Organic Slant

  • Home
  • Shop
  • About
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Articles
  • Videos
  • Cartoons
  • Music
  • Links
  • Cancer
  • Environment
  • GMO’s
  • Health
  • Monsanto
  • Organic Foods
  • Super Foods
  • Fukushima
You are here: Home / Cancer / Maximizing The Anti-Cancer Power Of Broccoli

Maximizing The Anti-Cancer Power Of Broccoli

May 2, 2022 by Captain Organic Planet

University of Illinois researcher Elizabeth Jeffery has learned how to maximize the cancer-fighting power of broccoli. It involves heating broccoli just enough to eliminate a sulfur-grabbing protein, but not enough to stop the plant from releasing an important cancer-fighting compound called sulforaphane.

The discovery of this sulfur-grabbing protein in the Jeffery lab makes it possible to maximize the amount of the anticarcinogen sulforaphane in broccoli.

Jeffery’s research will be published in an upcoming issue of Phytochemistry. She is a professor in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at the U of I.

“As scientists, we learned that sulforaphane is maximized when broccoli has been heated 10 minutes at 140 degrees Fahrenheit,” said Jeffery. “For the consumer, who cannot readily hold the temperature as low as 140 degrees, that means the best way to prepare broccoli is to steam it lightly about 3 or 4 minutes–until the broccoli is tough-tender.”

Frozen-food manufacturers may use this technology to increase the health benefits of the broccoli they sell, allowing the consumer to heat it without having to worry about the conditions.

Jeffery said that sulforaphane is one of the most powerful anticarcinogens found in food. “It works by increasing the enzymes in your liver that destroy the cancer-inducing chemicals you ingest in food or encounter in the environment.”

But the chemistry for triggering the release of sulforaphane is tricky. Sulforaphane is linked to a sugar molecule through a sulfur bond. When the broccoli enzyme breaks off the sugar to release the sulforaphane, a sulfur-grabbing protein can remove the newly exposed sulfur on the sulforaphane and inactivate it.

“Although our gut bacteria may be able to release some of the sulforaphane, we don’t have the enzyme to release sulforaphane in our body tissues, so our best bet is to use the enzyme in the broccoli,” Jeffery said. “The enzyme in the broccoli does a really good job of breaking that bond. You can break it simply by chopping the broccoli.”

Jeffery’s team of researchers began by cooking broccoli for different lengths of times at different temperatures to learn the point at which the broccoli enzyme that releases sulforaphane is destroyed.

“And, much to our excitement, after we had heated it for just a little while, we found we had killed off a protein that nobody knew was there. This protein, named the epithiospecifier protein, had been grabbing sulfur and greatly depleting the amount of sulforaphane in a serving of broccoli.

“The protein was very heat-sensitive, and with a little bit of heat, we killed it off and got an almost perfect yield of sulforaphane, the cancer-fighting component,” she said.

“It was a serendipitous discovery, and it changed our focus. Instead of worrying about overcooking the broccoli and losing the enzyme that releases the sulforaphane, we focused on heating the broccoli just enough to destroy the sulfur-grabbing protein, but not enough to harm the enzyme that releases sulforaphane from the sugar,” said Jeffery.

Related Posts

  • A daily dose of yogurt could be the go-to food to manage high blood pressure
  • WHO advises not to use non-sugar sweeteners for weight control
  • Most U.S. children use potentially toxic makeup products, often during play
  • To Block The Carcinogens, Add A Touch Of Rosemary When Grilling Meats

Filed Under: Cancer Tagged With: anti cancer, broccoli, cancer, sulforaphane

Article Sources

  • https://aces.illinois.edu/news/maximizing-anti-cancer-power-broccoli-0

About Captain Organic Planet

C.O.P. (Captain Organic Planet) is on a mission to inform anyone with an open mind that our food is far from natural; it is synthetic and fake. I believe our food supply is contributing to most of our diseases. The sad thing is it doesn't end there. Everywhere around us are dangers; in our household, in our water, and in your shampoo. Every aspect of your life is contributing to your health, wellness, sickness and disease. Challenge Conventional Culture. Live Life With An Organic Slant. L.iving O.rganically V.ibrates E.nergy

VIDEOS

View All Videos

Popular

Is Towpath Trail At Cleveland Ohio Steelyard Commons Radioactive From Manhattan Project?

July 27, 2012 By Captain Organic Planet Filed Under: Cancer, Nuclear

14-Year Old Anti-GMO Activist Agitates Monsanto Schill, Kevin O’Leary

November 20, 2013 By Captain Organic Planet Filed Under: GMO's

Vegans At Increased Risk Of Developing Blood Clots And Atherosclerosis

January 5, 2017 By Captain Organic Planet Filed Under: Health

Follow Organic Slant

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Organic Slant
Tweets by organicslant

Organic Slant

  • Home
  • About
  • Shop
  • Contact
  • links
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
All Rights Reserved 2018

Organic Slant LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

  • Home
  • About
  • Shop
  • Contact
  • Articles
  • Videos
  • Cartoons
  • Media
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Advertise
  • Media
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

· Organic Slant All Rights Reserved © 2025 ·