Fresh Is Best

By Kelley Herring

While some of us love the taste of broccoli, most of the time it's eaten for its health benefits. But new research suggests that if you cook it, almost all of the cancer-fighting nutrients are lost.

A recent study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that sulphoraphane - the primary cancer-fighting nutrient in broccoli - is significantly reduced during cooking. In fact, the bioavailability of sulforaphane was calculated to be 37 percent from the raw vegetable and only 3.4 percent from cooked broccoli.

So what option does that leave you with... raw broccoli crudites? On the contrary! There are plenty of delicious ways to enjoy raw broccoli. Make chopped salads with broccoli, buy broccosprouts and add them to your sandwiches, and fold tiny fresh florets into omelets to add delicious crunch and powerful protection.