Broccoli

I call broccoli the king of vegetables, and barely a year goes by where I don’t come across a study extolling the cancer or heart-protective properties of this wonder-veg.

A lot of the studies involve a health-enhancing chemical called sulforaphane that can significantly improve blood pressure, kidney function, and gut health by normalising a process called DNA methylation (a process of normal cell function). It can also normalise blood-sugar levels, enhance the immune system and kill cancer stem cells.

Another plant chemical found in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, spinach, cabbage and greens, is indole-3-carbinol, which acts as a catalyst to decrease the body’s load of certain oestrogens.
Broccoli sprouts are even more nutritious. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University found that 5g of broccoli sprouts contain concentrations of the compound glucoraphanin (a precursor to sulforaphane), equal to that found in 150 grams (5.2 ounces) of mature broccoli.

In terms of weight loss, broccoli is high in fibre, which not only increases satiety, but also increases the beneficial bacteria in the gut. Studies have shown that those who ate 30g of fibre per day without making any other dietary modifications, lost nearly the same amount of weight as those who cut calories and limited their fat intake.