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Broccoli
Broccoli is considered a superfood, as it is one of the vegetables that have very high levels of betacarotene and the phytonutrients sulforaphane, indoles and glucosinolates, all of which have significant anti-cancer effects.
The phytonutrient sulforaphane has been shown in studies to boost the body's detoxification enzymes, which helps to clear potentially carcinogenic substances more quickly out of the body.
The indoles are naturally-occuring phytonutrients in broccoli (and other cruciferous vegetables, such as cauliflower) which have displayed in anticancer properties against certain types of reproductive tumor cells in various studies.
Broccoli also contains large amounts of the flavonoids called glucosinolates, which are a sulphur-containing glucosides and which are are amino acid-derived natural plant substances. Studies show that glucosinolates provide protection against cancers of the lungs, gastrointestinal tract and breast. Glucosinolates also help the body by detoxifying the liver.
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Some of the glucosinolates in broccoli may be lost through processing or storage of broccoli, so the fresher the broccoli that is eaten the better for health.
Other research has found that broccoli is one of five vegetables and fruits that contain substances that act in the same way as the drugs used to treat Alzheimer's disease. Most of these drugs act as inhibitors of an enzyme called acetylcholinesterase, which is responsible for the breakdown of one of the brain's neurotransmitters, acetylcholine. Potatoes, oranges, apples and radishes were also found to display this same activity, but broccoli had the most profound effect. While it is too early to proclaim broccoli as a treatment of Alzheimer's disease, regular consumption of it may be beneficial in reducing a decline in acetylcholine levels in the central nervous system.
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- What are superfoods?
- Benefits of superfoods
- 10 Superfoods
references
- Graci S, Diamond H, Martin JM, The Power of Superfoods, Prentice Hall Canada, 1999
- Johnson IT. Glucosinolates: bioavailability and importance to health. Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 2002 Jan;72(1):26-31
- Pratt SG, Matthews, K. SuperFoods Rx: Fourteen Foods That Will Change Your Life, Harper-Collins Publishers USA, 2004
More information
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