Applied topically, broccoli sprout extract appears to block potentially carcinogenic damage from sunlight – without inhibiting the formation of beneficial vitamin D. So maybe we do not need to eat America’s least favorite vegetable after all? Not so fast.

While it’s still too soon to look for broccoli in natural sun protection products, this extract offers promise against damaging radiation, which contributes to one million skin cancer cases each year in the United States.

Sulforaphane, the useful component of broccoli sprouts, reduces skin redness – or erythema – and inflammation due to ultraviolet radiation (UV) exposure by 37 percent on average. The broccoli extract doesn’t absorb UV rays but rather appears to form protective proteins at the cellular level to prevent erythema.

Already found to protect against a rare skin disorder, sulforaphane is also useful when ingested. One recent study suggests that it fights H. pylori bacteria and helps block the formation of gastric tumors.

Bottom line: We still need to have broccoli in our diet. [source: Taste for Life]