Rich in dietary fiber and antioxidants, it’s well established that this green vegetable is great for weight loss. Adding to its health benefits, a study reveals that one can breed a new version of broccoli that can help cut down LDL-cholesterol levels by close to six percent.
The broccoli variety was bred to contain two to three times more of a naturally occurring compound glucoraphanin. It is now available in supermarkets, under the name Beneforte. After conducting a study, researchers found that volunteers who included 400gm of this broccoli to their normal weekly diet, saw the levels of LDL-cholesterol in their blood drop by an average of six percent. Although the reduction seen in these trials is small, at a population level, a one percent reduction in LDL-cholesterol has been associated with one to two percent reduction in the risk of coronary artery disease.
Other foods or ingredients that have been proven to lower LDL-cholesterol are beta-glucans in oats and plant stanols. These work by reducing cholesterol absorption into the body. As glucoraphanin works by reducing how much our bodies make, eating these foods together is likely to have an additive effect.
Source: ANI
Reference: Diet rich in high glucoraphanin broccoli reduces plasma LDL cholesterol: Evidence from randomized controlled trials, Molecular Nutrition and Food Research.
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