Broccoli can decrease the risk of cancer… unless you boil it. Researchers in the U.K. recently found that boiling cruciferous vegetables destroys their cancer-fighting antioxidants called glucosinolates. Cruciferous vegetables include broccoli, green cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower.
When these foods are eaten raw, steamed, or stir-fried, the glucosilonates are metabolized into other compounds that counteract the poisonous effects of cancer and accelerate removal from the body. Boiling cruciferousplants leeches these cancer-fighting nutrients into the cooking water.
Glucosilonate loss that occurred from boiling broccoli was 77%, cauliflower 75%, green cabbage 65%, and Brussels sprouts 58%. Shredding these vegetables finely also showed a marked decline of glucosinolates – up to 75% over 6 hours!
Though studies continue to confirm the role of diet in reduction of cancer risk, genetic makeup can affect how efficiently your body absorbs glucosinolates. Other studies show that careful chewing of cruciferous vegetables greatly enhances absorption of glucosilonates.
Reference: Song & Thornalley, “Effect of storage, processing and cooking on glucosinolates in Brassica vegetables,” Food & Chemical Toxicology, 45.
Alzheimer’s & Testosterone
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia among the aging. This degenerative disease is characterized by memory loss and impaired thought processes. Diagnosis for this disease has been unreliable to date.
A recently published study in The Journal of Neuroscience suggests that low levels of testosterone, the male sex hormone, may increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease in men. The research also found that treatments using testosterone slowed the acceleration of Alzheimer’s symptoms. This research was conducted on male mice. Additional research is needed to determine if the same results will occur in humans. This could open the door for hormonal replacement therapy as a treatment for men.
Alzheimer’s affects areas of the brain that control memory and thought. The disease typically begins after age 60 in humans. Symptoms appear slowly and develop gradually. Today there are no treatments available to stop progression of the disease.
Nutrition plays an important role in prevention of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. B vitamins, particularly B12, B6, and folic acid, are necessary nutrients for the brain. Antioxidants block free radicals and protect the brain from oxidative damage.
Reference: Rosario, E. (2006) “Androgens regulate the development of neuropathology in a triple transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease”, The Journal of Neuroscience 26.
