Broccoli is a delicious and nutritious superfood that can help fight cancer. Studies have shown that broccoli contains sulforaphane, a type of isothiocyanate that can help prevent cancer by stopping the growth of cancer cells and causing them to self-destruct.
However, cooking broccoli can actually reduce the amount of sulforaphane and isothiocyanates. But researchers have found a way to increase the concentration of these beneficial compounds even after cooking. The secret is hydrolysis before stir-frying. This means cutting broccoli into small pieces and letting it rest for 90 minutes before cooking.
This method increases the concentration of sulforaphane and isothiocyanates by almost three times! It’s important to note that cooking broccoli for too long can still destroy these compounds, so it’s best to only lightly cook your broccoli.
In another study, researchers examined the role of sulforaphane in preventing and treating various types of cancer, including prostate, breast, colon, skin, urinary bladder, and oral cancers. They found that sulforaphane exhibits chemoprevention through various mechanisms, including inducing apoptosis (cell death) and inhibiting cell cycle progression.
Sulforaphane is naturally present in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, as well as kale, cabbage, cauliflower, and garden cress. It is available as a commercial supplement called broccoli extract. The bioactive substances in broccoli, including vitamins, polyphenols, sulfides, glucosinolates, and antioxidants, make it an important addition to a daily diet.
The researchers called this concept “Green chemoprevention” and emphasized that sulforaphane is a complementary or alternative chemopreventive agent that is easily affordable and more cost-effective than traditional chemopreventive drugs.
So, next time you’re looking for a healthy side dish, reach for some broccoli. Not only is it delicious and nutritious, but it’s also fighting cancer. Incorporating broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables into your daily diet can be an easy and affordable way to help prevent cancer.
References:
Hydrolysis before Stir-Frying Increases the Isothiocyanate Content of Broccoli. Yuanfeng Wu, Yuke Shen, Xuping Wu, Ye Zhu, Jothame Mupunga, Wenna Bao, Jun Huang, Jianwei Mao, Shiwang Liu, and Yuru You
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2018 66 (6), 1509-1515
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.7b05913
Nandini DB, Rao RS, Deepak BS, Reddy PB. Sulforaphane in broccoli: The green chemoprevention!! Role in cancer prevention and therapy. J Oral Maxillofac Pathol. 2020;24(2):405. doi:10.4103/jomfp.JOMFP_126_1
Keywords: cancer-fighting, vitamins, cancer-fighting , vitamins, polyphenols, antioxidants, diet.
