THE MIRACLE FOOD AT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD SUPERMARKET
What would you do if I told you that there exists a common, everyday vegetable which, when eaten several times a week fresh or lightly steamed, has been proven to reduce the risk of developing a variety of horrible malignancies?
Well, the vegetable is broccoli and the health benefits have been scientifically proven beyond any reasonable doubt! My sources are fully cited at the end of this article.
THE FACTS
Broccoli has been proven to help protect against genetic cancers; reduce hardening of the arteries and improve heart function; boost our aging immune systems; prevent and fight cancers and tumors of the lungs, prostate, colon, ovaries, breast and bladder; enhance DNA repair in cells; provide high levels of protection against childhood leukemia and lymphoma when consumed by pregnant and nursing women; and help protect against Alzheimer's disease and macular degeneration. The health benefits of broccoli are so unbelievably potent that everyone should partake. There is no downside to eating broccoli.
The anti-cancer properties of broccoli are so well established that the American Cancer Society recommends that Americans increase their intake of broccoli to several times a week.
These incredible attributes of broccoli are due to the laundry list of natural, disease-fighting phytochemicals called antioxidants and anticarcinogens which are present and concentrated in the edible portion of the plant and may exist in varying amounts in other members of the family. Antioxidants are nutrients which protect against tissue damage from a lifetime of normal metabolism. Anticarcinogens protect against cancers.
The word broccoli (Brassica oleracea), also called calabrese and brocks, comes from the Italian word "brocco", meaning branch. Broccoli is a member of the Brassicaceae family (alternately called the Cruciferae family because the four-petal flowers resemble crosses), which also includes cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and kale.
The natural phytochemicals which proffer such acclaimed protection against human diseases include: Glucosinolates; Dithiolthiones; Indoles; Glucoraphanin; S-Methyl Cysteine Sulfoxide; Isothiocyanates; Indole-3-Carbinol; Sulforaphane; Isothyiocyanates; Phenethyl-isothyiocyanates; Kaempferol; Diindolylmethane; 4-methylsulfinylbutyl isothiocyanate; 3,3'-diindolylmethane; and Carotenoids. Other important, and more easily pronounced, nutrients in broccoli include valuable quantities of calcium, fiber, and a variety of necessary vitamins.
The names of these phytochemicals may be just scientific jibberish to you. All you need to know is that several servings of fresh or lightly steamed broccoli each and every week will help to prevent cancers, cardiac problems, and other age-related maladies. If you have the patience and discipline, grow broccoli sprouts indoors all year round. The sprouts contain much, much more of the beneficial phytochemicals than do the mature broccoli heads- the portion of the plant most oft consumed.
SOURCES:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/release s/2008/01/080121091349.htm
http://www.sciencedaily.co m/releases/2005/03/050326114810.htm
http://www.scienc edaily.com/releases/2007/05/070517100315.htm
http://w ww.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070724161644.ht m
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071117 212106.htm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/ 02/080228080546.htm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/0807012 21450.htm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/0 1/070115215454.htm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releas es/2005/07/050729063801.htm
http://www.sciencedaily.c om/releases/2007/12/071224125524.htm
http://www.scien cedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071022171929.htm
http:// www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070515102538.h tm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/08030 6133919.htm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006 /02/060209185153.htm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/rele ases/2006/04/060405235119.htm
http://www.sciencedaily .com/releases/2007/04/070417162310.htm
http://www.sci encedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071119184042.htm
http: //www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/01/040106074742 .htm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071 206105144.htm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 07/08/070820175422.htm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/re leases/2004/09/040901091511.htm
http://www.sciencedai ly.com/releases/2006/12/061222092311.htm
http://www.s ciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070908001613.htm
htt p://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/05/0605171859 53.htm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/06/0 60618223753.htm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/ 2005/09/050915003652.htm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/ releases/2006/08/060816020844.htm
http://documents.ca ncer.org/6753.25/
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/ar ticlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=9294217
http:// www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18163565
http://www.ars-g rin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?105447
http://www. gardenguides.com/plants/plant.asp?symbol=BROLB
http:/ /www.floridata.com/ref/b/bras_ole_bot.cfm?menu=0&CFI D=164030&CFTOKEN=52765538
http://www.bestsyndication. com/?q=taxonomy/term/67
http://www.phytochemicals.inf o/plants/broccoli.php