New Broccoli Can Help Fight Against Aging
Regular old broccoli just isn't good enough anymore. The AAP reports that there's a new type of broccoli in town, this one with more than two times the amount of anti-aging compound glucoraphanin. Sorry, boring broccoli.
RELATED: Broccoli Is Actually Most Kids' Favorite Vegetable
Word is that Beneforté broccoli, which was developed through cross-pollination and selection to combine commercial broccoli with a variety discovered in Southern Italy, has an increased ability to produce more phytonutrients like glucoraphanin, nutrients which often help improve the performance of mitochondria cells.
Also See: David Hasselhoff's Secret to Keeping Young
"Tiny energy generators in cells called mitochondria, which become less efficient with age, were given a new lease of life and had their performance improved," AAP reports.
RELATED: Eat the Flu Away with These Immune-Boosting Foods
Researchers tested the effects of Beneforté, recruiting 48 volunteers to have them eat either Beneforté, regular broccoli, or peas for three months. The resulting blood tests found that the Beneforté group had improved metabolism, and less inflammation in their blood.
RELATED: Too Good to Be True Diet Trends and What You Should Try Instead
Other "cruciferous" vegetables with glucoraphanin include kale, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower, but Beneforté even out-crucifers those. According to the website, Beneforté has 270 percent of the glucaoraphanin found in regular broccoli; kale only has 1 percent of what regular broccoli has. We guess the kid-friendly classic wins this round.
Click here to see The Daily Meal's Fruit and Vegetable Pageant to find out which vegetables are best for you!
-Jessica Chou, The Daily Meal
More from The Daily Meal:
10 Ways to Eat Yourself Younger
