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A study conducted at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine finds that broccoli contains a chemical called sulforaphane that kills helicobacter pylori, the pesky bacteria that causes stomach ulcers and potentially deadly stomach cancers. Sulforaphane can even wipe out strains of helicobacter that are resistant to common antibiotics. The findings, published in the May 28, 2002 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, hold promise not only for everyday sufferers from annoying stomachaches but for millions in Third World countries. "In some parts of Central and South America, Africa and Asia," says Jed W. Fahey, a plant physiologist at Johns Hopkins, "as much as 80 percent to 90 percent of the population is infected with helicobacter, likely linked to poverty and conditions of poor sanitation." The research suggests that even "a relatively minor change in diet"--like eating more broccoli--can help people heal themselves.