Curiously Awesome

The health benefits of broccoli and related vegetables may come in part from a chemical known as sulforaphane, which appears to activate a specific heart-protecting protein.

Researchers studied the chemical sulforaphane (occurring naturally in vegetables in the family Brassicaceae–known as cruciferous vegetables). Cruciferous vegetables include cabbage, cauliflower, radish, and turnip. Sulforaphane increases the activity of the protein Nrf2. In these areas, blood flow is usually slowed or even disrupted completely.

These findings provide a possible way by which eating vegetables can help protect against heart disease. The biochemistry revealed could lead to more medical approaches for controlling disease that leads to heart attacks and strokes.