Chapter 3, Problem 1CRE

Does eating broccoli reduce the risk of prostate cancer? According to an observational study from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (see the CNN.com web site article titled “Broccoli, Not Pizza Sauce, Cuts Cancer Risk, Study Finds,” January 5, 2000), men who ate more cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and cabbage) had a lower risk of prostate cancer. This study made separate comparisons for men who ate different levels of vegetables. According to one of the investigators, “at any given level of total vegetable consumption, as the percent of cruciferous vegetables increased, the prostate cancer risk decreased.” Based on this study, is it reasonable to conclude that eating cruciferous vegetables causes a reduction in prostate cancer risk? Explain.