Remember when your Mum told you to eat up your broccoli because it was good for you?

She was on to something but British scientists have now gone a step further and developed a super-broccoli that is said to retune your metabolism and combat the effects of ageing.

Sold as Beneforte, the vegetable contains boosted levels – two to three times that of regular broccoli - of glucoraphanin, a compound believed to reverse mitochondrial malfunctions that contribute to problems such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease and some forms of cancer.

Researchers concluded that ‘a diet rich in cruciferous vegetables effectively retunes our metabolism...and may be able to reduce the risk of many chronic diseases associated with ageing.’

The report concluded that the pilot programme is significant because it shows a measurable effect on a person’s metabolism, which is central to our overall health.