Children’s dislike of cauliflower, broccoli could be written in their microbiome

Researchers reporting in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry have found that levels of volatile, sulfurous compounds are similar in parent-child pairs, suggesting shared oral microbiomes. They also found that high levels cause children to dislike the vegetables.

Genetics May Determine Who Benefits from Broccoli’s Effects on Kidney Health

• Deletion of the gene that codes for an enzyme called GSTM1 increased kidney injury in mice with hypertension and kidney disease, but supplementing the diet with broccoli powder lessened kidney injury in the genetically altered mice.
• In humans, high consumption of broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables was linked with a lower risk of kidney failure, primarily in individuals lacking GSTM1.