Cruciferous veg

What it does

Sulforaphane switches on the body's own detox genes. Human evidence is mixed — lung and colorectal signals are strongest; prostate shows little.

• Linked to lower risk of some cancers

Where the number comes from

Cruciferous veg sits in the veg group of the Fadnes model, the only peer-reviewed model that converts eating into years of life. The lifetime gain for that group is spread across the days you actually eat it — a daily serving from age 20 to 80 — which gives +8 min per serving. The authors rate the evidence behind this group as low.

What it is made of

• Sulforaphane
• Indoles
• Vitamin K

Which kind

• Broccoli — sprouts hold the most sulforaphane
• Cabbage — cheapest of the family
• Cauliflower — paler, milder compounds
• Radish — the peppery bite is the compound

How to eat it

Chop, rest 40 minutes, then cook — the enzyme needs time.

Source: NCI fact sheet · US National Cancer Institute · umbrella reviews, 2024 (review).

Minutes derived from Fadnes LT, Økland J-M, Haaland ØA, Johansson KA. Estimating impact of food choices on life expectancy: A modeling study. PLOS Medicine 19(2):e1003889, 2022. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1003889