Super Broccoli
This new broccoli, brought to the U.K. market under the name Beneforté, was developed by a team of British scientists from UK's Institute of Food Research and the John Innes Centre. This new "super broccoli" contains up to three times the standard level of glucoraphanin than other broccoli types and was the culmination of years of research and development. Professor Richard Mithen led the team of researchers and has shown how this new understanding can lead to the development of even more nutritious varieties of vegetables. Dr. Mithen said that his team began the research of the health benefits of broccoli in the early 1990's,where he worked to understand what it is that makes broccoli such a particularly healthy food. The identification of a type of wild broccoli that contained very high levels of glucoraphanin in Sicily was discovered and this led his team of researchers to start a breeding program for the development of a hybrid. Then the researchers used conventional breeding techniques to develop a hybrid broccoli from the wild broccoli that had higher levels of glucoraphanin and commercial broccoli. After years of developing, the hybrid strain was licenced to agriculture giant Seminis for commercialization. The "super broccoli" is expected to remain only in U.K. Markets until 2012 where Mithen expects it to take on a wider consumption.
The Benefits of Broccoli
Broccoli is the only commonly eaten vegetable that contains significant amounts of glucoraphanin. Glucoraphanin is a naturally occurring which is converted into sulforaphane by the gut. Scientific evidence indicates that sulforaphane has the beneficial effects such as reducing cardiovascular disease as well as stopping the uncontrolled cell division that is associated with early stages of cancer. Previous studies have also indicated that people who consume the cruciferous vegetables at least once a week have a lower risk of chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease. It is a goldmine of health benefits. It has high amount of potassium which helps maintain a healthy nervous system. Broccoli also has high levels of calcium which is important for the health of bones. As well, broccoli is has a high fibrous content which aids in digestion, prevents constipation, and helps with over eating. Other qualities is the carotenoid lutein in broccoli. This helps with retinal and cataract degeneration. Broccoli is obviously a super food that has a plethora of healthy benefits. Now the world needs to find a way to get their kids to eat it.
