The green stuff provides an awesome array of antioxidants. Johns Hopkins scientists discovered a particularly strong one called sulforaphane. Served to animals, the broccoli chemical stoked the activity of detoxification enzymes that slashed cancer rates by two-thirds. Men who ate cabbage once a week compared with once a month had only 66 percent of the risk of colon cancer, one study found. Cabbage also seems to deter stomach cancer.
Carrots are legendary in fighting off aging diseases.
In a recent study, men eating a couple of carrots a day lowered blood cholesterol by 10 percent. Many studies pinpoint beta-carotene, carrots' main antioxidant asset, as a powerhouse against aging and disease. People with low levels of beta-carotene in their blood are more apt to have heart attacks, strokes and various cancers. The antioxidants are in the skin and the seeds, and the more colorful the skin, the greater the antioxidant punch. High levels of lycopene also reduce your risk of pancreatic cancer.