Disable Carcinogens with These Foods. [Video]

Why Are Cancer Researchers Fascinated by This Vegetable.

Four things we are going to discuss in this video are.
What are those vegetables
Top 3 or the best of the bunch.
Benefits beyond cancer.
Best cooking tips to preserve the active compounds. Do they get destroyed in cooking?
Sulforaphane can be tricky when it comes to cooking. Here’s the breakdown:

Sulforaphane itself is fairly heat stable: Once it’s formed, moderate cooking temperatures won’t destroy it.
The enzyme that creates sulforaphane, myrosinase, is heat sensitive: Cooking can destroy myrosinase, preventing the conversion of sulforaphane’s precursor (glucoraphanin) into sulforaphane itself.
There are a few ways to maximize sulforaphane content when cooking cruciferous vegetables:

Eat them raw: Raw vegetables have the highest levels of sulforaphane precursors, but this might not be palatable for everyone, especially for some vegetables like Brussels sprouts.
Lightly steam or stir-fry: Steaming for a short time (1-3 minutes) or stir-frying quickly can minimize myrosinase loss .
The “hack and hold” method: This method involves chopping your vegetables and letting them sit for 20-40 minutes before cooking. This allows time for some myrosinase to convert glucoraphanin to sulforaphane before heat deactivates the enzyme .
In conclusion: While some sulforaphane is lost during cooking, you can still get a good amount by following these tips.

Benefits beyond cancer.
There are a couple of things we might have missed! Here’s a more comprehensive look:

Other sulforaphane powerhouses: While Brussels sprouts, garden cress, and mustard greens are the top 3, other cruciferous vegetables also contain sulforaphane. Broccoli, for instance, has a decent amount (around 88 milligrams per half-cup chopped) and is easier to find and incorporate into meals than garden cress .
References :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cruciferous_vegetables
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/diet/cruciferous-vegetables-fact-sheet
https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/crucifeous-vegetables
Factors affecting sulforaphane content: You mentioned we covered growing conditions, but there’s more! Sulforaphane levels can also be influenced by factors like:

Variety of the vegetable: Even within a type of vegetable, different varieties might have slightly different sulforaphane content .
Freshness: Sulforaphane levels tend to decrease over time, so fresher vegetables generally have more .
Sulforaphane benefits beyond cancer: While we focused on cancer research, sulforaphane is being studied for other potential health benefits, such as reducing inflammation and improving heart health .
Other Brassicaceae family members: Some close relatives of cruciferous vegetables, like daikon radish and kohlrabi, might also contain some sulforaphane, although likely in smaller quantities compared to the top cruciferous contenders .

Vegetables with glucosinolates: While sulforaphane is a specific type of glucosinolate breakdown product, other glucosinolates exist in various vegetables. These can break down into different compounds with potential health benefits, although research on their specific effects is ongoing. Here are some examples:

Broccoli sprouts: These young broccoli plants are concentrated sources of glucosinolates, but the specific breakdown products and their health effects differ from mature broccoli .
Daikon radish: Similar to the point above, daikon radish contains glucosinolates that break down into different compounds than sulforaphane .
Herbs: Herbs generally aren’t known for being high in glucosinolates or sulforaphane. However, some herbs like rosemary and turmeric are being studied for their own anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which might offer some overlapping health benefits with cruciferous vegetables .

Important points to remember:

The research on these alternatives is not as extensive as with cruciferous vegetables.
The specific health benefits and the amount of these potentially beneficial compounds can vary greatly.
If you’re interested in incorporating a wider variety of potentially health-promoting vegetables in your diet, these options might be worth exploring. However, cruciferous vegetables remain the best-studied source of sulforaphane currently.