Broccoli (also known as broccoli) is a vegetable of the genus Brassica Oleracea. It has relatives with cabbage, Kale , white broccoli and Brussels sprouts. These vegetables are known for their health benefits and are sometimes called "super vegetables."
Broccoli is rich in nutrients, including fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, iron and potassium. Broccoli also contains more protein than most other vegetables.
Broccoli can be eaten both raw and cooked, but recent studies show that steaming broccoli will bring the most health benefits .
This is broccoli
Nutritional value
Raw broccoli contains nearly 90% water, 7% carbon-hydrate, 3% protein and almost no fat . It contains very few calories and only for 31 ca each cup.
The table below contains information about all the main nutrients in broccoli .
Carbon hydrate
Carbon hydrate in broccoli mainly include fiber and sugar. The sugar here is fructose, glucose and sucrose, with a small amount of lactose (milk sugar) and maltose (white crystalline sugar) .
However, the very low total carbohydrate content, with only 3.5 grams of carbohydrate, can be digested in each cup.
Fiber
Fiber is an important part of a healthy diet. It can increase intestinal health, help prevent various diseases and is related to weight loss .
1 cup of broccoli (91g) provides 2.3 grams of fiber, about 5-10% of the recommended diet .
Crux : Broccoli contains less carbohydrates that can be digested but it provides a lot of fiber. Fiber increases intestinal health and may reduce the risk of many different diseases.
Protein (protein)
The protein As the body's raw material, it is essential for both the growth and maintenance of the body's activity.
Broccoli has a high protein content compared to regular vegetables (accounting for 29% of dry weight).
However, because the water content of broccoli is high, one cup of broccoli only provides 3 grams of protein.
Crux: Broccoli has a higher protein content than most other vegetables. However, due to the high water content, the protein content of each serving is relatively low.
Vitamins and minerals
Broccoli contains many vitamins and minerals. The following are the most common substances:
- Vitamin C : Antioxidants, very important for immune function and skin health . Half a cup of broccoli (45 grams) provides nearly 70% of the recommended daily intake.
- Vitamin K1: Broccoli contains a very high amount of vitamin K1, which is very important for blood clotting and can enhance bone health .
- Folic acid (B9): Particularly important for pregnant women , folic acid is very important for tissue growth and normal cell function .
- Potassium: is an essential mineral beneficial for controlling blood pressure and preventing cardiovascular disease .
- Mangan: This is a trace element found in whole grains, beans, fruits and vegetables.
- Iron: This is an essential mineral that has many important functions in the body, such as oxygen transport in red blood cells.
Broccoli also contains many other vitamins and minerals in smaller amounts. In fact, it contains almost everything we need in small amounts.
Crux: Broccoli contains lots of vitamins and minerals. These include vitamin C, vitamin K, folic acid, potassium, manganese and iron.
Other plant compounds
Broccoli contains many antioxidants and plant compounds.
- Sulforaphane: One of the most studied plant compounds in broccoli. It may work against different types of cancer .
- Indole-3-carbinol: A unique nutrient found in vegetables, can benefit from cancer treatment .
- Carotenoids: Broccoli contains lutein, zeaxanthin and beta-carotene, all of which can contribute to healthier eyes .
- Kaempferol: This is an antioxidant that has many health benefits. It can fight heart disease, cancer, inflammation and allergies .
- Quercetin: Antioxidants have many benefits, including lowering blood pressure in people with high blood pressure .
Crux: Broccoli contains many healthy plant compounds. The highest concentration of the compound is sulforaphane.
Health benefits of broccoli
Brassic vegetables such as broccoli contain sulfur compounds that affect their spicy and bitter taste . These are bioactive compounds that can have many beneficial effects on health.
Prevention of cancer
Cancer is characterized by abnormal cells that grow very quickly, exceed their normal boundaries and often involve cell deterioration due to too much oxygen inside them .
Broccoli contains many compounds that are thought to work against cancer.
Observational studies show that eating vegetables, including broccoli, is associated with a lower risk of causing cancer. That includes lung, colorectal, breast, prostate, pancreatic and stomach cancer .
The factor that makes vegetables more remarkable than other vegetables lies in a variety of unique plant compounds called .
Isotiocyanates have been shown to affect liver enzymes, reduce cell deterioration due to excessive oxygen inside them, reduce inflammation, stimulate the immune system, reduce the growth and development of cancer. letter .
The main isotiocyanate compound in broccoli is sulforaphane, which acts against cancer formation at the molecular level, such as by reducing cell deterioration due to too much oxygen inside them .
Sulforaphane in young broccoli is 20-100 times higher than in adult broccoli .
Broccoli is also available in powder form but the intake may not contain equivalent isothiocyanates and therefore does not have many health benefits such as eating pure broccoli .
Crux: Broccoli contains many unique interrelated plant compounds called isothiocyanates, which make up the majority of them, sulforaphane. Broccoli improves many risk factors, and may reduce the risk of cancer.
Lower cholesterol levels
Cholesterol has many important functions in the body. For example, it is an important factor contributing to the formation Help us digest fat.
Bile acids are formed in the liver, then stored in the gallbladder and released into the digestive system whenever we eat fat. After that, bile acid is absorbed back into the blood and reused.
The substances in broccoli are able to bind to bile acids in the intestine, increase excretion from the body and prevent them from being reused .
This results in the synthesis of new bile acids from cholesterol making Reduce cholesterol levels in the body .
This effect is related to reducing the risk of heart disease and cancer .
According to one study, steamed broccoli is especially effective for lowering cholesterol levels .
Crux : Broccoli can reduce cholesterol levels by attaching to bile acids in the intestine, causing them to be expelled from the body. This reduces cholesterol levels in the body.
Enhance vision health
Vision loss is a common consequence of the aging process. Two of the main carotenoids in broccoli are lutein and zeaxanthin that are linked to reducing the risk of age-related eye disorders .
Lack of vitamin A can cause night blindness, vitamin A supplementation can be reversed with this condition .
Broccoli contains beta-carotene, which is converted into vitamin A in the body. Therefore, it may be beneficial for eyesight in people with low vitamin A.
Crux: Broccoli contains some carotenoids. These are plant compounds that can improve eye health and reduce the risk of eye diseases.
Side effects
Broccoli is usually very easy to collect and rarely causes allergies .
Thyroid problems
Broccoli is considered one (The inhibitor of thyroid hormone synthesis) means that high doses can damage the thyroid gland in susceptible people.
Cooking (at high temperatures) can reduce these effects .
Blood thinning
People who are taking drugs (blood thinners) should consult your doctor before increasing the amount of broccoli loaded into your body because high levels of vitamin K can interact with drugs .
Crux: Broccoli is usually very easy to digest and absorb. It may have undesirable effects on the thyroid gland in some people, and people taking blood thinners should consult their doctor before putting broccoli into a large diet.
In brief
Broccoli is one of the most popular vegetables in the world. Cooking broccoli is easy, and can be eaten both raw and cooked.
It has a high nutrient content, including a plant compound called isothiocyanates that can have many health benefits. It is also a good source of fiber, and protein is more abundant than most other vegetables.
Eating broccoli reduces the risk of cancer and heart disease, as well as improves vision.
