You know that fresh produce is beneficial to your well-being, but can boring old fruit and veg can’t do much for your anti-ageing wellness? Now, British scientists have given broccoli a makeover, turning it into a super-food that can re-tune your metabolism to fight the ageing process.
Sold under the brand name Beneforte (which is available from certain supermarkets for a quid), the vegetable has been boosted with a plant compound which wellness experts assert can protect you against heart disease and cancer. Volunteers who tried the product experienced metabolic changes that were the biological equivalent of a car’s 12,000 mile service. In your body there are tiny energy generators in cells called mitochondria, which become less efficient with age. The malfunction of these generators contributes to problems such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease and some forms of cancer. However, Beneforte gave these mitochondria a new lease of life and improved their performance.
Although Beneforte showed the most striking effect out of other tested cruciferous vegetables –including ordinary broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale and cauliflower – the research team, led by Professor Richard Mithen from the Institute of Food Research, asserted that the findings underlined the health benefits of eating cruciferous vegetables in general. In the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the study authors concluded, ‘A diet rich in cruciferous vegetables effectively re-tunes our metabolism.. In this manner, cruciferous vegetables may be able to reduce the risk of many chronic diseases associated with ageing.’
For the study, 48 volunteers were split into three groups and ate 400 grams a week of either Beneforte, standard broccoli, or peas for three months. In the Beneforte group, the participants showed clear signs of improved metabolism, and two biochemical processes vital to mitochondrial function were “rebalanced”. These volunteers also experienced reduced levels of compounds linked to inflammation in their blood. Professor Mithen noted, ‘Although this is a pilot study, we think it is significant because it shows in humans a measurable effect on our metabolism, which is central to our overall health and could explain the diverse range of beneficial effects many observational dietary studies have shown previously.’
Nutritionist Dr Gail Rees, from the University of Plymouth, commented, ‘This is an exciting study that demonstrates how eating broccoli benefits our metabolism. It is of huge scientific interest as we are now starting to unravel exactly which components of fruit and vegetables are responsible for good health and what the specific effects are. The study.. is particularly important because it shows the advantages of eating regular but reasonable portion sizes of a special type of broccoli high in glucoraphanin. The study also demonstrates that the response to eating this type of broccoli is dependent on genetic makeup, so how beneficial it is to your health varies according to your genetics.’