Broccoli compounds may help combat chronic diseases

“Eating broccoli could lower your risk of having coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes and several types of cancer, a new study suggests,” the Daily Mail reports. But there is little hard evidence to back up this claim – the study it reports on involved plants, not humans. Phenols, which are compounds found in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables, have been linked for years to a lower risk of heart disease, certain cancers, type 2 diabetes and asthma. They are thought to play a part in reducing oxidative stress – cell damage caused…

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Plant Compounds May Boost Brain Power in Elderly

The same compounds that give plants and vegetables their vibrant colours might be able to boost brain functioning in older adults, new research suggests. People get these compounds, known as carotenoids, from their diets, and two of them – lutein and zeaxanthin – have been shown in previous research to bolster eye and cognitive health in older adults. What is not known is the neural mechanisms underlying the relationship between these compounds and cognition, said first author of the study Cutter Lindbergh from Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, University…

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