Broccoli is known as a nutritional powerhouse, it belongs to the cruciferous vegetable family, which includes other vegetables such as cabbage, kale, cauliflower. It is also known for its vibrant green color and unique flavor, broccoli is packed with essential vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants makes it a top choice for healthy diet by many health enthusiasts.
Whether you enjoy it raw, steamed of cooked with various meal recipes, it offers many health benefits. This article will help you to explore the nutritional profile of broccoli and uncover its wide health benefits, making it clear that why broccoli should be a part of your routine diet.
Broccoli Nutrition Facts
Before we know the health benefits of broccoli, lets take a closer look at the impressive nutritional profile of broccoli.
One cup (90 grams) of serving of raw broccoli contains following nutrition:
- Calorie: 35 kcal
- Protein 2.30 grams
- Carbohydrates 6.60 grams
- Fiber 2.40 grams
- Fat 0.40 grams
- Vitamin C 81 mg
- Vitamin K 116 Mcg
- Folate 57 mcg
- Iron 0.70 mg
- Potassium230 mg
- Calcium 43 mg
Broccoli is an excellent source of vitamin C, K, and folate, all of those plays an important role in maintaining overall health. It is also low in calorie and high in fiber, makes it great option for those who are looking for healthy weight and supports better digestion.
Nutritional profile of Broccoli:
Rich in Vitamins and Minerals
Broccoli is a nutritious vegetable that provides various essential vitamins and minerals.
- Vitamin C: Broccoli is an excellent source of vitamin C, an antioxidant that supports betterment of immunity, Skin health, and strength. A cup of raw broccoli provides more than 80% of your required vitamin C, which makes it a great choice for boosting your body immunity system
- Vitamin K: This vitamin is important for betterment of bone health and blood clotting. Just one cup of broccoli contains nearly 100% of your daily vitamin K need.
- Folate: It is known as vitamin B9, it is important for DNA synthesis and cell division. It is important during pregnancy for women, as it helps to prevent neural tube defects in developing babies.
- Iron: Broccoli also contains small amount of iron which is an important mineral, which needs to improve red blood cell and better transport of oxygen to our entire body.
- Potassium: It is important for maintaining healthy blood pressure levels, and proper muscle growth. Broccoli offers various other minerals which helps in better heart health.
High in Fiber:
Broccoli is an excellent source of dietary fiber, which provides 2.40 grams of fiber per one cup of serving. Fiber is an essential nutrient which helps in better digestion, regulating blood sugar level and promoting better heart health.
The fiber in broccoli is mainly composed of insoluble fiber, which helps in better stool and promotes regular bowel movement. It also supports in feeding gut bacteria and growing healthy gut microbiome.
Powerful Antioxidant Properties:
Broccoli contain various antioxidants, which includes vitamin C, flavonoids, and carotenoids, which helps to protect your body against oxidative stress and reduce risk of chronic diseases. The antioxidants in broccoli work by neutralizing free radicals, which are unstable molecules that damage body cells and contributes in faster ageing process, more Inflammation and development of chronic diseases such as cancer.
One of the most notable antioxidants found in broccoli is sulforaphane. It is a compound that have potential anticancer properties. It formed in broccoli when it is chopped and consumed raw. It also helps in body detoxification, reduce inflammation, and protect body cells from DNA damages.
Supports Heart Health:
Eating broccoli regularly benefits your heart in many ways, the antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds which found in broccoli, it helps in lowering oxidative stress and inflammation which is a risk factor of critical heart disease. Broccoli is also rich in fiber, which helps to reduce body cholesterol levels and improve blood vessels health.
Also, the potassium in broccoli helps in better regulating blood pressure and balance effects of body sodium level. This reduces the risk of hypertension, which is a major cause of heart diseases and stroke.
Helps in Weight loss management:
Broccoli is low in calories and high in fiber, makes it great choice for weight loss efforts. The fiber in broccoli helps your hunger satisfied and keep you full for longer time and reduce overeating. Eating broccoli helps in healthy weight loss management and promoted hunger control.
Broccoli is low calorie and high in nutrition is ideal food for best healthy weight loss diet.
Promotes Healthy Bones:
Broccoli contains various nutrition which helps in maintaining strong and healthy bones. Vitamin K found in broccoli is good for bone health, as it promotes better calcium absorption and improves bone strength. One cup of raw broccoli provides 100% of your daily needed vitamin K, and may help in better bone health.
Broccoli also contains calcium which is important minerals, helping in strengthening our body bone structure. Although, it is less in calcium than dairy products but it contributes in routine calcium supply upon adding in diet and benefits if consumes by combined with calcium rich other food and dairy products.
Supports Digestive Health:
The high fiber content in broccoli supports in healthy digestion by promoting regular bowel movements. Fiber acts as food for gut healthy bacteria and helps in growing gut healthy bacterial and improves your gut health. Healthy gut bacteria balance helps in improving body immunity, better nutrition absorption and improved overall health.
Sulforaphane in broccoli protects our gut lining from inflammatory damages and protects from Irritable bowel syndromes(IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
Having cancer fighting properties:
Broccoli is extensively studied by medical fraternity due to its cancer fighting properties. This vegetable contains bioactive compound sulforaphane, which have shown impact on reduced inflammation, reducing tumor growth and detoxification of our body.
Medical research suggests that sulforaphane may help in protecting in several critical diseases including Brest cancer, prostate and colon cancer. Further studies are still going on exploring full potential of broccoli on cancer protecting abilities of broccoli, just wait and watch.
Supports Healthy Skin:
The vitamin C in Broccoli plays an important role in cologne production, which makes your skin smoother and softer. The antioxidant in broccoli helps in protecting your skin from free radical damages due to environment factors such as UV Radiation and pollution.
Broccoli contains compound that can help in reducing the skin inflammation and benefits in conditions such as acne, eczema and psoriasis.
Easy to add In Your Diet
One of the best things about broccoli is its versatility. It can be eaten raw, steamed, roasted, or added to a variety of dishes. Whether you add it to salads, stir-fries, casseroles, soups, or smoothies, there are countless ways to enjoy this nutritious vegetable.
For retaining the health beneficial in broccoli, it is best to cook broccoli by steaming instead of boiling it. Steaming cooking helps to preserve its vitamin C and other nutrients and keep its nutrition locked. You can also eat broccoli raw by just washed and combining with healthy dip such as hummus or peanut, herbs and spices made dip, to improve its taste and nutrition.
Broccoli is unique and nutrition rich vegetable, which helps in getting various health benefits. It is rich in vitamins, minerals, fibre, and antioxidants which supports various body functions including better heart health, digestion, bone health and even reducing cancer causing cells. Also, broccoli is low in fat, it helps to provide nutrition which makes you full, reduce calorie intake and helps in losing weight alongside improving body immunity. Adding broccoli in your diet is simple and also a delicious healthy way.
Along with broccoli multiple usage in our kitchen, and ease to add broccoli in multiple of food items. Next time when you prepare a meal, then you should preferably add broccoli in your routine diet meal and enjoy its nutrition and health benefits.
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