One of the healthier and more nutritious food that exist in our diet is he broccoli. This vegetable from the cabbage family provides us with a large amount of vitamins and minerals that are essential for the proper functioning of the body; In addition, its caloric intake is very low, so it is ideal to take on a diet to live better.
In this article we will analyze the properties and benefits of broccoli, a food that is very rich in vitamins, especially vitamin A and minerals such as iron, calcium or potassium. Here we analyze everything that this essential ingredient gives us for our day to day.
Broccoli properties
We start knowing all the properties of broccoli in order to understand why this vegetable is so beneficial for our body. It is an ingredient very rich in vitamins and minerals as the following:
– Vitamin C. Its contribution of vitamin C is very high and, in fact, with 200 grams of broccoli we are taking more than 3 times the daily dose we need.
– Vitamin A and beta-carotenes. This is another of the main nutrients in broccoli and that makes it a very powerful natural antioxidant.
– Folic acid. This component is also very present in broccoli and, precisely for this reason, it is a highly recommended food during pregnancy.
– Rich in fiber. Its high fiber content makes broccoli perfect for purifying the body, improve transit and control appetite or cravings for food.
– Low calories and fat. Another of the properties of broccoli is that it is a food that it has very few calories and that, thanks to the fiber, satisfies the appetite a lot. This makes it an ally for people who want to lose weight or take care of their line.
Most prominent broccoli benefits
Now that you know the main properties of this vegetable, we are going to analyze what they are the health benefits of broccoli. Taking into account all that it gives us, we can determine that broccoli benefits us in the following areas:
– Ideal to fight anemia. Thanks to its high iron content, this food is essential to avoid conditions that alter health such as anemia.
– Improves heart health. It is a food low in fat and that helps us to take care of our line, therefore, this directly affects the levels of cholesterol in the blood, reducing LDL and betting on a stronger and healthier heart.
– Purifies the body. Another benefit of broccoli is that it helps us cleanse the body thanks to its fiber content. This food will allow us to improve intestinal transit and for all toxins or unnecessary waste to be eliminated from the body.
– Ideal for bone health. Due to its high mineral content, broccoli is perfect to prevent bone deterioration. Above all, this benefit is due to its iron, calcium and phosphorus content.
– Improves skin health. We have already commented that broccoli is very rich in vitamin A and this is considered the beauty vitamin because it directly affects the health of the skin and hair. In addition, by acting as a natural antioxidant, broccoli neutralizes free radicals, preventing premature aging of the body.
– Reduces constipation. Thanks to its fiber content, this vegetable is also very effective in avoiding conditions that affect intestinal transit.
– Recommended for pregnancy or menopause. Its interesting content in folic acid makes this ingredient recommended in periods in a woman’s life such as pregnancy or menopause.
Bibliography
– López, O., & del Rocio, M. (2002). Competitiveness analysis of the broccoli agri-food chain: fresh broccoli / frozen broccoli.
– del Río, HS Healing properties of cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, broccoli, turnips, etc.).
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