Aha! There are few cases where we can legitimately say: ‘grandma was wrong’, but if she boiled your vegetables to an unrecognisable pulp, well you know, sorry nan…
It might seem obvious to most of you but in case you need reminding, new research has found that steaming vegetables – especially broccoli – could preserve their ant-cancer properties in a way that microwaving and steaming can’t
The research, presented to the American Institute for Cancer Research Annual Research Conference, found the best way to cook broccoli was to steam it for three to four minutes.
Steaming vegetables until they turned a bright green colour could enhance cancer-fighting compounds, they said.
These include crucially, the sulforaphane, a naturally occurring plant compound in broccoli that has been shown to be protective against cancer.
For sulforaphane to form, the enzyme myrosinase in broccoli is needed.
The researchers found boiling and microwaving broccoli, even for just one minute, destroyed most of the myrosinase it contains, so anti-cancer sulforaphane couldn’t form.
The message? Steam your veggies for no more than four minutes. Simples.
Healthista loves the Russell Hobbs 3-tier steamer £16.99 However, for a short cut you can pop vegetables into a colander and then into a saucepan with a little boiling water, cover and steam for a money and space-saving alternative.
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