This new 'modified' broccoli can cut cholesterol by 6 percent

Washington: Scientists have bred a new version of broccoli, consuming which can help cut down blood LDL-cholesterol levels by around 6 percent.

The broccoli variety was bred to contain two to three times more of a naturally occurring compound glucoraphanin. It is now available in supermarkets, under the name Beneforte.

Working with colleagues at the University of Reading, in two independent studies, the researchers gave a total of 130 volunteers 400g of the high glucoraphanin broccoli per week to include in their normal diet. Human trials were led by the Institute of Food Research.

After 12 weeks, they saw the levels of LDL-cholesterol in their blood drop by an average of about 6 percent. Elevated LDL cholesterol is a recognized risk factor for heart disease.

Although the reduction seen in these trials is small, at a population level, a 1 percent reduction in LDL-cholesterol has been associated with a 1-2 percent reduction in risk of coronary artery disease.

High glucoraphanin Beneforte broccoli was developed using traditional breeding techniques at IFR's partners on the Norwich Research Park, the John Innes Centre and the University of East Anglia, and Seminis Vegetable Seeds Inc.

Other foods or ingredients that have been proven to lower LDL-cholesterol are beta-glucans in oats and plant stanols. These work by reducing cholesterol absorption into the body. As glucoraphanin works by reducing how much our bodies make, eating these foods together is likely to have an additive effect.

The study is published in the journal Molecular Nutrition and Food Research.