In recent years, broccoli has gained a reputation as an excellent vegetable due to its high levels of sulforaphane, a beneficial compound that may help with blood sugar control and even have anti-cancer benefits. However, eating the whole vegetable is more effective than taking supplements. A team of Chinese researchers decided to find the best way to cook broccoli.
They discovered that the key to releasing sulforaphane from broccoli lies in its glucosinolates and myrosinase. To activate myrosinase, you need to damage the broccoli, but common cooking methods like boiling or microwaving reduce the amount of glucosinolates and make the myrosinase sensitive to heat.
The best way to cook broccoli is by stir-frying it, which surprisingly has not been well-studied before. The researchers found that if you cut the broccoli into small pieces and leave them for about 90 minutes before cooking, you can increase the amount of sulforaphane. Leaving the broccoli to “develop” for a longer period also helps.
Source: https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-revealed-a-healthier-way-to-cook-broccoli-but-theres-a-catch