Eating fresh vegetables, (preferably organic) is a big factor in maintaining a healthy diet. On top of that, it can help you lower your risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and cancer.
Aside from being rich in fiber, minerals, and vitamins, vegetables are also high in antioxidants which are not in the processed foods most people choose to eat regularly. But did you know that some plant compounds are also found to have strong anti-aging effects?
Broccoli is the Best Choice If You Want to Slow Aging
Particularly, broccoli which is known for being a great anti-cancer food also has age-slowing enzymes which can restore one’s metabolism to a youthful level. This enzyme, NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide), plays a big role in producing NAD which is a compound that is greatly involved in energy metabolism.
When your body ages, it loses its capacity to create NAD which is said to be related to chronic inflammation. Taking NAD directly is not effective, but NMN from broccoli is. When NMN is dissolved it only takes about three minutes for the compound to appear in blood and convert into NAD in multiple tissues.
Broccoli is among the most studied vegetables, and studies have shown a lot of health benefits that are directly associated with this cruciferous vegetable. These include reduced risk for cancer, osteoarthritis, heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, allergies, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, and more.
Additionally, broccoli also promotes a healthier liver function, as well as optimal function of your detox systems. A healthy liver results in healthy and beautiful skin which makes broccoli a really anti-aging food.
Broccoli’s Amazing Anti-Cancer Effects
Like we mentioned above, broccoli is well-known for its anti-cancer effects which can be attributed to sulforaphane. For this, broccoli sprouts are actually the most potent. In fact, broccoli sprouts that are about three days old can have about 20 to 50 times more chemo-protective compounds than what you find in mature broccoli.
Sulforaphane can slow tumor growth by killing cancer stem cells.It can detoxify carcinogens. It is also said to cause apoptosis in breast, prostate, colon, and lung cancer cells, among others. Research also shows that sulforaphane helps improve verbal communication and decrease repetitive behaviors in patients with autism.
Aside from the benefits of sulforaphane from broccoli, this cruciferous vegetable also has twice the vitamin C content of an orange and about as much calcium as milk, with the added benefit of faster absorption rate. It also has iron and folate which are very important for healthy pregnancy.
Now, not everyone has broccoli on the list of their favorite foods, but perhaps all the benefits mentioned above can help change your mind. With all the advantages of adding broccoli to your diet, it’s definitely worth adding it to your weekly meals!
