Broccoli is often considered one of the healthiest viands by all those who take care of their nutrition and well-being. It is commonly included in various diet plans, especially for people on restrictive weight-loss nutritional schema. Broccoli is rich in vitamins and minerals, as well as other green vegetable and in the same time low in calories. This makes broccoli ideal food for overweight people. Composition of broccoli includes essential nutrients, such as potassium, calcium, phosphorus, manganese, zinc, iron, chromium, as well as vitamins C, A, E, K, B complex vitamins and a lot of flavonids and enzymes.
This precious green vegetable originates from Italy and its name is derived from Italian word broccolo, which literally means “branch”. Today, broccoli is present all around the world and popular as a healthy and very useful food. It can be eaten raw in form of salad, slightly steamed, cooked, sometimes grilled or baked with other vegetables. It is also an ingredient for some soups and pottages.
In order to gain maximum of its health benefits, the best way is to have it raw or after a very short steaming. Regular consumption of broccoli could improve our entire body condition.
Broccoli contains great number of phytochemicals with powerful antioxidant properties. Therefore, it is highly praised as a great natural preventive of many diseases and undesirable health conditions. Some experts suggest that it can be good for prevention of cancer, especially lung, breast and colon cancer. Long term consumption of vegetable such as broccoli is believed to slow down the aging process of the body.
Broccoli is frequently recommended for obese people, people with high blood pressure and cholesterol level and individuals who suffer from diabetes. Its antioxidant properties improve our cardiovascular health and reduce risk for various health problems.
It is also good for women in menopause, since its composition can positively affect bones, and thus prevent osteoporosis in older women. Broccoli is also a rich source of folic acid, which is why it is one of the groceries commonly recommender for pregnant women.
Can broccoli be dangerous?
Broccoli is useful for many health conditions, such as menopause, as well as for our well being in general. It has great benefits for our bones, neurological system and our digestion. It is good for people trying to lose weight and can prevent many health problems. But, is broccoli that good? Can you have too much of it?
Some experiments have shown that broccoli isn’t completely super healthy, as it is often considered. Nutritional experts say that too much broccoli and its relatives can cause hypothyroidism. Vegetables known as brassicas, such as kale, broccoli, cauliflower, arugula, cabbage and others contain some elements that could cause thyroid issues. They have goirogenic properties which can cause enlargement of thyroid. However, these properties can be efficiently reduced by simple process of cooking.
If you want to enjoy broccoli and all its wondrous health benefits, simply cook it and mix up with vegetables that don’t have goitrogenic properties. Those include cucumber, zucchini, celery, carrots, beets and parsley. You can make a delicious healthy meal and feel great, without any thyroid problem risk.
When it comes to frequency, the best advice is to keep to golden middle. So, you can safely consume a moderate amount of broccoli in your regular diet. Healthy people, who have no thyroid problems and consume broccoli or similar vegetable several times a week, experience great improvement of their health on general, with no thyroid or other side effects.
Many experts would agree on opinion that it is all about moderation. Reasonable amounts of any kind of food should not be a problem, especially when it comes to completely natural viands like green vegetable.
