Benefits of Broccoli – A True Superfood

Broccoli

I was considering writing my own list of my preferred ‘superfoods’, however I decided that I would (today) single out broccoli. Broccoli is one of the greatest foods out there and is something I would recommend EVERYONE eat!

A Little About Broccoli

Broccoli is a nutrient-rich vegetable and the great thing about it is that it is widely available all year round. Although broccoli is one of the least popular vegetables to the taste buds (not in my mouth though) they are very versatile and so there is no real excuse to not have them in our diet as we can put them in almost anything! Broccoli originates from Italy.

The Health Benefits of Broccoli

There are numerous benefits to including broccoli in our diet. One of the main gains from eating broccoli is the high amounts of vitamin C that it provides. We need vitamin C for numerous reasons such as helping with iron absorption and ease the symptoms of the common cold amongst other things.

Broccoli contains a lot of potassium and this can really help us to maintain a healthy nervous system and help the brain function. Along with the potassium, magnesium and calcium is also present in broccoli, which helps to regulate our blood pressure.

A lot of evidence supports the theory of broccoli helping to fight cancer in our bodies. Glucoraphanin is found in broccoli, which gets processed by the body into an anti-cancer compound sulforaphane. Indole-3-carbinol is also found in broccoli and this helps fight the growth of breast, cervical and prostate cancer.

In truth, the health benefits of broccoli go on and on. Digestion, blood sugar, heart disease and vision are all things that can be helped through eating broccoli.

How to cook

There are many ways of cooking broccoli but to retain the most nutrients the best way is to steam the broccoli for 3-4 minutes.

Other Varieties

There are other varieties of broccoli that can be found. Sprouting broccoli and purple cauliflower are other types of broccoli. Sprouting broccoli has a larger number of heads than the typical broccoli that we eat. Purple cauliflower is type of broccoli that is commonly sold in Europe.