Super Broccoli : The Super Cancer Fighter

A new study has shown that sulforaphane, the powerful cancer-fighting agent in broccoli, can be extracted from its parent compound – glucoraphanin - by bacteria in the lower gut and absorbed into the body.

This means that we may soon be able to enhance the activity of these bacteria in the colon, increasing broccoli’s cancer-preventive power.

According to professor Elizabeth Jeffery, sulforaphane is an extremely potent cancer-fighting agent. “The amount that you get in three to five servings a week—that’s less than one daily serving of broccoli—is enough to have an anti-cancer effect. With many of the other bioactive foods you hear about, vast amounts are required for a measurable outcome.”

Sulforaphane also has anti-inflammatory properties which may help to reverse the chronic diseases that accompany obesity and aging.

The researchers believe that there are two ways that bacteria in the colon could be manipulated to boost your broccoli.

“One way might be to feed the desirable bacteria with prebiotics like fiber to encourage their proliferation.

Another way would be to use a probiotic approach—combining, say, broccoli with a yogurt sauce that contains the hydrolyzing bacteria, and in that way boosting your cancer protection.”

So, the next time you steam up some broccoli, skip the cheese sauce and chow down on some yogurt.

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Reference

EurekAlert