Love them or hate them, broccoli and beets are about as close to rock star food status as can be. When combined together, your health is benefitting from a double whammy of nutritional goodness that is hard to beat – no pun intended!

For the love of broccoli

Let’s start with broccoli.  Resembling a mini tree, broccoli is notorious for being disliked by children and even adults who never got accustomed to its taste.   Broccoli contains a couple of compounds causing many people to turn up their nose at this green vegetable.  One is allylisothiocyanate (AITC) giving it its pungent taste and the other is dimethyl sulfide causing a sulfur rotting-egg smell when cooked.  To reduce the strong smell and taste, simply avoid boiling of broccoli to the point of overcooking it which renders it being mushy and slimy.

Broccoli, a cruciferous vegetable, is known as a powerhouse food source for several reasons:

·         Cancer fighter

If you are looking for a food to fill up on arming you with necessary nutrients to fight off cancer, broccoli should be on your grocery list.  Sulforaphane, a sulfur-containing compound responsible for broccoli’s bitter taste, is a super fighter in beating back cancer.  It can inhibit the enzyme histone deacetylase (HDAC) that can lead to the progression of cancer cells.  Sulforaphane appears to stop HDAC dead in its tracks by delaying or thwarting cancer’s growth. 

Folate is a B vitamin found in broccoli also shown to decrease breast cancer risk in women and possible reduction in protecting against colon, stomach, pancreatic and cervical cancers.   Researchers believe folate can prevent unwanted cancer mutations because of its role in DNA and RNA production.  One cup of chopped, boiled broccoli contains 168 micrograms of folate out of the recommended 400 micrograms daily for both men and women.

·         Better looking skin

Who doesn’t want fewer wrinkles, improved skin texture and less damage to your skin from the sun and pollution?  Broccoli is a natural source of vitamin C and is one way to achieve healthy looking skin.  Vitamin C is required for collagen formation, the main support system of skin.

Citrus fruit is usually what most people think of for vitamin C but one cup of chopped cooked broccoli provides 100 milligrams out of the 90 milligrams recommended daily for men and 75 milligrams recommended for women. 

·         Reduces risk of several chronic diseases

A recent 2016 study found candidate genes controlling the accumulation of phenolic compounds such as flavonoids which are associated with lowering the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, asthma and several types of cancer. These phenolic compounds broccoli contains are absorbed into the bloodstream targeting areas to reduce inflammation with their antioxidant activity. Inflammation is associated with initiation of a number of chronic diseases and is why consuming broccoli every few days may lower risk of these conditions.

For the love of beets

What is there not good to say about beets?  This health-boosting food has steadily gained popularity due to recent studies finding there’s more to this ruby red vegetable than once thought. 

Walk into the grocery store and you’ll see new products from beetroot juice to fresh beets prominently displayed touting its reputation as a health food.  Also known as beetroot, beets really are a food to consume more of and here’s why:

·         Good for blood pressure

Whether eating beets or drinking beetroot juice, your heart health will benefit by seeing a reduction in blood pressure.  Beets contain a high nitrate concentration and this is theorized as the reason for the reduction. A 2016 study found downing beetroot juice is an effective method of naturally lowering blood pressure.  The American Heart Association has recommended consuming 500 milliliters or 2 cups of beetroot juice which can result in a measureable reduction in hypertension in just an hour. 

·         Good for cardiovascular health

Beets are a rich source of betaine whose purpose is to lower the body’s concentration of homocysteine, a substance harmful to blood vessels that could raise the risk of stroke and heart disease. 

·         Improves athletic and exercise performance

Beetroot juice is a popular ergogenic supplement because of its nitrate content helping to improve muscle oxygenation and efficiency during exercise possibly improving performance. 

·         Slows progression of dementia

Beetroot juice appears to have another function of improving oxygenation to the brain helping slow the progression of dementia in older adults.  As we age, blood flow to certain areas of the brain decrease leading to declines in cognition and possibly dementia.  The high nitrate content found in beetroot juice appears to improve blood flow and oxygenation to these areas.