The Properties and Benefits of Broccoli
Broccoli is one of the most complete vegetables because of its nutritional values. It has many necessary nutrients for a healthy and balanced diet. Whether you like it raw or cooked, the benefits of broccoli are abundant.
Broccoli is a versatile vegetable and a little goes a long way and you can adapt it to suit plenty of recipes. Nutritious, healthy and affordable, broccoli should be included in the diet of every family.
The benefits of broccoli
Broccoli belongs to the family of cruciferous vegetables, which also includes cauliflower. It’s the richest vegetable within this groups, in terms of vitamins and minerals. Some of the benefits of broccoli are:
- High vitamin A content, which is found in the beta-carotenes. Vitamin A is essential to detoxify your body; it strengthens the immune system and assists the defenses against infectious diseases. It also promotes good vision and it helps repair damaged tissues. It’s essential to consume this during pregnancy.
- High contributions of vitamin C; even higher than the orange! Broccoli contains a large amount of this vitamin. Its consumption prevents illnesses and can even help to extend your lifespan. It’s an antioxidant, so it lowers the basal rate of your body and delays aging.
- It contains vitamin K, an essential vitamin for blood clotting. For this reason, it helps to prevent bleeding.
- Broccoli contains a good amount of phosphorous, which helps with the many metabolic functions in your body.
- It’s rich in folic acid, which helps in the synthesis of genetic material. Folic acid is necessary for the cells to divide and grow. Therefore, it’s essential for proper growth and the maintenance of your body.
- It has potassium. One of the main functions of this mineral is to counter salt and eliminate the excess of it. Because of this, it’s important to fight fluid retention.
- It provides iron, essential for the formation of blood. Iron is a part of red blood cells and hemoglobin, which is the transportation vehicle for delivering oxygen throughout the body.
- Broccoli has a good amount of omega-3, which is an important heart protector.
- It has a low amount of fat and carbohydrates, which provide you with energy, essential for life’s daily activities.
Broccoli: almost a medicinal vegetable
Studies prove that because of its complete nutritional values, broccoli helps to prevent and to fight illnesses. That’s why doctors and nutritionists recommend that you add broccoli to your diet.
Let’s look at some of the benefits of broccoli when it comes to controlling diseases:
- It prevents obesity. It’s ideal for weight loss diets, because it provides you with the nutrients that you need, but it doesn’t make you gain weight. Broccoli is low in calories.
- It’s a phytoestrogen. During menopause, this substance helps to increase the density of your bones. This reduces the risk of osteoporosis. Moreover, it alleviates the typical symptoms associated with the menopause and hormonal changes.
- It protects against cancer. Many of the nutrients found in broccoli are essential to eliminating carcinogenic substances. Therefore, it helps to prevent cancer and kills cancer cells.
- It reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Broccoli has the necessary minerals to control your blood pressure. A daily broccoli portion of 3.5 ounces, helps to prevent hypertension, strokes, anemia and other diseases related to the circulatory system.
Extra benefits
- Detoxifies your body. Its antioxidant properties help to eliminate toxins, free radicals and uric acid from your body.
- It prevents constipation. Eating broccoli is recommended for avoiding constipation, this is because of its high fiber content. It improves your intestinal function, especially intestinal permeability. At the same time, it prevents stomach acidity and improves your digestion.
- It’s an essential vegetable during pregnancy due to its folic acid content.
- It prevents arthrosis, because it helps to eliminate fatty deposits that accumulate in your arteries.
- It prevents neurodegenerative diseases, which affect your nervous system. Broccoli is a good ally to fight Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.
Broccoli is a very complete vegetable. You can include it in different recipes, so it won’t be difficult to add to your family diet. It’s simply about creating the habit of adding broccoli to your meal times, every day.