Why is broccoli so healthy? (Special preparation method)

Broccoli is one of the healthiest vegetables in the world. It is a vegetable plant closely related to cauliflower and belongs to the cruciferous family, also known as Brassicaceae or Cruciferae. But what exactly makes it so healthy and what do you have to pay attention to in order to benefit from its health potential?

Sulforaphane – the important power substance in broccoli

Sulforaphane belongs to a group of secondary plant substances, also known as glucosinolates or mustard oil glycosides. This valuable ingredient in broccoli is thought to be responsible for many of its health benefits. However, there is a small challenge here.

Broccoli initially contains no sulforaphane at all, but rather its precursor, so-called glucoraphanin. The sulforaphane must first be formed through an enzymatic process.

How is sulforaphane formed in broccoli?

The special ingredient is created by a reaction between glucoraphanin and the enzyme myrosinase. As soon as cruciferous vegetables are chewed or otherwise chopped, the cell walls of the plant are destroyed and the myrosinase comes into contact with the glucoraphanin, which is then converted into sulforaphane.

The problem with the bioavailability of sulforaphane

However, this theoretically well-coordinated process can hardly take place in the reality of modern nutrition. Myrosinase is very sensitive to heat and is inactivated by almost any cooking method. Eating frozen vegetables also does not allow for the absorption of sulforaphane, as frozen vegetables are briefly blanched before freezing.

This means that the only way to get sulforaphane from food is to eat raw cruciferous vegetables. However, raw cruciferous vegetables are known to be difficult to digest, so this method is not really practical either.

Nevertheless, the glucoraphanin contained in the preparation also has a positive effect on health, but this has not been researched as much as the effect of sulforaphane. However, there are a few ways to absorb sulforaphane through food.

The special preparation method for more sulforaphane in broccoli:

1. Cut, wait, prepare

Dr. Michael Greger, doctor, trophologist and expert in vegan nutrition, recommends cutting the broccoli and waiting for 40 minutes. During this time, the sulforaphane can form. After that, you can prepare it in the traditional way, as the fully formed sulforaphane is heat-resistant.

2. Addition of raw cruciferous vegetables

Since the precursor substance glucoraphanin is heat-resistant and is still present after cooking, baking or boiling, raw cruciferous vegetables or mustard seeds can be added after conventional preparation. The enzyme myrosinase is still intact in the raw cruciferous vegetables. This can then form sulforaphane with the glucoraphanin in the broccoli. In this case, adding a small amount, e.g. 3-4 florets of raw broccoli, is enough to ensure the effect of the sulforaphane.

Is broccoli useful as a dietary supplement?

To get a high dose of sulforaphane, you would need to eat a very large amount of broccoli in addition to the tips listed above. The vegetable would have to be raw at best or take a lot of time to prepare. And even then, it is not certain that you will get enough sulforaphane. This is where broccoli capsules can make sense.

You must consider these points when taking broccoli extract in capsules:

• The sulforaphane must be stabilized. Sulforaphane is not particularly stable by nature and must be made storage-stable during production. Refrigerated storage helps with this.
• The capsule contains an extract from broccoli sprouts. Special varieties have a particularly high sulforaphane content.
• It is an extract and not germinated and ground sprouts.
• It contains real sulforaphane. Some manufacturers offer capsules with a combination of myrosinase and glucoraphanin. An enzymatic process must first take place here.
• High bioavailability: The amount of sulforaphane is not crucial. A small amount is enough, but it is particularly bioavailable.

What other healthy ingredients does broccoli have?

Broccoli is a superlative vegetable and of course has other healthy ingredients! With a variety of vitamins and minerals, broccoli is a real superstar among vegetables. The vitamins that are particularly abundant in broccoli include vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, many B vitamins, beta-carotene and quercetin. The vitamin C content of broccoli is an incredible 115 mg per 100 grams.

But here too, it is important to only blanch the broccoli for a very short time, as vitamin C and many enzymes are particularly sensitive to heat and are inactivated when cooked.

Another interesting ingredient: Indole-3-Carbinol

In addition to all the valuable vitamins and the great benefits of mustard oils, another ingredient in broccoli is becoming increasingly popular: indole-3-carbinol. This substance comes from the indole group and studies suggest that indole-3-carbinol protects blood vessels and could prevent cancer. However, these results were only achieved in animal experiments and it is still too early to judge.

Green, purple or yellow? How do I recognize fresh broccoli?

Those who buy their broccoli in organic markets or directly at the farmer's market can sometimes enjoy the wonderful colors of the vegetable.

The vegetable is usually dark green in color, which indicates a high chlorophyll content. Chlorophyll is involved in the formation of oxygen in the blood and supports liver detoxification.

But fresh broccoli can also shimmer in all imaginable shades of purple, yellow and even orange. This is not a negative sign, but rather indicates the ingredients that give it color. In purple specimens, these are the so-called anthocyanins. If the cabbage is purple, it is more phenolic compounds that determine the color. They are all delicious! All colors have their own benefits for your health and for your body. As the saying goes: "You eat with your eyes."

You can tell how fresh the broccoli is by looking at the stem. If the cut surface is very dry and woody, then it has been a while since the harvest. If the cut surface is still slightly moist, that is a good sign that the broccoli is fresh.

Conclusion:

Broccoli lives up to its reputation as one of the healthiest vegetables in the world. This is not least due to its plant substance sulforaphane. However, this must first be formed from the enzyme myrosinase and the sulforaphane precursor glycoraphanin. Conventional preparation of broccoli does not allow this. Instead, it is recommended to wait 40 minutes after cutting the broccoli before processing it further or to add small amounts of raw cruciferous vegetables after cooking the cabbage. For the targeted use of sulforaphane, it is therefore best to take an extract in a capsule. Above all, this should be stabilized and bioavailable.

Of course, eating broccoli also has many positive effects on your body and should not be missing from any healthy diet. It doesn't matter whether it's green or purple! In addition to sulforaphane, it contains other mustard oils, important vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and much more. It is a low-calorie vegetable and a very valuable food. One of the healthiest foods there is. If you are looking for a particularly high sulforaphane content, then use a broccoli extract in a capsule.