A cancer patient credits his morning glass of broccoli juice with halting the disease. Ray Wiseman’s claim has prompted more research into the vegetable’s healing powers. Doctors told Mr Wiseman they did not expect him to survive, when they diagnosed him five years ago.

But scans show that his cancer has stopped spreading  -  vastly improving his chances of a recovery. The grandfather, 79, puts his health down to the tumbler of broccoli juice that his wife prepares for him each day.

Mr Wiseman, who lives in Braunstone, Leicestershire, said: ‘I take this juice every day. I know it’s done me good.  I suppose it would be the same for everybody.’

His wife Joan, 72, started giving him the juice after a friend told her about the healing benefits of green vegetables. For each half-tumbler dose she combines a head of broccoli with some apples and carrots to improve the taste.

She said: ‘We believe my husband’s incredible luck is down to broccoli. I hope our experience can help other cancer sufferers.  ‘The juice is a mess to make but it’s something we have been happy to clear up. He now just takes it as second nature.
‘If anybody else’s husband is suffering from cancer and they are not getting on too well, it could help them.’

Scientists from Cancer Research UK have asked her for the recipe, to further study the vegetable’s benefits.  Recent medical studies have highlighted the possible cancer-beating powers of broccoli.

British scientists at the Institute of Food Research found that men who ate one daily portion had altered patterns of gene activity in their prostates, suggesting that the chemicals in the vegetable might be able to reduce the risk of prostate cancer.

According to a report published in the British Journal of Cancer in 2006, natural chemicals found in certain vegetables, such as broccoli-cauliflower and cabbage, can enhance DNA repair in cells, which could help stop them becoming cancerous.

A spokesman for Cancer Research UK said: ‘There’s a lot of research that’s focused on broccoli and the healing properties that the vegetable contains.  ‘If taken, broccoli needs to be with a healthy diet that is high in all fruit and vegetables.  ‘This can also reduce the chances of developing cancer.’

Around 10,000 are diagnosed with bladder cancer every year in the UK . It is the fifth most common form of the disease and affects more men than women.

A member of the cabbage family, broccoli is rich in vitamin C and has properties that boost the human immune systems that fight viruses, bacteria and cancer.  Studies have found that boiling broccoli can reduce its anti-cancer compounds, but steaming and microwaving do not.

Osteoporosis is a disease in which the bones become extremely porous, are subject to fracture, and heal slowly, occurring especially in women following menopause and often leading to curvature of the spine from vertebral collapse.

Calcium supplements are a good way to maintain calcium stock in your bones. However, in some people, it may not be sufficient to ward off osteoporosis. In our teenage years to early adulthood, the body accumulates calcium to build strong bones.

Beyond the age of 30, the calcium stock is maintained, but cannot be increased. As we age beyond 50, the bones start to lose calcium. When the loss becomes excessive, as is often the case in post-menopausal women, this leads to osteoporosis. Genetics also plays a role. People who have direct relatives with osteoporosis are at greater risk of developing it. Other precipitating factors include a sedentary lifestyle, excessive caffeine and alcohol intake, certain drugs like steroids and certain chronic diseases like hyperthyroidism.

Calcium is only part of the solution. There has to be sufficient daily vitamin D intake. Without vitamin D, calcium cannot be absorbed in sufficient quantities by the body. In countries with prolonged winters, the elderly have been shown to be more prone to osteoporosis. This should not be a problem in sunny Asia, unless you stay indoors or use sunscreen liberally. If you do, a vitamin D supplement would help.

The daily requirement of calcium is about 800mg a day, and the required daily intake of vitamin D is 800 international units. Most of these can he obtained from a balanced diet. Foods that contain a high amount of calcium include dairy products, green leafy vegetables, tofu and whitebait.

Like hypertension and diabetes, osteoporosis is a silent disease, and often manifests itself dramatically in a fracture after a minor trauma. In the elderly, a hip fracture can be a death sentence, not from the osteoporosis itself, but from the complications of prolonged immobility that the fracture causes. Hence, it is important to ensure not only an adequate daily intake of calcium and vitamin D, but to have an active lifestyle and get a medical check-up if you are at risk.

A global outbreak of bird flu is still a concern. A pandemic starts when three conditions are met: a new influenza virus subtype emerges; it infects humans, causing serious illness , and it spreads easily and sustainably among humans. Bird flu (the H5N1 virus) amply meets the first two conditions. It’s a new virus for humans and it has infected more than 100 people, killing over half of them. No one will have immunity should an H5N1-like pandemic virus emerge.

Fortunately, the virus has not yet shown efficient, sustained human-to-human transmission. The risk remains that it could acquire this ability as long as chances for human infections occur. These chances will persist as long as the virus circulates in birds, which could endure for years to come. The more human infections occur, the more opportunities the virus has to improve its ability to transmit among humans and develop into a pandemic strain.

Further concerns include: domestic ducks excrete highly pathogenic viruses without showing illness, which complicates control efforts; today’s virus is more lethal when tested on mice and ferrets; it appears to have expanded its host range, infecting and killing mammalian species that were once resistant; and the behavior of the virus in its natural reservoir, wild waterfowl, may be changing.

Moderate alcohol consumption can indeed provide certain health benefits, particularly regarding heart disease. It decreases the risk of heart attack, ischemic stroke (the most common kind), and arterial blockages in the leg. However, heavy alcohol use is associated with high blood pressure, heart failure, liver and pancreatic disease, osteoporosis, birth defects, and injuries.

The answer isn’t as simple as sticking to moderate drinking. For some people, even moderate (and sometimes minimal) alcohol intake has been shown to increase the risk of haemorrhagic stroke, head and neck cancer, digestive tract cancers, and breast cancer. So, alcohol use has some benefits, but also some significant risks.

Women who are pregnant, women with a personal or strong family history of breast cancer, people with a previous haemorrhagic stroke, current liver or pancreatic disease, a precancerous condition of the digestive tract, and people with a history of alcoholism should avoid alcohol completely. Obviously, people who will be driving any vehicle or operating dangerous equipment should avoid alcohol, too.

Everyone else should use alcohol in moderation. Unfortunately, moderate intake is somewhat less than what most people think. One unit of alcohol is usually defined as a 150m1 glass of wine, 350m1 of beer or, 45m1 of 80-proof distilled spirits. The American Heart Association recommended in 2006 that “if alcoholic beverages are consumed, they should be limited to no more than two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women.” Based on available data, the ideal intake of alcohol is likely to be even lower: half to one alcoholic drink daily.