Barbara Minton ~ Spring is here! And with it comes more affordable asparagus. This succulent vegetable has been prized since ancient times for its medicinal benefits as well as its terrific taste. It’s even been a staple in Ayurvedic medicine.
Why has it been so popular through the years? Have people used asparagus for cancer? Indeed, asparagus is a potent cancer fighter on a par with broccoli, and many people think it tastes a whole lot better.
Asparagus contains the compounds that have made broccoli and the other cruciferous vegetables cancer-fighting superstars. These are isothiocyanates, indoles, and sulforaphane. Each of these have anti-cancer properties and the ability to rejuvenate cells. But there’s more.
1. Master Antioxidant
Asparagus has one of the highest concentrations of glutathione, one of the master antioxidants made in the body. As we begin to age, our ability to make glutathione needs to be bolstered by dietary intake. Glutathione appears to have a broad range of functions that reduce cancer risk, including detoxifying foreign substances that are carcinogenic, protecting from free radical damage, and boosting immunity by increasing lymphocytes such as T and B cells, and natural killer cells.