The Many Health Benefits of Broccoli

The Many Health Benefits of Broccoli

Broccoli is the food you love to hate. You turn your nose up at it when you’re young, and as you age you tend to eat it just because you know it’s healthy.

If you’re one of the few who genuinely loves the taste of broccoli, then we have some great news for you, as this is one of the healthiest foods on the planet. If not, then it may be time to develop love for this strong-tasting cruciferous vegetable.

In fact, by the time you finish reading this article you could go from someone who never wants to see another head of broccoli for as long as they live, to someone who buys basket loads of the stuff every time they’re out shopping.

Not convinced? Keep reading and you’ll understand what we mean.

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What are the health benefits of broccoli

It’s a Nutritional Powerhouse

We included broccoli in our Detox Organics Superfood Formula, and are many reasons we did that.

Not only is it hugely beneficial in the fight against many diseases, as we shall discover in this guide, but it’s also packed with macronutrients and micronutrients.

First, let’s look at the macros. Broccoli is popular with vegan bodybuilders and even meat-eating bodybuilders because it contains a lot of protein.

A cup of broccoli contains around 35 calories and just under 3 grams of protein. If you scale it up to a 350 calorie serving, similar to a small steak or a big chicken breast, you’ll get around 29 grams of protein.

You’ll also get around 25 grams of fiber, something you won’t get from steak or chicken.

On a micronutrient level, that cup of broccoli provides more than 100% of your RDI of vitamin C and vitamin K—what other foods do you know that can provide all of your vitamin C & K in a 35 calorie serving?

You’ll also get a good amount of vitamins A and B9, as well as many minerals.

It Could Protect Against Cancer

The most exciting research being conducted on broccoli right now concerns its protective effects against cancer and other chronic diseases.

Cancer is a broad disease that affects many parts of the body and is hard to cure as a result, but broccoli has shown to be effective in treating and preventing most forms.

This meta analysis (1) found that a high intake of cruciferous vegetables (of which broccoli is the most potent) was associated with a decreased occurrence of breast cancer, another found the same for prostate cancer (2), another showed the same for kidney cancer (3) and there are also studies on colon cancer, stomach cancer and bladder cancer that mimic these results.

Is broccoli good for you?

It is Packed with Antioxidants

If the above research is correct and broccoli really is a potent weapon in the fight against cancer, then there is a good chance that it’s all the result of its antioxidant levels.

Scientists have known for a while now that a diet high in natural antioxidants can lead to reduce risks of cancer and other diseases. It can also help reduce blood sugar level, to maintain optimum gut health, and more.

There is some recent research suggesting that antioxidants are not all they are cracked up to be and the tabloids are jumping on this because they know it gets clicks and sells papers.

But it’s important to know that all of the “negative” research was conducted on supplemental antioxidants.

The truth is, while we know that antioxidants can be very healthy when consumed in the form of food alongside other nutrients, they seem to have the opposite effect when consumed on their own in a super-concentrated tablet.

That’s one of the reasons we focused on combining so many different superfoods into Detox Organics, because while scientists don’t yet know the reason why, they do know that antioxidants and other healthy compounds are at their healthiest when consumed alongside other natural and healthy compounds—the more the better.

It Improves Gut Health

Antioxidants help with gut health, as discussed above, but there are other compounds in broccoli that help in the same way.

The fiber content is high, and that plays a huge role in reducing the risk of colon cancer and promoting regularity, but the many vitamins and minerals also help.

Broccoli has also shown to have potent anti-inflammatory properties and could have a direct impact on inflammation in the gut.

One study, conducted on rodents (4), concluded that broccoli could be used to help treat and prevent inflammatory bowel conditions.

It reduces the occurrence of constipation and can help to make you more regular.

Just remember that if you’re moving from an unhealthy, vegetable-free diet into one that is healthy and contains an abundance of vegetables, then you will experience bloating and gas during the first few days or even weeks.

This is a result of all that extra fiber in your gut, and is nothing to worry about.

It Can Help with Brain Function

Regular consumption of cruciferous vegetables like broccoli can help to slow cognitive decline.

They looked at over 900 people and discovered that there was a slower rate of cognitive decline in those who consumed at least one portion a day.

The study found that the biggest improvement was in those who consumed 1.3 servings a day—the highest amount in the study—with the rate of decline measured at 11 years younger than those who did not consume any.

This is a huge improvement for what amounts to a very small amount of dark green vegetables every day, and it proves the point that we’re always making: big improvements come following the smallest of commitments.

Sure, you can benefit more if you consume 2, 3 and even 5 or more portions a day, but when there is such a big difference between 0 and 1, you just need to focus on small amounts.

Can broccoli cure cancer?

Conclusion: Eat More Broccoli

Of course, if you want all the benefits of broccoli without all that bloating fiber, then try Detox Organics!

This superfood formula contains the very best of broccoli, in addition to a host of other healthy compounds that have shown equally impressive results.

We basically found the 25 most effective and synergistic superfoods and combined them into one delicious drink.

You can learn about Detox Organics by visiting this link here. And if you take a look at our blog you can also read more articles like this, where we discuss all of the ingredients that we used in the DO formula, as well as many other superfoods that are worth looking into.

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