This is the healthiest (and surprising) way to eat broccoli

Due to its properties and benefits for the organism, broccoli is food that more and more people include in their diet. If you are one of them, you should know that cooking broccoli can detract from its qualities, so it is very important that you know how cooking affects you. A team of Chinese scientists has discovered what is the healthiest way to prepare broccoli, so take note. Of course, we anticipate that the technique is not exactly fast, so you’ll have to arm yourself with patience.

We have plenty of reasons to consume this fashionable superfood. It stands out for having great nutritional capabilities, such as preventing cancer, protecting against degenerative and cardiovascular diseases, improving bones and skin, preventing inflammation or promoting good intestinal health.

Of course, to make the most of all its qualities it is important to know how to eat it. According to a study of the year 2011, we must consume all the vegetable and not only capsules or food supplement format, as well as we ingest more sulforaphane, the chemical substance associated with the prevention of cancer. This is because this compound is not present as it is in broccoli, but is formed when glucosinolates interact with an enzyme called myrosinase that is released when the vegetable is damaged or cut.

The problem with broccoli cooking is that, as different scientific studies have shown, the usual methods of cooking, such as boiling or cooking in the microwave, significantly reduce the number of glucosinolates in the vegetable, and the myrosinase is also sensitive to hot. For this reason, the healthiest way to eat broccoli is raw, although it is not the most appetizing.

Chinese scientists have looked for a way to cook broccoli that allows it to be tastier by subtracting the minimum. According to their results, it is best to chop the vegetable into small pieces (with the cuts the myrosinase is released) and let it rest for 90 minutes, then boil over low heat for 4 minutes. If you do not have that much time, the researchers say that at least 30 minutes of rest will be useful for more sulforaphane to be produced.