You better introduce broccoli sprouts to your daily diet because according to a study featured on Prevention.com, they may help protect you from pollution.
Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health asked nearly 300 chinese men and women living in one of China’s most polluted regions to drink half a cup of a concoction made of sterilized water, pineapple, and lime juice either with or without broccoli sprout powder daily for 12 weeks.
Based on urine and blood samples collected from the participants, researchers found a daily increase in pollution excretion rates of the human carcinogen benzene (61 percent) and of the lung irritant acrolein (23 percent) in those who drank the beverage with broccoli sprout powder.
Researchers believe that chewing or swallowing broccoli sprouts causes a compound called glucoraphanin to manufacture sulforaphane, which switches on the signalling molecule NRF2, which in turn, hikes the cells’ ability to fight against environmental toxins.
While it’s still not yet clear how many broccoli sprouts you should chow down (studies are now ongoing to find out the answers), this shouldn’t stop you from adding this veggie on your plate. Add it on salads, tacos, sandwiches, or burgers. You can also blitz it together with your favorite smoothie to make it even more potent.
(Photo from Natural Society via Daisy Wilcox on Pinterest)
