Drink Your Broccoli!

By Gail Kavanagh

Broccoli has long had a poor reputation as a culinary delight, although every Mom knows it's good for you. The trouble is, broccoli is a delicate vegetable that can be easily overcooked, losing both its eye and taste appeal.

But there is a new way to enjoy the health benefits of this much maligned vegetable - brassica tea.

As far back as 1992, researchers at the John Hopkins University discovered that broccoli is bursting with antioxidants, which help prevent cancer. Five years later, they discovered that three day old broccoli sprouts have the 20 times the concentration of antioxidants of mature broccoli. Just last year, a joint American/Chinese trial conducted in China showed that subjects who drank five ounces of a liquid extracted from the sprouts showed detoxification in an area of China known for a high liver cancer count.

Broccoli sprouts are now on sale in most US supermarkets as BroccoSprouts® with a portion of the sales going to further research into brassicas and their incredible anti-cancer properties. Brassicas are big news on the health scene.

Brassicas include all those vegetables we love to hate, including cabbage and Brussels sprouts. The important factor is the antioxidant sulforaphane glucosinolate (SGS™), which gives brassicas their cancer fighting power, and John Hopkins University have made it as easy to take as it was for those involved in the Chinese study group - by making it available as a tea.

Brassica tea was developed by the university in 2002, and almost immediately sold out, and no wonder. One cup of this tea provides as much SGS as a full serving of broccoli - without having to actually eat it. Brassica tea now comes in black and green, regular and decaffeinated varieties, and can be served hot or iced. Supply has now met demand, so nothing could be easier than adding this powerful weapon to your health arsenal.

As research continues into the wonders of brassica, more and more of its positive effects are revealed. SGS is a factor in preventing many diseases, including high blood pressure and stomach ulcers. It even beats carrots in protecting the eyes from long term damage.

Could Brassica be the wonder food of the Third Millenium? It could be - what is certain is that Mom was right when she said, "Eat the broccoli, it's good for you."

Except that now you don't have to eat it - you can drink it!