University discovered that sulforaphane, a compound found in foods like broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cabbage, can "prevent and suppress cancer formation." Sulforaphane decreases the expression of long, noncoding RNAs in prostate cancer cells, which prevents the cells from forming colonies - a sign of metastatic cancer. The results were significant - sulforaphane causes a fourfold reduction in colony formation. RNA, or ribonucleic acid, was previously believed to be useless "junk DNA." Now, researchers are studying the acid's role in the development of several cancers. "Our data reveal that chemicals from the diet can influence the expression of functionally important lncRNAs, and suggest a novel mechanism by which sulforaphane may prevent and suppress prostate cancer," thetrial concluded. According to lead study author Laura Beaver, sulforaphane-containing foods may help in the treatment and prevention of cancer. "It would be of significant value if we could develop methods to greatly slow the progress of cancer, and help keep it from becoming invasive," she said. The results were published in the April edition of The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry.