Broccoli might protect arteries

September 4, 2009 The study by The British Heart Foundation found that sulforaphane, a compound which naturally occurs in broccoli and other greens, could "switch on" a protein that's inactive in parts of the arteries vulnerable to clogging.

Scientists used purified sulforaphane for their study and say the next step is to test the effect of the chemical as it's found in vegetables. They're planning on making "broccoli smoothies" to compare the results to purified sulforaphane.

The research appears in the journal Arteriosclerosis Thrombosis and Vascular Biology.