Broccoli Health Benefit To You Is Quite Amazing! Read On........
Broccoli health benefit to you reads like an endless list!
An amazing vegetable, a member of the cabbage family and closely related to the cauliflower. Originally cultivated in Italy. It provides a range of tastes and textures due to it's different components. Yes I know it really smells of sulphur when it is cooked, but don't let that put you off this incredible superfood!
It is a low calorie, high fibre, vitamin rich superfood, which has a great reputation for helping the battle against
cancer
and heart disease.
Broccoli health benefit to you...are you ready? Here goes..
For starters broccoli contains a chemical called sulforaphane that kills helicobacter pylori, the pesky bacteria that causes stomach ulcers and potentially deadly stomach cancers. Sulforaphane can even wipe out strains of helicobacter that are resistant to common antibiotics. Helicobacter pylori is extremely common and a lot of people may have it and not even know about it.
Broccoli contains phytochemicals which has significant anti-cancer effects.
A few stalks of the green trees provides your daily portion of
vitamins C
and A (beta carotene) which are antioxidants helping to prevent damage to human cells caused by
free radicals.
Want Cataract Prevention?
Broccoli and other leafy green vegetables contain powerful phytochemical antioxidants in the carotenoid family called lutein and zeaxanthin, both of which are concentrated in large quantities in the lens of the eye.
Immune System Need a Boost?
Not only does a cup of broccoli contain the RDA for vitamin C, it also
fortifies your immune system
with a hefty 1359 mcg of beta-carotene, and small but useful amounts of zinc and selenium, two trace minerals that act as cofactors in numerous immune defensive actions.
A Possible Birth Defect Fighter
Pregnant? You really must eat broccoli. A cup of broccoli supplies 94 mcg of folic acid, a B-vitamin essential for proper cellular division because it is necessary in DNA synthesis. Without folic acid, the fetus' nervous system cells do not divide properly. Deficiency of folic acid during pregnancy has been linked to several birth defects, such as spina bifida. Despite folic acid's wide occurence in food (it's name comes from the Latin word folium, meaning "foliage," because it's found in green leafy vegetables), amazing and little known fact time...folic acid deficiency is the most common vitamin deficiency in the world.
Want Strong Bones?
Studies have shown that broccoli contains more calcium than most dairy products therefore helping to build bone mass. Great news for lactose intolerant people (and there are a lot of us out there) as obtaining sufficient calcium can be difficult for those not consuming dairy products.
Real Men Go Green!
This and other cruciferous veg like sprouts and cabbage reduce your levels of the female hormone oestrogen, thereby increasing your testerone.
Loosing The Diabetes War? Not With Broccoli Health Benefit.
Due to it's high fibre content and low sugar, broccoli helps fight the war on diabetes. The fibre helps keep blood sugar low and as a result insulin can be kept to a minimum.
Thyroid problems?...beware. Broccoli contains goitrogens, naturally-occurring substances in certain foods that can interfere with the functioning of the thyroid gland. Individuals with already existing and untreated thyroid problems may want to avoid broccoli for this reason. As always consult your doctor if unsure.
So putting a few little 'green trees' on your plate daily will promote good health!
UPDATE I have just read a recent article regarding broccoli health benefit... it says heating broccoli in a microwave can reduce it's antioxidant properties by up to 80%! Quite a staggering fact indeed but how true it is I am not sure at this stage.
Back From Broccoli Health Benefit To Homepage
|