From a young age, most children are told that broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables are good health resources.

Now, new research suggests why girls and women should take this advice to heart – they can help protect against breast cancer at the cellular level.

Scientists at UC Santa Barbara investigated the anti-cancer properties of cruciferous veggies and discovered compounds called isothiocyanates that help fight the disease.

“Breast cancer, the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women, can be protected against by eating cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage and near relatives of cabbage such as broccoli and cauliflower,” said lead author Olga Azarenko.

She explained that one compound in particular, called sulforaphane, was shown to reduce the rate and incidence of chemically induced tumors in animal subjects.

Sulforaphane worked in a similar way to anticancer drugs taxol and vincristine – by inhibiting cell division during mitosis, Azarenko said.

Men may also want to include broccoli and cabbage in their diets. Separate studies have also shown that consuming cruciferous vegetables can help prevent prostate cancer.