Broccoli
Commonly known as green cauliflower, it is a cruciferous vegetable commonly found on the table of ordinary people. Broccoli is not only rich in dietary fiber, multivitamins (vitamin A, vitamin B2, folic acid, vitamin C, vitamin E and vitamin K) and minerals (calcium, phosphorus, selenium, zinc, iron), but also contains a variety of bioactive ingredients, the most abundant and unique of which is sulforaphane (SFN).
Therefore, broccoli enjoys the reputation of "king of vegetables" in the vegetable industry.
Nutritionally, lysinethione (SFN) belongs to the isothiocyanates (ITCs) phytochemicals, there are about 20 kinds of ITCs present in food, and the three cruciferous vegetables with the highest ITCs are pea seedlings, mustard greens, and broccoli.
SFN is the most abundant in broccoli, which contains a unique thiol group in its structure, which gives it a more active chemical property and is considered to be an anti-cancer agent with the most potential for development.
Studies on SFN in the past 30 years have shown that SFN has a variety of biological activities such as metabolic detoxification, antioxidant, antibacterial, immune enhancement and anti-inflammatory, and may have a good preventive and therapeutic effect in cancer, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, obesity (or diabetes) and psychoneurological diseases.
SFN-rich supplements are mostly extracted from broccoli seed seedlings; in recent years, domestic companies have also produced similar tablets or functional drinks. Let's briefly introduce the functions of SFN.
1. Metabolic detoxification
This is one of the earliest and most classic features of SFN.
We know that the liver is a detoxification organ, and everyone consumes all kinds of foods (essentially various chemicals) every day, which need to be detoxified by the liver metabolism.
How to detoxify it?
It is dependent on a variety of "phase II detoxification enzymes" contained in the liver. SFN is a very strong "phase II detoxification enzyme" inducer.
By this action, the excretion of poisons from the body can be promoted. Therefore, people who regularly eat barbecue, fried or red meat foods are recommended to consume more broccoli or other cruciferous vegetables, which is very beneficial to improving the detoxification function of the liver.
2. Antioxidant
Our body produces a lot of free radicals every day due to various metabolic reactions; unhealthy lifestyles such as staying up late, sitting for a long time, and radiation factors from the environment will induce the production of free radicals.
If these free radicals cannot be removed in time, they will cause oxidative damage to the body and endanger health. Therefore, enhancing antioxidant function is essential to improve the body's defenses and protect health.
Broccoli is not only rich in antioxidant nutrients such as vitamin E, vitamin C, and selenium, but also rich in SFN, which is also a strong antioxidant that activates two types of powerful antioxidant systems in the body, namely the "glutathione system" and the "thiooxygenin system" to remove excessive oxidative free radicals from the body.
3. Antibacterial
In daily life, the body is often infected by pathogenic microorganisms, especially many intestinal pathogenic bacteria are very common. These infections are not only the main causes of digestive tract diseases, but also long-term chronic infections can cause inflammation and become a precipitating factor for tumors (cancer), diabetes, etc.
SFN inhibits the colonization of Helicobacter pylori in the stomach, thereby protecting the gastric mucosa. Other ITCs also inhibit the proliferation of Clostridium difficile, Clostridium aerocecus, and Escherichia coli.
4. Improve immunity and anti-inflammatory
Immunity can be boosted through a variety of pathways, such as adequate sleep, an optimistic mindset, and a variety of exercise.
However, increasing the intake of relevant foods in the diet will fundamentally improve immune function. Broccoli is rich in a variety of nutrients that can improve immunity, and the abundance of SFN can enhance the body's cellular immune function.
The anti-inflammatory effect of SFN is more prominent, and the body's level of inflammation is closely related to immunity. During the fight against the "new crown virus", Professor Sun Changhao, vice president of Harbin Medical University, leader of the national key discipline and well-known nutritionist, once wrote that "low inflammation index food" can improve the body's immunity, and broccoli is also a low inflammation index food.
Consuming more broccoli in the diet will help strengthen the body's immunity and improve inflammation.
In summary, broccoli is fully nutritious and rich in SFN, and should become a "regular customer" on the people's table. However, when cooking broccoli, it is important to note:
Since ITCs (SFNs) are previous body forms present in cruciferous vegetables, it is necessary to produce ITCs (SFNs) under the action of endogenous black mustard enzymes; cooking temperature is too high and too long will make the activity of black mustard enzymes lose, thereby affecting the nutritional function of broccoli.
Therefore, it is recommended to eat broccoli in a cold mix, and the cooking time is controlled within 3 minutes; this can maximize the retention of various nutrients and SFN in broccoli.
Author | Shan Yujuan
Professor, School of Public Health and Management, Wenzhou Medical University