Purple Spouting Broccoli and Anthocyanins

🥦 This year I was rather pleased with myself having grown a crop of Purple Sprouting Broccoli (PSB). It takes a while to grow but the benefits are worth waiting for. Notable nutrient values are displayed in the infographic below. It is a great source of vitamin C and folate but also anthocyanidins which make it purple!

🥦 In general, most green leafy vegetables are a good source of folate. Notably, folate is involved in the making of new blood cells and DNA replication a therefore important for energy and respiration as well as ageing correctly. Lesser known by some, it is also crucial for the production of neurotransmitters (nerve chemicals) which have diverse actions to include: mood regulation, sleep, motivation and cognition. With such important roles it seems Grandma was right when she said to eat your greens!

🥦 Governments have recommendations for vitamin and minerals but not phytochemicals, as yet. In the UK we have Dietary Reference Values (DRVs) and in the US, Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs). The figures are intended to reduce the chance of pathology (disease) from nutrient deficiencies (e.g. scurvy due to a lack of vitamin C). Conversely, there are no specific recommendations for phytochemicals, other than the all-inclusive 'five a day’ as they are not considered vital to life.

🥦 Yet, phytochemicals maintain vitality and can help to prevent disease having antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions (due to their chemcial structure, with many free hydrogen bonds to donate electrons). Phytochemicals are the antidotes to oxidants and inflammation. Oxidants are by-products of necessary processes such as metabolising food and respiration, but additional factors such as stress and lifestyle, for example, eating a ‘ultra-processed' diet which is highly inflammatory.

🥦 Oxidants damage our tissues and if they can not be repaired they lead to long-term inflammation. While inflammation is a necessary healing response to infection and blood clotting - in excess of in excess it can become pathological as dis-ease thrives in an inflammatory environment.  I am sure preventative medicine will gain traction and our governments will set out recommended amounts as scientific data increases.

🥦 So what about Anthocyanins? They are a type of phytochemical (in the class of flavonoids) which are responsible for the red, purple and blue colours of fruits and vegetables, such as . berries, blackcurrants, grapes and purple sweet potato. These purple chemicals are particularly supportive to our cardiovascular system and microcirculation - the smaller capillary networks such as those in our eyes and brain.

🌈 For now, why not eat the rainbow? The different coloured veggies contain different chemicals  and many of their varying actions are still be discovered; as with everything moderation and seasonal variety should be key considerations. And, try to be a little more like our

healthy Mediterranean friends by aiming for 12 a day, rather than 5, where possible. Why 12? Well, that is rather a long topic too; based around soil quality and poor farming methods we will save that for another day!