Broccoli health benefits boosted by spices
Previous research has shown that broccoli contains anti-cancer fighting properties, and the latest study by the University of Illinois has shown that these benefits can be boosted if the vegetable is spiced up.Researchers found that by adding spicy ingredients to the so-called super food, broccoli's nutritional benefits are absorbed in the upper section of the digestive tract, where it will do the most good.
Elizabeth Jeffery, a professor of nutrition at the University of Illinois, said: ""To get this effect, spice up your broccoli with broccoli sprouts, mustard, horseradish, or wasabi. The spicier, the better; that means it's being effective."
Ms Jeffery warned that people often overcook broccoli, which can reduce its healthful properties, although pairing the vegetable with food containing myrosinase, such as mustard, helps to redress the balance.
For best results, broccoli should be steamed, rather than boiled, for between two and four minutes, she advised.
Spicing it up not only increases its health benefits, it may make it more appealing to those who are not partial to broccoli, Ms Jeffery suggested.
In 2008, a study by researchers at the University of Warwick revealed that broccoli contains a a compound known as sulforaphane, which may reverse the damage caused to blood vessels as a result of diabetes.
