Broccoli: Nutrition and calories

Healthy eating is a key to preserve the well-being. Luckily for us, Mother Nature has provided us with numerous foods that allow us to reconcile the combination of taste and health; among them.

We can definitely count broccoli, a vegetable with many beneficial properties that brings with it another advantage, essential for those who are attentive to the line. That is the low-calorie intake. So let’s see what are the nutritional properties and calories of broccoli.

• The broccoli are part of the family called Brassica oleracea, which also includes cauliflower and cabbage. It is a vegetable widely cultivated in Europe and in our country, particularly in the South (Campania, Puglia and Lazio). We could define this food as winter, since it is ready for harvest in October and resists usually for the duration of the cold season; there are different types: the famous turnip greens Puglia, Sicilian broccoli, with its characteristic violet color, the Calabrian and Neapolitan broccoli black, just to name the most famous.
• The broccoli (raw) were comprised of 89% water, this aspect that ensures very little calories: 100 grams of product contain only 24Kcal fact. But beyond the light, these vegetables are valuable allies of our health, since they are rich in minerals (potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron and phosphorus), many vitamins, especially vitamin C, folic acid, riboflavin, thiamine and niacin, in addition to a discrete concentration of beta-carotene and zinc, which is responsible for its pleasant odor not that spreads at the time of cooking; the flavor is instead guaranteed by flavonoids and glucosinolates.
• Broccoli are attributed many beneficial properties, purifying, diuretic, vermifuge, but also healing and soothing. Vitamin C facilitates the absorption of iron and favors the turgor of collagen, therefore muscles, skin and tendons; also it helps to keep arteries ” clean “, thus preventing the risk of stroke and heart attack. Sulfur is responsible for detoxifying the liver function: it acts like a scavenger, removing toxins and fats.
• Ongoing studies are evaluating the relationship between the broccoli and the reduction in the appearance of tumors of the lung, bladder, and prostate; sulforaphane content in broccoli prevents the growth of cancer cells and blocks the mechanisms of cell division. They are also indicated in cases of constipation, due to the high content of fiber, to strengthen the immune system, thanks to the antioxidant. Broccoli also promote water retention, facilitating the expulsion of toxins and harmful substances (purifying).
• These vegetables also have some drawback: due to the high presence of fibers (not fully digested), can cause bloating, gas and diarrhea, so it is not recommended consumption to those suffering from irritable bowel syndrome. It is also not recommended consumption during breastfeeding, because this food could give the milk a bitter taste. Moreover, an excessive consumption could interfere with the production of thyroid hormones.