Broccoli Helps Fight Cancer--When You Prepare It Like This
By Lexi Petronis, Glamour magazine
There's a reason Mom always told you to eat your broccoli: Those green mini-shrubs are filled with nutrition (think fiber, vitamin C, and beta-carotene). And now a new study has discovered the secret to unleashing a potent cancer-fighting agent in broccoli...
It's all in how you prepare it. According to a new study by the University of Illinois, published in Nutrition and Cancer, eating three to five servings of broccoli a week is enough to deliver a super-powerful cancer-preventative punch--if you steam it and eat it with broccoli sprouts.
Broccoli contains sulforaphane and myrosinase, which, when paired together, give the veggie a serious anti-cancer boost. But when broccoli is overcooked, myrosinase is destroyed--which means the cancer-fighting agent gets obliterated, too, say researchers. The solution? Steam the broccoli for two to four minutes, long before it turns mushy.
The researchers also suggest sprinkling your broccoli with broccoli sprouts, which are loaded with myrosinase, and can almost double the cancer-preventative properties. Other good sources of myrosinase: arugula, radishes, mustard, and wasabi.
So... how does a dish of steamed broccoli with mustard sauce sound?
Do you like broccoli? Broccoli sprouts? When you're cooking or looking for a snack, do you ever actively look for foods with apparent cancer-fighting properties?
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Photo Credit: Condé Nast Digital Studio
