There’s yet another reason to eat your vegetables: broccoli may ward off herpes.

A study conducted at Northeastern Ohio University’s College of Medicine reported a compound found naturally in broccoli, brussels sprouts and cabbage may be able to prevent the replication of herpes simplex viruses.

John Docherty, director of the study and professor and chair of microbiology and immunology, said one of the major anti-cancer substances found in cabbage family vegetables, the indole-3 carbinol compound, was 99.9 percent effective in blocking the virus from reproducing.

There are two types of herpes simplex viruses, HSV-1 and HSV-2. HSV-1 causes infections of the mouth and lips, often called cold sores or fever blisters. HSV-2 is commonly known as a sexually transmitted infection that causes genital herpes lesions.

Docherty said he is not sure where the study will go from this point.

“After you do all of the work in the lab, then you do the actual human trials,” he said. “We may do these [human] trials in less than three years.”

But he warned eating broccoli alone will not get rid of infections.

“It is not an anti-herpes agent,” he said. “There is such low toxicity that it wouldn’t benefit anyone to eat broccoli to get rid of their cold sores.”

Diane Birt, chair of food science and human nutrition, said the discovery of the compound is a good model to develop a drug.

“I heard 15 to 20 years ago that the compound wasn’t even found in broccoli, but it’s a good model to develop a drug,” Birt said.

George Bailey, distinguished professor of toxicology at Oregon State University, said when the vegetables are consumed, indole-3 carbinol is broken down and not effective in helping those with herpes.

“When you chew the food and swallow, indole-3 carbinol is broken down into 15 different compounds and then broken down in the stomach,” Bailey said.

What the study hopes to produce is either a product that can be taken orally or put directly on the infection to shorten outbreaks.

“We would like to have a product within five to seven years,” said Docherty.