In Studies:     A study by the British Institute of Food Research (IFR) found that many people fail to benefit from broccoli because they lack a specific gene (GSTM1) that helps retain the sulforaphane compound in the body.
"Eating a few portions of broccoli each week may help to reduce the risk of cancer. Some individuals, who lack a gene called GSMT1, appear to get less cancer protection from broccoli than those who have the gene," said researcher Professor Richard Mithen.
"Our studies suggest that this may be because if you lack the gene you cannot retain any sulphoraphane inside your body - it is all excreted within a few hours."

History:     Broccoli comes from a Latin word "brachium" and later Italian brocco meaning "arm", or "branch". Broccoli is referred to as a "cruciferous" vegetable. The Brassicaceae family (part of the the mustard or cabbage family) was first called the Cruciferae family, because these plants often have four petals which looked like a crucifix.
Broccoli is a close relative of cauliflower, broccoli has grown wild in Mediterranean areas for hundreds of years; domestic broccoli was first cultivated in the United States in the Twenties. It has become one of the most popular members of the Brassica genus (which includes cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and other so-called cruciferous vegetables).
In 1992, Johns Hopkins University pharmacology professor Paul Talalay and his colleagues showed that sulforaphane (a substance produced by the body from a compound in broccoli) could trigger the production of phase II enzymes. Phase II enzymes detoxify cancer-causing chemicals and are some of the most powerful anti-cancer compounds known to man.

Technicals:     The tissue of broccoli has been found to contain high levels of an active plant chemicals called glucosinolates. Glucosinolates are metabolized by the body into isothiocynates, glucosinolates are powerful anti-carcinogens. The main isothiocynate from broccoli is sulphoraphane.

Broccoli: 1 cup cooked
Calories	44
Total fat (g)	0.5
Saturated fat (g)	0.1
Monounsaturated fat (g)	0
Polyunsaturated fat (g)	0.3
Dietary fiber (g)	4.5
Protein (g)	5
Carbohydrate (g)	8
Sodium (mg)	41
Beta-carotene (mg)	1.3
Vitamin C (mg)	116
Vitamin E (mg)	2.6
Folate (mcg)	78
Manganese (mg)	0.3
Potassium (mg)	456

Broccoli's Taste:    Broccoli's bitterness is taste a turn off to some people. Researcher Valerie Duffy at the University of Connecticut found that the ability to taste bitterness is genetic and is sensed on the tongue by G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) (as is sweetness). The researchers quantified the participants' ability to taste this sensation using 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) and a quinine solution. Previous studies link aversion to PROP bitterness with a lower acceptance broccoli. The study, published in the journal Physiology and Behavior (vol. 87, pp. 304-313).
The ability to taste bitterness is known to be genetic and is sensed by G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) (as is sweetness). The researchers quantified the participants ability to taste bitterness using 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) and quinine solutions.
testing