A new research by scientists from the University of Alabama at Birmingham has shown how vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage help reverse or prevent cancers and other aging-related diseases.
"Your mother always told you to eat your vegetables, and she was right,” says co-author Trygve Tollefsbol, a biology professor in the UAB College of Arts and Sciences. “But now we better understand why she was right - compounds in many of these foods suppress gene aberrations that over time cause fatal diseases.” Epigenetics is the study of the changes in human gene expressions with time, changes that can cause cancer and Alzheimer’s, among other diseases. In recent years, epigenetics research worldwide, including numerous studies conducted at UAB, have identified specific food compounds that inhibit negative epigenetic effects.
Those foods include soybeans, cauliflower, broccoli and cabbage. Green tea, fava beans, kale, grapes and the spice turmeric round out the diet.
"The epigenetics diet can be adopted easily, because the concentrations of the compounds needed for a positive effect are readily achievable,” says lead author Syed Meeran, Ph.D., a research assistant professor in Tollefsbol’s UAB Department of Biology laboratory.
"Compounds in the epigenetics diet foods can, at the very least, help us lead healthier lives and help our bodies prevent potentially debilitating diseases like breast cancer and Alzheimer’s,” Tollefsbol says.
The research review is published in the journal Clinical Epigenetics.
The climate in the mountain forests in India is greatly influenced by the Himalayas. The huge mountain range also exerts a major influence on monsoon and rainfall patterns in the forests. The climate conditions vary depending on elevation and location, even within the Himalayas. The climate usually ranges from subtropical in the southern foothills, with average summer temperatures of about 30° C and average winter temperatures of about 18° C. The forests in the Middle Himalayan valleys have warm temperate conditions with average summer temperatures of about 25° C and cooler winters. The forests in the higher parts of the Middle Himalayas has cool temperate conditions, where average summer temperatures are 15 to 18° C and winters are below freezing. The summers are cool and winters are severe in the forests to a cold alpine climate at even higher elevations. The climate is too cold with below freezing temperatures at elevations above 4880 m and the area is permanently covered with snow and ice. The forests located in the eastern part of the Himalayas, usually receive heavy rainfall, while the western part is drier. 
The natural vegetation in the mountain forests in India is highly influenced by climate and elevation. In the Middle Himalayas at elevations between 1520 and 3660 m, the natural vegetation consists of several species of Pine, Oak, Rhododendron, Poplar, Walnut, and Larch. The forests located below the timber line contain valuable species like Spruce, Fir, Cypress, Juniper, and Birch. On the other hand, Alpine vegetation occupies the higher parts of the Great Himalayas, just below the snow line, and this includes the Shrubs, Rhododendrons, Mosses, Lichens, and Wildflowers like Blue Poppies and Edelweiss.