• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Breaking Muscle

Breaking Muscle

Breaking Muscle

  • Fitness
  • Workouts
    • Best Shoulder Workouts
    • Best Chest Workouts
    • Best Leg Workouts
    • Best Leg Exercises
    • Best Biceps Exercises
    • Best Kettlebell Exercises
    • Best Back Workouts
    • Best HIIT Workouts
    • Best Triceps Exercises
    • Best Arm Workouts
  • Reviews
    • Supplements
      • Best Pre-Workouts
      • Best Protein Powder
      • Best Whey Protein
      • Best Creatine
      • AG1 Review
    • Equipment
      • Best Adjustable Dumbbells
      • Best Home Gym Machines
    • Certifications
      • ISSA Review
  • News
  • Exercise Guides
    • Legs
      • Back Squat
      • Bulgarian Split Squat
      • Goblet Squat
      • Zercher Squat
      • Standing Calf Raise
      • Hack Squat
    • Chest
      • Bench Press
      • Dumbbell Bench Press
      • Close-Grip Bench Press
      • Incline Bench Press
    • Shoulders
      • Overhead Dumbbell Press
      • Lateral Raise
    • Arms
      • Chin-Up
      • Weighted Pull-Up
      • Triceps Pushdown
    • Back
      • Deadlift
      • Trap Bar Deadlift
      • Lat Pulldown
      • Inverted Row
      • Bent-Over Barbell Row
      • Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
      • Pendlay Row
Fitness

More Broccoli, Less Belly

That bitter taste you hated as a kid could be the flavor of improved health as an adult.

Written by Andy Peloquin Last updated on September 10, 2017

Broccoli is one of those foods most of us struggled to eat as children. Science has given us a pretty clear explanation of why: the juvenile palate is disposed to avoid bitter foods. In nature, bitter often means poisonous, so our bodies have evolved to naturally dislike bitter foods as children. Thankfully, as we get older, we understand that some bitter foods (like broccoli) are good to eat, and we force ourselves to get past the bitter flavor because we know the food will be good for us. It’s why adults can eat foods like kale, broccoli, or Brussel sprouts without cringing like we did as children.

That bitter flavor in the broccoli is actually amazing for your health. In cruciferous veggies, bitterness is usually the result of the calcium, which is needed for healthy bones, teeth, nails, and hair. But the bitterness can also come from the sulfur compounds and phytochemicals that make broccoli such an awesome food for weight loss.

One phytochemical, called Sulforaphane, is particularly effective for dropping pounds and getting slim. This phytochemical activates Nrf2, a transcription factor that regulates oxidation in the body. Activating Nrf2 enhances the anti-oxidation abilities of our body, specifically improving detoxification. A team of researchers from Kanazawa University found that mice fed a diet high in sulforaphane gained 15% less weight than the control group. Not only that, but the mice saw a 20% reduction in visceral fat, along with a noticeable decrease in blood glucose levels.

Sulforaphane can also accelerate the browning of adipose tissue, encouraging the body to turn inert white fat cells into active, calorie-burning beige and brown fat cells. This leads to an increase in energy consumption, meaning you burn more calories every day. At the same time, sulforaphane can improve gut bacteria health and stop the metabolism-slowing effects of obesity.

The two functions of sulforaphane newly uncovered by this study are expected to contribute to an improvement of inflammation of the liver or adipose tissues and insulin resistance as well as the possible prevention of other lifestyle diseases. Through further clinical studies, researchers hope to get a better understanding of sulforaphane as a supplementary diet product for ameliorating bacterial flora in the gut, after evaluation of its effects on obesity prevention, its effectiveness for inflammation and insulin resistance as well as its safety. There is a high expectation of success, according to the Japanese researchers.

Reference:

1. Naoto Nagata, Liang Xu, Susumu Kohno, Yusuke Ushida, Yudai Aoki, Ryohei Umeda, Nobuo Fuke, Fen Zhuge, Yinhua Ni, Mayumi Nagashimada, Chiaki Takahashi, Hiroyuki Suganuma, Shuichi Kaneko, Tsuguhito Ota. “Glucoraphanin Ameliorates Obesity and Insulin Resistance Through Adipose Tissue Browning and Reduction of Metabolic Endotoxemia in Mice.” Diabetes, 2017.

Andy Peloquin

About Andy Peloquin

Sports and exercise have always been a huge part of my life. I played my first basketball game at age 6, and have tried just about every sport on the planet -- save golf and croquet. Being a large, hefty lad (currently standing at 6' 6" and weighing 275 lbs), I am passionate about weights, cycling, running, sprint training, and practicing martial arts. I'm currently a green belt in Karate, Taekwondo, Hapkido, and kickboxing, and work hard to take my skills to the next level. Fitness and health are my passion, and I love writing and sharing what I know. I am a certified Professional Trainer and always looking for ways help others meet their health and fitness goals.

View All Articles

Recommended Articles

Social Media Fire: Gyms and Butt Pics
growmusclesprimer1
The Ultimate Guide to Muscle Gain and Hypertrophy
Analyzing High Versus Low-Load Resistance Training Methodologies
euphorichiitworkouts
HIIT: Work Through the Pain to Reach Euphoria

Primary Sidebar

Latest Articles

2023 Toronto Pro Results — Iain Valliere Gets Another Notch In The Belt

2023 CrossFit Europe Semifinal Results — Gabriela Migała, Lazar Đukić Thrive

17 Best Protein Powders for Weight Loss, Muscle Gain, and More

2023 CrossFit Asia Semifinal Results — Seher Kaya, Arthur Semenov Carry the Day

Latest Reviews

Athletic Greens AG1

Athletic Greens AG1 Review: Is This Greens Powder Worth It?

ISSA Personal Trainer Certification Review

ISSA Personal Trainer Certification Review

Best Whey Proteins for Packing on Muscle, Shredding Down, Meal Replacement, and More

Best Pre-Workouts for Building Muscle, Running, Taste, and More

woman lifting barbell

Be the smartest person in your gym

The Breaking Muscle newsletter is everything you need to know about strength in a 3 minute read.

I WANT IN!

Breaking Muscle is the fitness world’s preeminent destination for timely, high-quality information on exercise, fitness, health, and nutrition. Our audience encompasses the entire spectrum of the fitness community: consumers, aficionados, fitness professionals, and business owners. We seek to inform, educate and advocate for this community.

  • Reviews
  • Healthy Eating
  • Workouts
  • Fitness
  • News

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS Feed

© 2023 · Breaking Muscle · Terms of Use · Privacy Policy · Affiliate Disclaimer · Accessibility · About