A team of British experts has drawn up a list of little-known vegetable-related facts, which kicks off with a cast-iron excuse to shun Brussels sprouts tomorrow, Christmas Day.

Experts at the University of Warwick’s School of Life Sciences compiled the list which provides some food for thought for those tucking into a traditional Christmas meal. These include:

Don’t like Brussels sprouts? Blame your genes.

“There are many ­people who can’t stand Brussels sprouts,” says Graham Teakle, from Warwick Crop Centre, “and that’s because of ­variants in a gene called TAS­2R38, one of the re­ceptors on your tongue responsible for perceiving ­bitterness.

“This particular receptor perceives the flavour compounds in brassicas known as glucosinolates.

“The PAV ‘taster’ variant increases the sensitivity to the glucosinolates in Brussels sprouts, causing an unpalatable response, while the AVI variant is referred to as the non-taster form. People with two copies of the ‘taster’ variant are sometimes known as supertasters.”

Carrots can help you to see in the dark.

“First cultivated in Asia, carrots were originally white and purple,” says Charlotte Allender, who works alongside Teakle at the Crop Centre. “But changes in the genes controlling pigment production were exploited by farmers and plant breeders to give us the orange carrots we know today, along with less familiar colours such as yellow, red and black.”

Boiling destroys the anti-cancer properties of vegetables.

Paul Thornalley, professor of systems biology at Warwick Medical School, found that the standard British cooking habit of boiling vegetables severely damages the anti-cancer properties of many brassicas such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and green cabbage. “If you want to get the maximum benefit from your Christmas vegetables, then boiling is out. You need to consider stir-­frying, steaming or microwaving them,” he advises.

Some vegetables can be ‘bred’ like dogs.

Teakle explains: “The highly variable shapes of cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi and kales are different forms of the same species – brassica oleracea – and can be intercrossed with each other. Brassica oleracea is sometimes referred to as the ‘dog’ of the plant world.”

Carrots were not always orange.

“The orange colour of carrots is due to a compound called beta-carotene,” says Allender. “Beta-carotene is needed to produce vitamin A, which is converted to the retinal pigment used by your eyes to detect light. One of the symptoms of vitamin A deficiency is night blindness – so you could say carrots really do help you see in the dark.”

Brassicas are a source of antioxidants.

Teakle says: “The characteristic flavour of brassicas is due to a family of chemicals called glucosinolates. These are plant defence chemicals that are stored in cells in an inactive form known as a ‘mustard oil bomb’. When herbivores feed on the plants, the cells break open, causing the mustard oil bomb to release the ­glucosinolates.

These then come in contact with the enzyme myrosinase which converts the flavourless glucosinolate to highly- reactive forms that are the active defence compounds. It is these that provide the brassica flavour.

Many also have antioxidant and other health benefits, and medical trials are being performed to verify the range of these benefits.”

Peas and beans are good for your garden.

“If you want a better garden, grow peas and beans,” Teakle advises.

“They are good to grow because, as they are legumes, they work with a special soil bacterium called ­Rhizobium and are able to fix atmospheric nitrogen which helps to fertilise your soil.”

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