Is broccoli a nutritional showstopper?

Abused by canteen cooks everywhere, the much maligned broccoli has had a makeover in recent years. From school dinner mulch, broccoli has been reinvented as a tenderstem, purple sprouting nutritional showstopper. "Broc" fans claim this Sunday staple can help combat cancer, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. We've teamed up with the British Dietetic ssociation !BD " to see if the many health claims made about broccoli stand up to closer scrutiny.
Broccoli is a good source of vitamin # and folate !naturally occurring folic acid". $t also contains vitamins , %, calcium, fibre, beta&carotene and other antio'idants !notably indole&(&carbinol and sulforaphane"

The evidence
Cancer )ating more non&starchy vegetables, such as broccoli, is associated with a reduced ris* of some cancers !including mouth, throat and stomach cancers", according to a good +uality ,--. review of the evidence on cancer prevention by the World #ancer /esearch Fund. $t is possible that some of the compounds in broccoli may have health benefits, but clinical trials are needed to investigate this further. High blood pressure 0here is no evidence to suggest broccoli can help lower blood pressure. $n a ,-1- study, 2- patients with high blood pressure who ate 1-g of dried enriched broccoli sprouts for four wee*s saw no improvement to the health of their blood vessels and did not reduce their ris* of atherosclerosis !narrowing of the arteries". Cardiovascular disease $n a small study from ,-1, of 31 people with diabetes, those in a group that ate 1-g a day of enriched broccoli sprouts powder for four wee*s saw a reduction in their levels of cholesterol and triglycerides !a type of fat found in the blood", both of which can cause cardiovascular disease. Diabetes $n a lab study from ,--3, researchers applied the antio'idant sulforaphane to human blood vessels incubated with sugar. 0hey found that sulforaphane appeared to prevent the damage to small blood vessels caused by high blood sugar !which can happen if you have diabetes". 4owever, it is unclear from this study whether sulforaphane would protect a person with diabetes from damage.

The dietitian s verdict

lison 4ornby, a dietitian and BD spo*esperson, says5 "Broccoli may not live up to the hype, but nevertheless it contains many nutrients, such as folate, soluble and insoluble fibre, vitamins # and , and calcium, which are needed for numerous functions in the body. "$t is a member of the family of cruciferous vegetables along with cauliflower, bo* choy and cabbage. 0hese all contain compounds that are lin*ed to improving the body's ability to impede the growth of cancer cells. "Broccoli is a fle'ible vegetable that wor*s well in salads, stir fries, curries and soups. n 3-g serving will count towards your 6 Day."