Many other vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals, and valuable chemicals that can be released or blocked, depending on the preparation process and the foods they are eaten with.
Broccoli can also be cooked for long periods of time to destroy enzymes that break down chemicals called glucosinolates into cancer-fighting agents. This means that a delicious cream of broccoli soup, for example, unfortunately fails to showcase broccoli's best nutritional properties.
Chopped, the best way to eat it is raw or steamed for two to three minutes.
This goes for other cruciferous vegetables - such as cauliflower, kale, mustard and cabbage - as well. These vegetables all contain compounds that "target diseased cells and keep normal cells happy, which is what is needed to prevent cancer."
Most broccoli supplements don't have enough good enzymes for these compounds to work.
Ultimately, the best way to use food to prevent cancer is to eat five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day, and eat a variety of them. After all, the ways cancer damages the body are complex, and each fruit or vegetable may play a different role in helping fight the disease.
Is it more nutritious to eat broccoli with peanuts or cooked food?
Raw broccoli is not necessarily healthier than cooked broccoli.
Broccoli is part of the cruciferous vegetable family and is a delicious treat eaten raw or lightly cooked. These vegetables provide many nutrients, but their unique contribution is a group of compounds called glucosinolates. When we chew or chop these vegetables, glucosinolates come into contact with enzymes stored elsewhere in the plant, which convert these inactive compounds into isothiocyanate compounds, which studies have shown may reduce cancer risk.
New research shows you can get a lot of these protective compounds if you blanch your vegetables first. Blanching is a quick dip in boiling water followed by immediate cooling. If you steam broccoli for three to four minutes or microwave it for less than a minute, you can also preserve the nutrients and enzymes needed to form protective isothiocyanates.
Especially if you're not consuming cooking liquid (like soup), cooking broccoli or other cruciferous vegetables isn't the best method. Boiling leaches out water-soluble vitamins in vegetables, such as vitamin C and folate, as well as many water-soluble glucosinolate compounds. Additionally, overexposure to high temperatures can destroy the enzymes that convert inactive glucosinolates into active compounds. Eating raw broccoli is a good choice because it retains these nutrients and the enzymes that form isothiocyanate compounds. Quick blanching and cooling gives you more of these compounds before serving on a dressing plate or salad. When you want cooked broccoli, steaming or briefly microwaving are both good options.
