The Broccoli Effect: Fight Aging and Help Your Heart
We all know that eating lots of leafy green vegetables is good for us. Even if we don't heap our plates with piles of Swiss chard and kale, we know we should. Now, however, research is starting to unlock the secrets of exactly how and why certain vegetables can be exceptionally beneficial in helping us stay healthy and fight the effects of aging. The behind-the-scenes biochemistry may be hard to understand, but its impact is real and measurable.
As it turns out, humble broccoli is an impressive anti-aging food and can even lessen the damage of a potentially devastating heart attack. A recent UCLA study revealed that among vegetables, broccoli—and specifically young broccoli sprouts—is your best source of a chemical called sulforaphane, yet another compound that seems to prevent free radicals from breaking down your body and aging you over time. While not a typical antioxidant itself, sulforaphane activates the body's own antioxidants to help control cell decline.
"Our study shows that a chemical present in broccoli is capable of stimulating a wide range of antioxidant defense pathways and may be able to interfere with the age-related decline in immune function," said author Andre Nel, MD. Another study that tested broccoli extracts on animals found that they sustained less muscle damage and had higher levels of heart-protecting biochemicals during oxygen deprivation (keys to surviving a heart attack), and their hearts pumped better than those of animals who did not get the extract. A third study suggested that broccoli can have a direct effect in preventing bladder cancer as well. That's one versatile vegetable.
Dieticians point out that the way you cook broccoli and other vegetables has a great deal to do with the eventual benefits you can get from them. Boiling broccoli to death the way your grandmother did is not the ideal cooking method. Instead, steam it on the stove or in a small amount of water in a microwave. It doesn't matter if the vegetables come fresh or frozen. Either way, the sulforaphane is there and ready to help. And don’t fear that you'll be facing mountains of nothing but broccoli in your future. Sulforaphane can also be found in brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, bok choy, kale, collards, turnips, radishes, and many other vegetables. Remember, if it has green leaves, it's good for you and you should eat more of it. Simple as that.
Read More on This Topic:
UCLA Broccoli Study:
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-03/uoc--usf030608.php
"Broccoli Boosts Immunity":
http://food-facts.suite101.com/article.cfm/broccoli_boosts_immunity
eVitamins.com: "What Does Sulforaphane Do?"
http://www.evitamins.com/healthnotes.asp?ContentID=2913009
