Health Benefits of Broccoli (2024)

FAQs

What does broccoli do for your body? ›

Broccoli is a nutrient-rich vegetable that may enhance your health in a variety of ways, such as by reducing inflammation, improving blood sugar control, boosting immunity and promoting heart health. However, keep in mind that good health doesn't come from any single food.

Broccoli Helps You Eat Less While Feeling Fuller

Fiber is one of the most valuable and versatile nutrients around. According to the Mayo Clinic, it helps to normalize bowel movements, lower cholesterol levels, control blood sugar, maintain bowel health and aid in achieving a healthy weight.

Broccoli is a great source of antioxidants and may enhance your health by reducing inflammation, improving blood sugar control, boosting immunity, and promoting heart health. Why Is Broccoli a Superfood? fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, iron, and potassium.

Cooking (Or Not Cooking) Broccoli To Protect Its Nutritional Riches : The Salt Cooking broccoli too long destroys the beneficial enzyme that breaks down chemicals into cancer fighters. The best way to eat it is raw or steamed for just two to three minutes, a nutrition expert says.

Broccoli contains sulforaphane, which is great for fighting off infectious cells in our bodies. Eating broccoli also helps your body fight off cancer-inducing chemicals, and boosts the liver's ability to clear bad chemicals from our bodies.

1. Spinach. This leafy green tops the chart as one of the most nutrient-dense vegetables. That's because 1 cup (30 grams) of raw spinach provides 16% of the Daily Value (DV) for vitamin A plus 120% of the DV for vitamin K — all for just 7 calories ( 1 ).

If you love broccoli, you're in luck. This cruciferous vegetable — along with cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and mustard greens — are good for your liver. They are a source of fiber, which supports liver health. Plus, they contain antioxidants and phytochemicals that may help prevent liver cancer.

Broccoli is full of many vitamins and minerals important for skin health, including zinc, vitamin A, and vitamin C ( 20 ). It also contains lutein, a carotenoid that works like beta carotene. Lutein helps protect your skin from oxidative damage, which can cause your skin to become dry and wrinkled.

Promotes Hair Growth

Broccoli contains vitamin A, vitamin C and calcium which promote hair growth. Vitamins A and C stimulate the production of sebum, an oil based secretion that acts as a natural moisturizer and conditioner for scalp and hair whereas calcium strengthens the hair follicles.

1. Dark Leafy Greens. Dark green leafy vegetables (DGLVs) are an excellent source of nutrients including folate, zinc, calcium, iron, magnesium, vitamin C and fiber. Part of what makes DGLVs so super is their potential to reduce your risk of chronic illnesses including heart disease and type 2 diabetes ( 1 , 2 ).

What is the healthiest food in the world? ›

Lemons. Lemons have been widely regarded in the health industry as the world's healthiest food. The sour fruit is an alkalising powerfood; they have strong anti-inflammatory qualities and can even help to inhibit the growth of cancer cells.

The stalk contains the most fiber, while broccoli leaves are highest in cell-protecting antioxidants, vitamins E and K, and calcium. At the store or farmers market, look for fresh broccoli with dark green or purple, not yellow, florets.

Beef, butter, cheddar cheese, chicken, curry, duck, egg, feta cheese, goat cheese, oyster sauce, parmesan cheese, pasta, pesto, pork, prawns, rice, salami, soy sauce, tahini, tofu, turkey, yoghurt.

Cruciferous vegetables are beneficial in cleaning the colon and liver as well. These type of vegetables are high in fiber, containing up to 40% of the daily requirement for your body in 100 calories. Types of cruciferous vegetables are arugula, bok choy, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, horseradish, and turnips.

Broccoli is packed with essential nutrients and contains fibre which contribute to satiety. A study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that dark green vegetables such as broccoli helped to reduce belly fat.

Worst Veggie: Starchy Vegetables

Corn, peas, potatoes, pumpkin, squash, and yams are starchy vegetables. However, not all starch vegetables offer the same nutritional benefits.

