14 DAY TRIAL // As it turns out, keeping cholesterol levels in check might be as simple as indulging in one or two servings of a new broccoli variety every once in a while.
The science-made vegetable, sold in supermarkets under the name of Beneforté, contains higher levels of a beneficial compound known as glucoraphanin.
Specifically, its creators say that it was especially bred to contain about two to three times more of this compound than other broccoli varieties do.
To test the broccoli's properties in terms of reducing cholesterol, researchers had volunteers eat a 400-gram (14-ounce) serving of this vegetable on a weekly basis for three months.
At the end of the study period, they measured their blood LDL-cholesterol levels and found that, thanks to the glucoraphanin-rich, they had dropped by about 6%.
The University of Reading specialists behind this investigation explain that, although small, this drop in LDL-cholesterol levels correlates with a reduced risk of coronary 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,” they wrote in a statement.
This is because LDL-cholesterol has a tendency to build up inside blood vessels and, in doing so, cause blockages. I turn, blockages of the blood vessels put people at a greater risk of suffering a heart attack.
