The medical benefits of broccoli

Broccoli not only has a good therapeutic effect, but also has a good medical effect. Let's take a look at the introduction below:

Introduction to Broccoli

Cauliflower is a vegetable of the Brassica family. There are two types, white and green. It is also known as cauliflower or cauliflower. The green one is also called broccoli or cauliflower. It is a plant of the genus Brassica in the family Cruciferae. They evolved from cabbage and originated from the Mediterranean coast of Europe. The nutrition and functions of white and green cauliflower are basically the same, and the carotene content of green cauliflower is higher than that of white cauliflower.

Impact on disease and health

Westerners discovered early on that eating cauliflower regularly can clear the throat, open the voice, moisten the lungs and relieve coughs, so they call cauliflower "God-given medicine" and "the poor man's doctor."

Long-term consumption of cauliflower can reduce the incidence of pancreatic cancer, ovarian cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer and stomach cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, among many vegetables and fruits, cauliflower and Chinese cabbage have the best anti-cancer effect. Therefore, cauliflower has been listed as an anti-cancer food in various countries. Broccoli has a magical effect on killing Helicobacter pylori, which causes stomach cancer.

Cauliflower is one of the foods that contains the most flavonoids. In addition to preventing infection, flavonoids are also the best blood vessel cleaners, which can prevent cholesterol oxidation and prevent platelets from clotting, thereby reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke. Some people's skin will turn blue and purple once they are slightly bumped or injured. This is because the body lacks vitamin K. The best way to supplement vitamin K is to eat more cauliflower. Eating more cauliflower will also strengthen the toughness of blood vessel walls and make them less likely to rupture.

Eating cauliflower regularly can enhance the liver's detoxification ability and improve the body's immunity, which can prevent colds and scurvy. According to AFP, a British study to be released today pointed out that eating certain fruits and vegetables may enhance memory, especially cauliflower.

Steaming cauliflower does not lose nutrients

Cauliflower has high nutritional value, especially green cauliflower, which is commonly known as broccoli. Cauliflower is low in calories, high in dietary fiber, and rich in vitamins and minerals.

Most importantly, cauliflower contains a special kind of sulforaphane, which is a natural anti-cancer substance that can kill Helicobacter pylori in the intestines. It is more effective than antibiotics and is very helpful in preventing colon cancer. Moreover, sulforaphane can inhibit the formation of breast cancer and other malignant tumors. Chinese medicine believes that cauliflower has the effects of "tonifying the brain and marrow, benefiting the internal organs, opening the chest and diaphragm, benefiting the heart and strengthening the muscles and bones".

Choose cauliflower that has no gaps between the flowers and is firm and not withered. Do not buy hollow stems. Creamy white cauliflower tastes better than pure white cauliflower. For green cauliflower, choose emerald green and dense. White cauliflower is particularly suitable for making soup, while green cauliflower can be directly boiled in boiling water because it has a delicate texture and a crisp and sweet taste, so it does not need to be cooked.

A recent study in Spain shows that steaming is the best way to eat cauliflower. Researchers compared the antioxidant content of cauliflower cooked by steaming, boiling, pressure cooking and microwave cooking. (Antioxidants protect human cells from damage by reactive chemicals called free radicals.)

The results of the experiment showed that steaming cauliflower hardly destroyed the antioxidants, while cooking in a microwave oven almost completely depleted the antioxidants. The effects of other cooking methods on antioxidants were between the above two methods. They were not as destructive as microwave ovens, but many valuable compounds escaped into the water during cooking, reducing the original antioxidant content in cauliflower by more than half.

Anti-cancer effect recognized worldwide

The anti-cancer effect of broccoli has been an important topic of research for Western and Japanese scientists in recent years. Broccoli ranks at the top of the anti-cancer vegetable list published by the National Cancer Research Center of Japan. The American Journal of Nutrition also published a study that broccoli can effectively prevent prostate cancer. The anti-cancer effect of broccoli is mainly attributed to the glucosinolates it contains. It is said that long-term consumption can reduce the incidence of cancers such as breast cancer, colorectal cancer and gastric cancer.

In addition to anti-cancer effects, broccoli is also rich in ascorbic acid, which can enhance the liver's detoxification ability and improve the body's immunity. A certain amount of flavonoids in broccoli can regulate and prevent high blood pressure and heart disease. At the same time, broccoli is a high-fiber vegetable that can effectively reduce the absorption of glucose by the stomach and intestines, thereby lowering blood sugar and effectively controlling diabetes.