2. Kale. Kale is a very popular leafy green vegetable with several health benefits. It provides around 7 calories per cup of raw leaves and good amounts of vitamins A, C, and K.

Kale, brussels sprouts, and cabbage are powerful vegetables that contain high levels of sulfur, which supports your liver in its detoxification process, triggering it to remove free radicals and other toxic chemicals.

How do you flush out your liver? ›

Reducing or eliminating all animal protein, alcohol, sugar, wheat, corn, soy, tobacco, processed foods, caffeine, and nuts will give your liver a much-needed break to do some long-overdue house cleaning.

Broccoli is high in lutein and zeaxanthin, which are two of the most important nutrients for your eyes because they help to prevent retinal oxidation and age-related degeneration.

Of course, that doesn't mean you can't find a tasty way to incorporate it into your diet. Why it's a good food for women: Cruciferous veggies like broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts pack a serious punch against cancer.

Leafy greens

Greens such as Swiss chard, watercress, spinach, and cabbage, promote keratin, a hair protein that strengthens the follicles. Key nutrients: Vitamins A, C, and K, B vitamins, potassium, folate. How to eat: Eat 100g (3½ oz) portion of leafy greens daily in a salad or a meal.

Water is the best choice for quenching your thirst. Coffee and tea, without added sweeteners, are healthy choices, too. Some beverages should be limited or consumed in moderation, including fruit juice, milk, and those made with low-calorie sweeteners, like diet drinks.

What is the number 1 healthiest fruit? ›

Citrus fruits and berries may be especially powerful for preventing disease. A 2014 study ranked “powerhouse” fruit and vegetables by high nutrient density and low calories. Lemons came out top of the list, followed by strawberry, orange, lime, and pink and red grapefruit.

Spirulina is the most powerful superfood on the earth. It has been used for its health benefits for thousands of years, and now it's become the most popular supplement in the world. It's rich in many minerals and vitamins and is the best plant-based source of complete protein.

Of all fruit, berries tend to be the lowest in carbs. So if you're counting carbs, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries and strawberries are all excellent choices. At the end of the day, fruits are very nutritious, but they don't contain any essential nutrients that you can't get from other foods, like vegetables.

2 Avocado.

The most nutritious fruit in the world. The reason, according to Health Online Zine, is that the fruit “contains in excess of 25 essential nutrients, including vitamins A, B, C, E and K, copper, iron, phosphorus, magnesium and potassium.”

Broccoli is incredibly nutritious. A 1-cup (156-gram) serving of cooked broccoli contains 1 mg of iron, which is 6% of the DV ( 42 ). What's more, a serving of broccoli also packs 112% of the DV for vitamin C, which helps your body absorb the iron better ( 8 , 43 ).

Boiling leaches out the vegetable's water-soluble vitamins in these vegetables, such as vitamin C and folate, as well as many of the glucosinolate compounds, which are water-soluble, too. Moreover, too much exposure to high temperatures destroys the enzyme that converts the inactive glucosinolates to active compounds.

While they are both very nutritious vegetables, broccoli has a higher vitamin content, specifically in vitamin K and C, than cauliflower and is specifically known to be great for eye health. Broccoli florets also provide more minerals and fiber as well as contains vitamin A that isn't in cauliflower.

Can we eat egg and broccoli together? ›

Egg is one such versatile food which can be paired with any vegetable and a delicious recipe can be prepared. Broccoli Egg Bhurji is one such recipe, which is a combination of scrambled eggs and broccoli. This recipe is perfect for the days when you are tired after a busy day and don't want to eat outside.

First, check the color of the florets. They should be a bright, uniform green. If they have any yellow or brown spots, that's a sign your broccoli is starting to spoil. If you notice fuzzy white or black patches growing on the florets or the stem, that tells you that mold is starting to form, and it's time to toss it.

Healthy Eating

Broccoli can be eaten raw, cooked with meals, or as a snack.