Broccoli is a member of what is called the cruciferous family of vegetables. This family also includes cabbage, cauliflower, and watercress. Broccoli is usually steamed before being served with a meat dish, but some people also enjoy eating it raw. Although most people know that broccoli is good for your body, the reasons why this is the case are often left mysterious. Read on to find out how eating more broccoli might help to improve and extend your life in ten different ways.
1) It helps to boost your immune system:
Broccoli contains a powerful ingredient called beta-carotene, which helps to give you a stronger immune system that is better equipped to fight disease and keep you well. You can also find selenium and zinc in broccoli, and both of these can help to boost your immune system’s defenses.
2) It improves bone strength:
Broccoli contains a large amount of vitamin K and calcium, and these are both necessary for healthy bones. While a serving of broccoli contains less calcium than a serving of milk, broccoli is a great option for people who are vegan or happen to be intolerant to dairy foods. Calcium and vitamin K also make you less likely to develop osteoporosis, which is a severe bone disease that makes your bones more likely to fracture.
3) It is extremely effective when it comes to cancer prevention:
Although you may not know it, broccoli is one of the most powerful vegetables when it comes to lowering your risk of developing various different forms of cancer. For a start, it contains a chemical called indole-3-carbinol. This chemical encourages DNA repair in damaged cells (thereby helping those cells to resist cancerous changes), and it also seems to reduce the growth of the cells that make up cancerous tumors. It appears to be especially capable of slowing the growth of breast and cervical cancers, and several more recent studies show that a high intake of broccoli is strongly linked to a low likelihood of developing prostate cancer. Secondly, broccoli contains a compound called glucoraphanin, and your body can process this into sulforaphane. This is important because sulforaphane has anti-carcinogenic properties. In particular, it helps to kill off any H. pylori bacteria in your body (thereby reducing your risk of developing gastric cancer).
4) It can help you lose weight:
A large amount of fiber found in broccoli can help to keep your blood sugar levels low and also discourage you from eating too much (by helping you to feel fuller for longer). You can also get as much protein from one cup of broccoli as you can from a cup of rice, but broccoli contains only a fraction of the calories found in rice.
5) It is good for cardiovascular health:
Studies show that the carotenoid lutein in broccoli seems to slow down the rate at which your arteries thicken as you age. This means that eating broccoli may well reduce your risk of having a stroke or developing heart disease. In addition, there is folate and vitamin B6 in broccoli, and these chemicals have been proven to make you less likely to have a heart attack or a stroke.
6) It helps to keep your digestive system healthy:
Broccoli is a great source of dietary fiber, which means that it helps to keep your bowels in good working order and makes you less likely to develop problems with constipation.
7) It promotes healthy blood pressure levels:
People who eat a lot of broccoli appear to be less likely to develop problematically high blood pressure. This may because of the potassium, magnesium, and calcium that are found in broccoli, as these all play a role in blood pressure control.
8. It can help you with the symptoms of allergies or the common cold:
Just half a cup of broccoli contains around 52g of vitamin C, which is a potent antihistamine. This means that broccoli is great for people who suffer from hay fever or who currently have an annoying dose of the common cold.
9) It helps to preserve your vision:
Broccoli is a very good source of vitamin A, and your body needs vitamin A in order to form the vital molecules that help you see in low lighting conditions. As mentioned above, broccoli also contains carotenoid lutein, and this chemical is capable of lowering your risk of developing macular degeneration or cataracts as you get older.
10) It may help to repair damaged skin:
Finally, broccoli contains a chemical called glucoraphanin, and this helps your skin to repair itself and to remove any toxins.
As is obvious from the above health benefits, broccoli is a great choice if you want to increase your daily consumption of fruits and vegetables. However, it is very important to note that the health benefits of broccoli are dramatically reduced if you boil the vegetable. Ideally, you should eat your broccoli as fresh as possible, and you can steam or stir fry it if you do not want to eat it raw.
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Beyond Broccoli: The Exceptional Health Benefits of Cruciferous Vegetables
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