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From October 9 to 13, 2007, nearly 300 experts gathered in Houston, Texas to participate in the International Symposium on the health effects of fruits and vegetables, FAV Health 2007. PasseportSanté.net informs you of the latest research that could influence the content of your plate. |
HOUSTON (PasseportSanté.net) October 12, 2007 – Radish has more to offer than its crunchy, tangy red root. Its leaves and shoots also have an interesting health profile: they contain weapons – microscopic, but effective – to guard against cancer.
Among the sprouts that can be found in the grocery store, those of radish and broccoli are considered among the most promising in the prevention of certain cancers.
Australian researcher Tim O’Hare wanted to know more, so he compared these two varieties of shoots by analyzing their glucosinolate content. These organic compounds release, under the action of chewing, bioactive agents called sulforaphanes. These play a central role in the elimination of cancer cells.
In principle, broccoli sprouts have more anticarcinogenic properties: they contain two to three times more glucosinolates than radish sprouts.
But Tim O’Hare found that broccoli sprouts also contain a protein that largely turns sulforaphanes into an inactive compound – called nitrile. However, this is not the case with radish sprouts, which fully retain their antioxidant properties.
The Australian researcher therefore concluded that radish sprouts contain a significantly higher anticarcinogenic potential than those of broccoli.
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Small glossary Glucosinolates: organic compounds found mainly in crucifers and which release, among other things, sulforaphanes. Sulforaphanes: bioactive agents that play a central role in the elimination of cancer cells. Glucoraphanins : glucosinates which participate in the elimination of free radicals in the body. |
Do not throw away your radish leaves!
In other research, Tim O’Hare observed that radish leaves contain a fair amount of anticarcinogenic substances.
Before reaching this conclusion, he evaluated the glucosinolate content of 12 different cultivars in the laboratory. He mainly measured glucoraphanin (which gives broccoli its anticarcinogenic properties).
Overall, the content of these two compounds is 45 times higher in the leaves than in the root of the radish. The leaves of one of the cultivars studied – Black Spanish – even had a higher glucoraphanin profile than broccoli, the researcher observed.
The mechanism of action of the two glucosinates analyzed lies in the activation of so-called “phase 2” enzymes. This is a cellular mechanism that eliminates free radicals (or oxidizing cells) from the body.
According to Tim O’Hare, these results should encourage consumers to incorporate radish leaves into their salad or soup, rather than going to compost or the trash.
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For more news about the 2007 FAV Health Symposium, see the index of our Dossier. |
Martin LaSalle – PasseportSanté.net
