Yes, we all know that broccoli is good for you but do you know why that is?
Well, it contains an active compound called Sulforaphane (SPN). This valuable compound has been proven to kill cancer cells and it is believed to protect us from free radicals, boost the liver's ability to detoxify and to prevent cancer cells forming.
It is also known that people who have bladder cancer and who eat raw broccoli have a much higher survival rate than those who don't.
Sulforaphane is found in all the cruciferous vegetables but broccoli is the vegetable with the highest content, other vegetables are:
Brussels sprouts. Kohlrabi. Broccoli seeds. Cabbage. Cauliflower. Horseradish & Mustard Greens.
But SPN is a strange thing! For you have to chew or chop a vegetable in order for the compound to be released because it isn't directly present in the vegetable but it is formed in a reaction from Glucoraphnin and to get SPN from Glucoraphnin an enzyme called Myrosinase must be released from the broccoli cells.
Hello.. are you still there! It's a bit complicated but keep on reading!
And when the Broccoli cells are destroyed by chewing or chopping, the Myrossinase is released and reacts with the Glucoraphanin through a hydrolysis process.. and hey presto.. the result is SPN!
But here comes the bad news.. not all of us like raw broccoli and exposing broccoli to heat kills enzymes and so we don't get any benefit from this or any of the other cruciferous vegetables
When broccoli is frozen, it is first blanched prior to be packed. So the enzyme were destroyed.
However, the Glucoraphanin isn't destroyed by heat, only the enzyme was killed but you can activate it be adding another enzyme and this, Dear Readers, is where the magic begins.
For now all you have to do is to add a small amount of powdered mustard seeds for this to happen.
Think of Colman's raw mustard powder in a small yellow tin. A small amount of this dried mustard powder will perform the wizard's trick.
And as the Myrosinase enzyme is found in *Horseradish, *Wasabi powder or *Daikon radish, you can sprinkle any of these on to broccoli as well.
When cooking broccoli or any other cruciferous vegetable, prepare (chop) them at least an hour before you want to cook them, this allows the enzyme time to react with the glucoraphanin and the SPN will have formed when you start to cook.
Use chopped raw broccoli in your cooking as a garnish.
Add chopped raw broccoli to steamed vegetables to increase the amount of SPN.
Add a small amount of any of these * powders to activate the powerful agents of cruciferous vegetables.
Soak your vegetables for 5 minutes in salted water and then rinse them before cooking in order to get rid of pesticides.
We are lucky enough to grow most of what we eat in the way of vegetables but when it is dire - as it is today and she hasn't been to the allotments to pick any greenery, we've stuff that she froze earlier in the autumn.
And, of course, we are incredibly fortunate to have the North End Road market, where there is a stall holder called Peter who loves Spring Greens as much as we do! They're grown in Cambridgeshire and yes, she now sprinkles on Colman's mustard powder onto them and.. they're deliciously tasty!
We will be back later today, for in deepest Knightsbridge it is raining heavily and incredibly windy. This stormy weather is causing chaos and it's crazy to even think of going to the allotments which are very exposed.
Stay snug wherever you are and remember to buy some of these magical things* but you may actually already have them in your kitchen cupboard.
Stay happy and healthy.
GeeGee Parrot.
February 10th, 2019.
PostScript: With enormous thanks to Reading University whose research into the benefits of broccoli and the other cruciferous vegetables gave us these facts about SPN and the other enzymes.
Well, it contains an active compound called Sulforaphane (SPN). This valuable compound has been proven to kill cancer cells and it is believed to protect us from free radicals, boost the liver's ability to detoxify and to prevent cancer cells forming.
It is also known that people who have bladder cancer and who eat raw broccoli have a much higher survival rate than those who don't.
Sulforaphane is found in all the cruciferous vegetables but broccoli is the vegetable with the highest content, other vegetables are:
Brussels sprouts. Kohlrabi. Broccoli seeds. Cabbage. Cauliflower. Horseradish & Mustard Greens.
But SPN is a strange thing! For you have to chew or chop a vegetable in order for the compound to be released because it isn't directly present in the vegetable but it is formed in a reaction from Glucoraphnin and to get SPN from Glucoraphnin an enzyme called Myrosinase must be released from the broccoli cells.
Hello.. are you still there! It's a bit complicated but keep on reading!
And when the Broccoli cells are destroyed by chewing or chopping, the Myrossinase is released and reacts with the Glucoraphanin through a hydrolysis process.. and hey presto.. the result is SPN!
But here comes the bad news.. not all of us like raw broccoli and exposing broccoli to heat kills enzymes and so we don't get any benefit from this or any of the other cruciferous vegetables
When broccoli is frozen, it is first blanched prior to be packed. So the enzyme were destroyed.
However, the Glucoraphanin isn't destroyed by heat, only the enzyme was killed but you can activate it be adding another enzyme and this, Dear Readers, is where the magic begins.
For now all you have to do is to add a small amount of powdered mustard seeds for this to happen.
Think of Colman's raw mustard powder in a small yellow tin. A small amount of this dried mustard powder will perform the wizard's trick.
And as the Myrosinase enzyme is found in *Horseradish, *Wasabi powder or *Daikon radish, you can sprinkle any of these on to broccoli as well.
When cooking broccoli or any other cruciferous vegetable, prepare (chop) them at least an hour before you want to cook them, this allows the enzyme time to react with the glucoraphanin and the SPN will have formed when you start to cook.
Use chopped raw broccoli in your cooking as a garnish.
Add chopped raw broccoli to steamed vegetables to increase the amount of SPN.
Add a small amount of any of these * powders to activate the powerful agents of cruciferous vegetables.
Soak your vegetables for 5 minutes in salted water and then rinse them before cooking in order to get rid of pesticides.
We are lucky enough to grow most of what we eat in the way of vegetables but when it is dire - as it is today and she hasn't been to the allotments to pick any greenery, we've stuff that she froze earlier in the autumn.
And, of course, we are incredibly fortunate to have the North End Road market, where there is a stall holder called Peter who loves Spring Greens as much as we do! They're grown in Cambridgeshire and yes, she now sprinkles on Colman's mustard powder onto them and.. they're deliciously tasty!
We will be back later today, for in deepest Knightsbridge it is raining heavily and incredibly windy. This stormy weather is causing chaos and it's crazy to even think of going to the allotments which are very exposed.
Stay snug wherever you are and remember to buy some of these magical things* but you may actually already have them in your kitchen cupboard.
Stay happy and healthy.
GeeGee Parrot.
February 10th, 2019.
PostScript: With enormous thanks to Reading University whose research into the benefits of broccoli and the other cruciferous vegetables gave us these facts about SPN and the other enzymes.
According to Dr. Gregor at NutritionFacts.org, if you chop your broccoli 45 minutes before cooking, you don't need to use yellow mustard powder. It's only when you don't wait the 45 minutes or eat the frozen kind that needs the powder.
ReplyDeleteGlucoraphanin is also useful in treating several other conditions, as well. For example, it is very useful in treating acne, eczema, periodontal disease, inflammation, osteoarthritis and several other painful diseases. Source for more about Cofttek Products -Dietary supplements powder manufacturer.
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