Saturday, September 5, 2009

A Rose by Any Other Name

If Roses were called broccoli, would they still make us smile and blush when we were presented with them? I do not know the answer to that, but I can tell you that broccoli and other cruciferous and green leafy vegetables are the roses for our hearts and arteries.

It has been long recommended that we eat our vegetables. In doing so, we will have less chance of heart disease and cancer. A new study from London attempts to explain why.

Now this is a real deviation from my usual reports on epidemiological studies on nutrition. (studies regarding what populations do and the effects those behaviors have on their health)
This study involves mice taking a chemical basically. It was a lab experiment.

Some scientists believe that a chemical in broccoli called sulforaphane turns on a protective protein in our bodies that can reduce fatty plaque build up in our arteries (atherosclerosis).

The study that comes out of the Imperial College of London did the exact opposite of what I say people should do. Instead of the mice eating "broccoli" they were fed a purified form of sulforaphane that must have been synthesized some how. In the animal studies the protective protein, called Nrf2 was indeed activated. The scientists will now try giving the mice with hardened and clogged arteries the same chemical as it appears in broccoli.

It is said that if this does not have the same positive effect, the recommendation will be that people take sulforaphane in pills. OMG.. did I just say that on my blog?

Actually, the news article I read did not mention anything about drugs that reduce plaque buildup but other websites and articles note that the broccoli chemical worked as well as prescription statins, now that IS newsworthy!

http://www.bhf.org.uk/default.aspx?page=10400&utm_source=Front%2BPage&utm_medium=Promo%2BBox%204&utm_campaign=Brocolli040909

BTW, this is a good reason that restaurants should offer sides of broccoli to our children instead of cucumbers and celery... which are really low in nutrients. Oh, but parents, be careful, just because they steam it doesn't mean they don't add butter. Ask and Decline!



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