Enriched
broccoli reduces cholesterol
Norwich BioScience Institutes, Science Daily
Including a new broccoli variety in the diet reduces blood
LDL-cholesterol levels by around 6%, according to the results of human trials
led by the Institute of Food Research.
The broccoli variety was bred to contain two to three times more
of a naturally occurring compound glucoraphanin. It is now available in
supermarkets, under the name Beneforte.
Working with colleagues at the University of Reading, in two
independent studies, the researchers gave a total of 130 volunteers 400g of the
high glucoraphanin broccoli per week to include in their normal diet.
After 12 weeks, they saw the levels of LDL-cholesterol in their
blood drop by an average of about 6%. Elevated LDL cholesterol is a recognised
risk factor for heart disease. Although the reduction seen in these trials is
small, at a population level, a 1% reduction in LDL-cholesterol has been
associated with a 1-2% reduction in risk of coronary artery disease.
Glucoraphanin is thought to work by helping our bodies retune cellular metabolism. Mitochondria, the energy centres of the cell, convert sugars and fats into energy. But if they aren't working efficiently, or if we overload them with too much fat or sugar, one response is to channel excess into cholesterol.
Glucoraphanin is converted in the body to sulphoraphane, which
turns on specific genes that activate our bodies' defences against this
happening, rebalancing metabolism away from the production of LDL cholesterol.
This new study, published in the journal Molecular
Nutrition and Food Research, provides the evidence for this reduction.
High glucoraphanin Beneforté broccoli was developed using
traditional breeding techniques at IFR's partners on the Norwich Research Park,
the John Innes Centre and the University of East Anglia, and Seminis Vegetable
Seeds Inc.
This study was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological
Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), Innovate UK and Seminis Vegetable Seeds Inc.
Other foods or ingredients that have been proven to lower
LDL-cholesterol are beta-glucans in oats and plant stanols. These work by
reducing cholesterol absorption into the body. As glucoraphanin works by
reducing how much our bodies make, eating these foods together is likely to
have an additive effect.
Story
Source:
The above story is based on materials provided by Norwich BioScience Institutes.Note:
Materials may be edited for content and length.
Journal
Reference:
Charlotte N. Armah, Christos Derdemezis, Maria H. Traka, Jack R.
Dainty, Joanne F. Doleman, Shikha Saha, Wing Leung, John F. Potter, Julie A.
Lovegrove, Richard F. Mithen. Diet
rich in high glucoraphanin broccoli reduces plasma LDL cholesterol: Evidence
from randomised controlled trials. Molecular
Nutrition & Food Research, 2015; DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.201400863
Cite
This Page:
Norwich BioScience Institutes. "Enriched broccoli reduces
cholesterol." Science Daily,
8 April 2015. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/04/150408113619.htm>.