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.

Green magic: Ray Wiseman with his wife Joan

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.