Most kids and a few adults dislike broccoli, although it's a very healthy vegetable. Is it the taste, or the mouth-feel, or both, that causes the problem? A team at Johns Hopkins has been researching broccoli for years, and has just published some interesting results in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The scientists have found that a substance called sulphoraphane, which is found in broccoli, raises enzyme levels in the skin that protect against the effects of ultra-violet (UV) radiation. Most sunscreens creams absorb the UV rays before they can penetrate the skin, whereas sulphoraphane stimulates the protective functioning of the skin cells. A single application of an extract of 3-day old broccoli sprouts was found to protect against the redness and swelling caused by UV radiation for as long as 3 days. This was seen in both mice and men, so it's credible!

The study was sponsored by Brassica Protection Products, showing that a marketable substance is somewhere in the works. In the meantime, if your child smears his creamed broccoli over his face rather than eating it, don't worry - it's doing some good, anyway.