The Right Way to Eat Broccoli

A simple prep habit that unlocks broccoli's full potential — a Well & Whole tip for your Whole Foods Plan

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Broccoli has long held a reputation as one of the healthiest vegetables on the planet — but how you prepare it may matter just as much as whether you eat it at all.

Broccoli contains a compound called glucoraphanin and an enzyme called myrosinase, which are stored separately in the plant's cells. When you cut or chew it, the cell walls break and the two come into contact, triggering a reaction that produces sulforaphane PubMed Central — widely regarded as one of the most potent natural anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer compounds found in food.

The problem is heat. The precursor compound and the final product are resistant to heat, but the enzyme myrosinase is destroyed by cooking — and with no enzyme, there's no sulforaphane production. NutritionFacts.org

That's where a simple technique comes in. Known as the "hack and hold" method, if you chop the broccoli first and then wait 40 minutes, you can cook it however you'd like — the sulforaphane is already made, and the enzyme has already done its job. NutritionFacts.org Research published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry suggests the window may be even longer: broccoli that was stir-fried right away had 2.8 times less sulforaphane than broccoli left to develop first, leading researchers to conclude that florets should ideally rest for up to 90 minutes — though they noted 30 minutes would also be helpful. Science Alert

What about eating it raw?

Raw broccoli largely sidesteps the issue. Conversion of glucoraphanin to sulforaphane occurs while cutting or chewing broccoli, which exposes the glucoraphanin to the action of the myrosinase enzyme. PubMed Central Since no heat is involved, the enzyme stays intact and the conversion happens naturally during digestion. The 40-minute pre-cut rule is most critical when cooking is involved.

One more trick worth knowing

Forgot to pre-cut? Researchers from the University of Reading found that adding powdered mustard seeds to heat-processed broccoli significantly increased the formation of sulforaphane NutritionFacts.org, since mustard also contains active myrosinase. A small pinch sprinkled over cooked broccoli at the table can help recover much of what the heat destroyed.

The bottom line: cut it, wait, then cook it. Or just eat it raw. Either way, broccoli earns its reputation — you just have to let the science work.

Sources: PMC/National Institutes of Health (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov); Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (2018); NutritionFacts.org; University of Reading