I’ve been reading about super broccoli, the new vegetable that recently went on sale.

Apparently it contains three times the normal amount of glucoraphanin, believed to ward off heart disease.

Chocolate also helps to combat heart disease, I learned this week, and so, apparently, does tea.

I’ll buy some broccoli for my dad, who suffers from heart problems, although – being a sceptic of most things – he may take it with a pinch of salt (not literally, of course, that’s said to be bad for your health).

Nowadays, everything we eat and drink has been subjected to extensive research and analysis to give us the lowdown on possible health benefits – or not.

It isn’t like it was when I was young, when we kids were told that carrots help you to see in the dark and milk makes you grow big and strong. Now it’s all about antioxidants, free radicals, Omega-3 fatty acids, macronutrients and micronutrients.

Today’s mothers don’t simply tell their children to eat their greens. They spout all sorts of drivel: “Eat your greens to boost your levels of selenium and beta carotene to counteract your depleted immune system.”

I’m not saying it’s nonsense, but children certainly won’t understand it, and it takes the pleasure out of food.

I love most vegetables, and I believe they are all good for us and provide vital vitamins. But they are often described as though they’re a substance in a laboratory test tube.

Broccoli is one of a number of so-called wonder foods that supposedly have amazing, health-boosting properties. I read so much about the health properties of blueberries that I eat them despite an intense dislike. I should, in theory, have the most healthy urinary tract in the UK.

I’m not convinced about their properties in improving eyesight, however – I’m still mistaking cushions on the sofa for my cat.

I’d give them up, but they contain anthocyanins – antibacterial compounds that are highly effective in fighting E.coli, so I’d better stick with their bland nothingness and horrible aftertaste.

Tea neutralises free radicals responsible for ageing. Based on that, and the amount I drink, I should have the complexion of a newborn.

Does anyone really understand all this? I know I don’t. Shouldn’t we just be enjoying food for enjoyment’s sake?

There must be millions of people across the world eating stuff they hate, simply because of the supposed health properties. I feel sorry for all those pre-schoolers having avocado and shiitake mushroom smoothies funnelled down their throats like foie gras geese.

And, the crazy thing is, for every revelation that something is good for you, another will say the opposite.