What are the benefits and effects of cruciferous broccoli, and what are its edible methods? How many calories does it have? Can it still be eaten if it has turned yellow?
Broccoli is also called green cauliflower green broccoli, green cauliflower, and baijiali. It is a cruciferous vegetable, and broccoli has high nutritional value and many benefits for the human body, and most people love to eat it. So what are the benefits and effects of broccoli and its edible methods?
1. Introduction to broccoli
Broccoli is a biennial plant of the genus Brassica in the cruciferous family. It originated in Italy and was introduced to China around the early 19th century during the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty. Together with cauliflower, head cabbage, and emerald cauliflower, it is a variety of cabbage. Because it comes from the West, it tastes very similar to Chinese kale, which is also a variety of cabbage, and it is named broccoli because it resembles its flowers. It is also called green cauliflower because it resembles green cauliflower.
2. Benefits and effects of broccoli
1. Nutritional value
In broccoli, its high nutrient content mainly includes: protein, carbohydrates, fat, minerals, vitamin C, and carotene, etc.
| Nutritional value per 100 g of broccoli | |
| Energy | 141 kJ (34 kcal) |
| Carbohydrates | 6.64 g |
| Sugars | 1.7 g |
| Dietary fiber | 2.6 g |
| Fat | 0.37 g |
| Protein | 2.82 g |
| Vitamins | |
| Vitamin A equiv. | 31 μg (4%) |
| β-carotene | 361 μg (3%) |
| Lutein and zeaxanthin | 1403 μg |
| Thiamine (vitamin B1) | 0.071 mg (6%) |
| Riboflavin (vitamin B2) | 0.117 mg (10%) |
| Niacin (vitamin B3) | 0.639 mg (4%) |
| Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) | 0.573 mg (11%) |
| Pyridoxine (vitamin B6) | 0.175 mg (13%) |
| Folate (vitamin B9) | 63 μg (16%) |
| Vitamin C | 89.2 mg (107%) |
| Vitamin E | 0.78 mg (5%) |
| Vitamin K | 101.6 μg (97%) |
| Dietary minerals | |
| Calcium | 47 mg (5%) |
| Iron | 0.73 mg (6%) |
| Magnesium | 21 mg (6%) |
| Manganese | 0.21 mg (10%) |
| Phosphorus | 66 mg (9%) |
| Potassium | 316 mg (7%) |
| Sodium | 33 mg (2%) |
| Zinc | 0.41 mg (4%) |
| Other components | |
| Water | 89.3 g |
2. Benefits and effects
Benefit 1: Cancer prevention and anti-cancer
In recent years, broccoli has been an important subject of research by Western scientists, and it has a significant effect in cancer prevention and anti-cancer, especially in preventing and treating gastric cancer and breast cancer. The glucosinolates contained in broccoli are said to reduce the incidence of cancers such as breast cancer, rectal cancer, and gastric cancer when eaten for a long time.
Benefit 2: Regulating and preventing high blood pressure and heart disease
Broccoli contains a certain amount of flavonoids, which can regulate and prevent high blood pressure and heart disease.
Benefit 3: Detoxifying the liver and improving body immunity
Broccoli is rich in ascorbic acid, which can enhance the liver's detoxification function and strengthen the body's immunity.
Benefit 4: Lowering blood sugar
Broccoli is a high-fiber vegetable and can effectively reduce the absorption of glucose by the stomach and intestines, lower blood sugar, and effectively control the condition of diabetes.
Benefit 5: Weight loss and whitening
Broccoli has a water content of more than 90%, and it is low in calories. For people who want to lose weight, broccoli can fill the stomach without making people fat; secondly, broccoli contains dithiolthione, which can reduce the enzymes that form melanin and prevent the formation of skin pigmentation. Regular consumption can promote bowel movement and appetite and has a very good whitening effect on the skin.
Benefit 6: Delaying aging
Broccoli is rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, and carotene, which can prevent dry skin, maintain skin elasticity, and improve the skin's anti-aging ability.
In addition to the above six benefits, broccoli also has the effects of fighting Alzheimer's disease, promoting growth, clearing and dilating blood vessels, and enhancing blood vessel toughness, so we can usually eat broccoli often, which is also good for health.
3. Edible methods of broccoli
Method 1: Some experts suggest that broccoli is best cut open with scissors, and try not to cut it with a knife. If it is directly cut on a cutting board, many small florets will scatter, causing a certain amount of waste.
Method 2: Do not stir-fry excessively. Broccoli should not be stir-fried for too long. Frying it for too long will easily make it yellow, and it also cannot withstand high temperatures for a long time, otherwise nutrients will be lost.
Method 3: Mix different vegetables and meats together, such as with tomatoes, shrimp, radishes, etc., which is more conducive to the absorption of nutrients.
Method 3: Steaming broccoli. Research by American scientists has found that the best way to cook broccoli is to steam it over water for 5 minutes.
1. Stir-fried broccoli with tomato
The most abundant component in tomatoes is one type of carotene: lycopene, which can prevent the occurrence of cardiovascular disease; prevent the cancerous transformation of the prostate, and effectively reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer, rectal cancer, laryngeal cancer, oral cancer, breast cancer, and other cancers. Eating stir-fried broccoli with tomato often can effectively reduce the incidence of cancer.
2. Steamed broccoli
The healthiest cooking method for broccoli is steaming over water. During steaming, keep the temperature within 100°C, which can preserve nutrients to the greatest extent. Steamed broccoli is best not to exceed 5 minutes. If there are stems that are harder to cook, it is recommended to put them in 2 minutes earlier.
Compared with other cooking methods, the myrosinase in broccoli is not destroyed, and the myrosinase is well preserved, so broccoli cooked this way will be more anti-cancer and more nutritious.
4. How many calories does broccoli have?
Broccoli has 34 kcal/100g.
5. Can boiled broccoli help with weight loss?
Boiled broccoli can help with weight loss. Every 100g of broccoli has 34 kcal, which is relatively low in calories. Among them, vitamin A and carotene are extremely rich, so people who are losing weight can eat it with complete confidence; secondly, broccoli is rich in dietary fiber, and fiber can effectively hinder the absorption of food, make people feel full, help control food intake, and play a certain role in controlling body weight.
6. Can broccoli that has turned yellow still be eaten?
The color of broccoli turning yellow is mainly due to being stored for too long, resulting in it no longer being fresh and losing nutritional value. At the same time, yellowed broccoli will produce a large amount of nitrite, a carcinogenic substance harmful to the human body, so it is best not to eat it. It is better to buy fresh broccoli again.
7. Who should not eat broccoli?
1. People who should avoid it: patients with lupus erythematosus should avoid eating it.
2. Suitable people: the general population can eat it.
Broccoli is generally recognized as a vegetable with high nutritional value, so it is recommended that everyone eat more of it in daily life, after all, it is for your own health. In addition, attention should also be paid to washing broccoli, and it can be soaked for about 30 minutes.