• Chemical only found in the food helps maintain ‘batteries’ that power body’s cells

Next time your child asks why they have to eat broccoli, you can give them the reason – thanks to scientists who made people eat it every day for three months.

They discovered that a chemical found solely in the vegetable helps maintain the health of the tiny ‘batteries’ which power the body’s cells.

This, it is thought, helps ward off health problems including cancer and heart disease.

Scientists from the Institute of Food Research in Norwich ran detailed blood tests on men and women before and after they ate the vegetable.

Nineteen volunteers ate 400g of broccoli a week – three florets a day – alongside their normal food for three months.

Another 19 ate a ‘super-broccoli’ called Beneforte, which is bred to be extra-rich in glucoraphanin, a plant chemical. The final group ate peas.

Eating the glucoraphanin-rich broccoli led to improvements in the various chemical reactions that go on inside mitochondria, the ‘batteries’ in cells.

They also have several other vital functions, which all need to be in balance for good health.

While researchers believe the same benefits could be obtained by eating normal broccoli, there’s some bad news if you’re not a fan of it – they think you’d need to eat three times as much.

Researcher Professor Richard Mithen said: ‘Mitochondria are really, really important and when they start to go wrong it leads onto many of the diseases of ageing.

‘We think this provides some evidence as to why people who eat diets rich in broccoli may keep in good health.’

He added: ‘The message is to eat a balanced diet and get some exercise and if you want to eat Beneforte broccoli, that’s all well and good and it may give you a little extra benefit.

‘Two to three times a week is probably enough, I don’t think many people want to eat broccoli more than that.’

Written for and published at the Daily Mail by Fiona Macrae, July 31, 2013.

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