Introduction: Broccoli is a recognized anti-cancer superstar, but how can it be cooked to maximize its anti-cancer effects? According to a report by the British Daily Mail on November 11, scientists from the University of Illinois have found that the best way to cook broccoli is to steam it for 5 minutes. When the broccoli turns bright green, its anti-cancer effect is the strongest.
Researchers point out that broccoli is an excellent food source of natural anti-cancer compounds—sulforaphane, and its myrosinase enzyme is crucial to the anti-cancer effect of sulforaphane. Once myrosinase is destroyed, sulforaphane will not have an anti-cancer effect. The study found that compared to other cooking methods, steaming broccoli for about 5 minutes preserves the most myrosinase, making the resulting broccoli more anti-cancer.
In this regard, experts note that steaming does retain more nutrients and anti-cancer substances, and the steamed broccoli can be mixed with seasonings. Also, when cooking broccoli, it is better to cut it with scissors rather than a knife. The whole broccoli head has many florets, which are made up of many small flowers. If you place it directly on a cutting board to cut, many of these small flowers will fall off, causing loss. It is recommended to rinse the broccoli and then use scissors to cut the florets off at their base, or break them off by hand, to get complete florets.
In addition, other studies have found that eating broccoli and tomatoes together can have a stronger anti-cancer effect.