(NaturalNews) Eating raw or lightly cooked broccoli helps protect the heart against damage and maintain its healthy functioning, according to a study conducted by researchers from the University of Connecticut and published in the
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Researchers fed an extract of steamed broccoli to a group of rats for one month, then compared those rats to others that had been fed a standard diet. They found that the rats that had been fed the steamed broccoli extract had better heart function than those who had not. In addition, when all the
rats were deprived of oxygen, those who had been fed steamed
broccoli extract suffered less damage to their hearts and those who had been fed the standard
diet.
The researchers observed that when the rats ate the broccoli extract, their
body increased its production of several
antioxidant proteins. Antioxidants are chemicals that remove
free radicals from the body.
While free radicals play important roles in the body and are produced through normal processes such as
eating and breathing, excessive levels can cause cell damage that leads to
heart disease, cancer and the effects of aging.
"We are increasingly finding that 'redox
proteins,' which counter the effects of oxidization, have an important role in the body's defense against heart
disease," said researcher Dipak Das. "However, if broccoli is over-cooked it loses a lot of its protective effect."
Cruciferous
vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, radish and Brussels sprouts are known to be high in
antioxidants, and many studies have shown that increased consumption of these vegetables text against heart disease and cancer. Broccoli is known to contain a chemical called sulforaphane, which causes the body to produce heart-protecting proteins.
The researchers are now investigating whether the antioxidants contained in
cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli can also provide a protective benefit against other diseases.
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