Do you love broccoli? It is a cruciferous vegetable that belongs to the Brassica family (also known as the cabbage family) along with kale and bok choy. Broccoli is rich in lutein, zeaxanthin, and sulforaphane, which protect the eyes from harmful blue light and reduce the risk of cataract and age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
你喜欢西兰花吗？ 西兰花是一种十字花科的蔬菜，和羽衣甘蓝、白菜一样属于芸苔科（也称为卷心菜科）。 西兰花富含叶黄素、玉米黄质和萝卜硫素，可保护眼睛免受有害蓝光的伤害，并降低罹患白内障和老化相关的黄斑病变 (AMD) 的风险。
Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable that belongs to the Brassica family (also known as cabbage family) along with kale and bok choy. It packed full of precious nutrients – antioxidants, carotenoids, fiber, calcium, folate, protein, vitamin A, niacin, and vitamin C – that are highly beneficial to the body.
Powerful Anticancer Effects
Broccoli contains many phytochemicals that can prevent and fight cancer. Indole-3-carbinol, a compound in broccoli, has been known to reduce the risk of breast, ovarian, and cervical cancers by acting on a precursor to estrogen and breaking it down to produce a harmless form of the hormone.
Protection for the Eyes
Broccoli is rich in lutein, zeaxanthin, and sulforaphane which protect the eyes from harmful blue light and reduce risk of cataract and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Lutein and zeaxanthin act as antioxidants in the eyes, helping to protect and maintain healthy cells against age-related eye diseases. Experimental studies have shown that sulforaphane can reduce light-induced retinal damage and protect human retinal pigment epithelial cells against oxidative damage.
Myth: don’t eat broccoli because it contains goitrogens.
Goitrogens inhibit iodine uptake by the thyroid gland. But many other vegetables and fruits also naturally contain goitrogens, for example, bok choy, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, sweet potatoes, strawberries, peanuts, and soybeans. Does this mean we should avoid all of these foods entirely? That is not the case. Even if goitrogens inhibit iodine uptake in isolation, they may yield a different effect when in combination with other compounds in a fruit or vegetable. There is no scientific research that proves eating fruits or vegetables in the usual amounts will cause a goiter. Rather, research published in the International Journal of Epidemiology shows that eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables as part of a healthy diet is hugely beneficial for health! Instead of looking at the big picture, people focused on a tiny detail, which fueled their incorrect conclusions.
迷思：不要吃绿花椰菜(西兰花)，因为它含有致甲状腺肿物。
致甲状腺肿物会抑制甲状腺对碘的吸收。但许多其他蔬菜和水果也天然地含有致甲状腺肿物，例如：白菜、球芽甘蓝、卷心菜、甘薯、草莓、花生和大豆。这是否意味着我们应该完全避免这些食物？事实并非如此。当致甲状腺肿物和碘独立存在时，致甲状腺肿物会抑制碘的吸收；然而当它们与其他蔬菜水果中的化合物一同存在时，则可产生不同的效果。没有科学研究可证明摄取正常量的蔬菜和水果会导致甲状腺肿大。相反地，在《国际流行病学期刊》上发表的研究显示，作为健康饮食的一部分，摄取多种多样的蔬菜水果对健康大有助益！比起放眼于宏观大局，人们更加关注微小的细节，这导致了他们做出错误的结论。
