2. Broccoli helps prevent cancer. Chief among broccoli’s benefits is the superfood’s role in fighting disease. “Broccoli can actually detoxify the body and is known to have cancer prevention properties," Keri Glassman, RD, CDN, the New York City-based author of The O2 Diet says. “It has been shown to reduce breast, bladder, colon, and ovarian cancers.” In particular, two of broccoli’s phytochemicals — indoles and isothiocyanates — play an important role in cancer prevention. Studies have found that the indole-3-carbinol may help prevent hormone-related cancers, such as breast and prostate cancer.
A recent study at the University of Illinois found that broccoli’s anti-cancer properties can be boosted even further when the veggie is paired with spicy foods that contain the enzyme myrosinase, such as horseradish, mustard, and wasabi.
Other research, done at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, found that sulforaphane, an isothiocyanate, increased the activity of a group of cancer-fighting enzymes. In addition, beta-carotene in broccoli transforms into vitamin A within the body, which may also help prevent cancer.