Scientists find that sulforaphane in broccoli could prevent plaque from hardening arteries

British scientists found that green leafy vegetables, especially broccoli boosts your body's natural defense system in a way that protects your arteries from becoming clogged.

According to a Sept. 4, 2009 Reuters article, "How broccoli can protect your arteries," by Kate Kelland. Editing by Ralph Boulton, scientists think broccoli is good for your heart.

British scientists think they know why. Researchers at Imperial College London have found evidence that "a chemical in broccoli and other green leafy vegetables could boost a natural defense mechanism that protects arteries from the clogging that can cause heart attacks."

The study is funded by the British Heart Foundation charity and has been conducted on mice. However, results could apply to humans as well as the DNA systems are close enough for experiments in what hardens the arteries or prevents plaque from building.

Researchers found that sulforaphane -- a compound occurring naturally in broccoli and other brassicas -- might be able to "switch on" a protective protein which is inactive in parts of the arteries vulnerable to clogging. The research looked at molecular mechanism to find out why vegetables can reduce the building up of plaque in arteries.

The goal of the study is to explain why green vegetables promote healthy hearts. When arteries clog up, they do so in a variety of ways because there are bends and branches of blood vessels -- where blood flow is disrupted or slower -- which are much more prone to the build-up of fatty plaques that cause heart disease, according to the Reuters article.

You have vulnerable areas. Researchers looked at a normally protective protein known as Nrf2 is that's inactive. But the study showed that the sulforaphane in broccoli and other green leafy vegetables can protect those regions by switching on the Nrf2.

To read the technical research data, view the journal, Arteriosclerosis Thrombosis and Vascular Biology. The scientists used purified sulforaphane, not broccoli. Researchers said the next step was to test the effect of the chemical as it is found in vegetables.

What researchers actually have to do now is make some broccoli smoothies to compare with the effect of purified sulforaphane. The trouble with the study is that if the vegetable form proved less effective, there could be an argument for taking sulforaphane in pill form.

For more info: browse my books, How Nutrigenomics Fights Childhood Type 2 Diabetes & Weight Issues (2009) or Predictive Medicine for Rookies (2005). Or see my books, How to Safely Tailor Your Foods, Medicines, & Cosmetics to Your Genes (2003) or How to Interpret Family History & Ancestry DNA Test Results for Beginners (2004) or How to Open DNA-driven Genealogy Reporting & Interpreting Businesses. (2007). Photo credits: Flickr.com.

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