New research shows broccoli sprouts, cabbage, garlic and ginkgo biloba appear to have roles in preventing a variety of cancers. Broccoli sprouts showed promise in combating lung, stomach and skin cancers; cabbage may protect women from breast cancer; garlic may help ward off carcinogens produced by meat cooked at high temperatures; and ginkgo biloba appeared to lower the risk of developing ovarian cancer.

Further study will provide a clearer picture of which foods reduce cancer and how, says Dr. David L. Katz, associate professor of public health and director of Prevention Research Center at Yale University School of Medicine. “But excitement about what may come should not distract from what is already in hand,” he says. “Even with gaps in our knowledge, the case for increasing fruit and vegetable consumption to promote health and prevent disease—cancer included—is compelling and strong.”

The findings are scheduled to be presented today at the American Association for Cancer Research meeting in Baltimore.

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