Benefits of Eating Broccoli

Broccoli is a nutritious vegetable. Arguably one of the most nutritious vegetables available to consumers. It is packed with fiber, vitamins and helps ward off some ailments. So, what are exactly the benefits of eating these tiny little trees? And what is the best way to prepare the vegetable for optimal consumption?

Fiber

As you can see from just looking at broccoli, it is packed with fiber. Fiber is necessary for healthy bowel movements and the removal of waste and toxins from the body. Once serving of broccoli contains 3.8 grams of fiber.  This is the equivalent of about 15% of the daily recommended serving of fiber for the day.

Vitamins and Minerals

Broccoli is high in vitamins A and Vitamin C. In fact one serving of broccoli contains nearly 20 % of the daily recommended intake of vitamin A and approximately twice the amount of vitamin C needed everyday. Yes, you read that right. Although broccoli is green, it is packing vitamin C levels of an orange or standard citrus fruit. This is a great alternative if you happen to be under the weather and are looking for a vitamin C boost or if you have an allergy to citric acids. Broccoli also has a sizeable amount of vitamin B-6 and protein. This is helpful if you are maintaining a vegetarian diet as the protein and B vitamins are often in short supply in the vegetable only world. Also, if you have high blood pressure, broccoli contains about 13 percent the daily recommended value of potassium which is a trace element found in abundance in hypertension medication.  So eat broccoli to lower that blood pressure--but don't add extra salt.

How to Prepare

You can eat broccoli raw if it has been washed properly. Eating raw broccoli tends to give the best results in terms of nutrient retention. Lightly steaming broccoli until slightly al dente but still rich green will help retain most of the vitamins and tends to enhance the flavor of broccoli. However , you should try to avoid overcooking broccoli. Not only does this make the broccoli texture mushy, overcooking broccoli releases sulfur which causes that awful broccoli smell that turns most people away from consuming the healthy vegetable. Also, overcooking broccoli tends to leach all of the nutrients out of the vegetable, leaving only fiber benefits and not many vitamins or minerals.

Do you like to eat broccoli? Do you have any tasty recipes to share? Please leave a comment below.