The benefits and harms of broccoli

Broccoli is a variety of cabbage and, like a cauliflower, is a small inflorescence with a lush green "hat." That it is used in food, saturating the body with proteins, amino acids, vitamins and minerals.

Broccoli contains a large amount of protein, and in this it is equivalent to chicken meat, beef and eggs. It is not surprising that broccoli is recommended to include in the menu of those who play sports, and also does not eat foods of animal origin.

In addition to protein, in the vegetable there are also amino acids, and there are even those that are not produced by the body, but come exclusively from food.

The mineral composition is represented primarily by potassium, calcium and phosphorus, which ensure the smooth functioning of the cardiovascular system and positively affect intellectual activity.

As part of broccoli, there are also lipids necessary for the activity of the thyroid gland and omega-acid, which help lower blood pressure and stabilize the intracranial.

In the vegetable there are the strongest antioxidants represented by tocopherol and ascorbic acid, and better known as vitamins E and C. They reduce the intensity of age-related changes in the body, and vitamin C also has a powerful immune stimulating effect, helps the body to resist flu and colds, vitamin deficiency, negative environmental factors .

Cabbage is composed of various vitamins of group B - pyrodoxin, niacin, riboflavin, thiamine, which suggests the use of vegetables for the nervous system. In combination with folic acid, vitamin B9, also present in the composition, makes broccoli very useful for the female body, increases the chances of conception. A similar combination of folic acid and vitamin B9 is also necessary during pregnancy for the formation of fetal organs.

It has broccoli and antifungal effects, because phytoncides are present in the product. It is worth noting a fairly large amount of chromium, which helps reduce the level of glucose in the blood. Copper, cobalt and iron can be found in slightly smaller volumes.

Despite the vitamin and mineral richness of the composition, broccoli is a low-calorie product. When fresh, it contains 29 kcal per 100 g of product. At the same time, the high content of proteins allows you to quickly get enough to eat, using broccoli.

It is important that dietary fiber improves digestion, contributing to the rapid elimination of toxins from the body. It is not surprising that broccoli is actively used, if necessary, to quickly lose weight and keep fit.

The balance of BJU is represented as 3/0/7. At the same time, proteins contain many amino acids, including essential ones. About 10% of the composition falls on dietary fiber.

The glycemic index of a vegetable is 12, which is a bit. Vegetable is allowed to eat for people suffering from diabetes

Cabbage has a beneficial effect on the digestive tract. Due to the presence of fiber, intestinal peristalsis is improved, which, in turn, helps foods to digest faster and more completely.

The remaining wastes and toxins, along with unprocessed fiber, rush out of the body. Regular consumption of broccoli allows you to "start" the metabolism, forget about the feeling of heaviness and bloating in the stomach.

Carotene contained in cabbage has a beneficial effect on mucous membranes and blocks heavy metal ions that are harmful to the intestines. This enzyme soothes the mucous membranes, helps tighten wounds and sores, and this means that the product is recommended for gastritis and ulcers.

The healing properties of broccoli are due to the presence of fiber.It has a slight laxative and diuretic effect. Cabbage will save from constipation, will be the prevention of diseases of the urinary system.

The components of cabbage remove cholesterol from the vascular channels, contribute to increasing their elasticity. Chlorophyll, which is also a part, improves blood circulation and iron prevents anemia. In this regard, it can be argued that broccoli is useful for the human circulatory and vascular systems.

Beneficial effect on vegetables and organs of the central nervous system, improving the conductivity of nerve endings. It is recommended for emotional stress, stress, chronic fatigue. Those who suffer from sleep disorders are encouraged to include this type of cabbage in their daily diet.

Part of the phosphorus positive effect on brain cells, which helps strengthen memory, concentration. Beta-carotene is a well-known ingredient for improving and maintaining visual acuity.

The vegetable also contains a rather rare vitamin K, which in combination with calcium and magnesium contributes to the positive effect of broccoli on the skeletal system. Vegetable helps to strengthen tooth enamel and reduces the risk of caries, increases bone strength, mobility of cartilage. Regular use of broccoli can be considered the prevention of osteoporosis, gout, rheumatism.

Broccoli, rich in ascorbic acid, allows to increase the protective functions of the body during the period of flu and colds, to get rid of spring vitamin deficiency and blues. It is not surprising that it is recommended during pregnancy, as well as children.

For men, a vegetable is useful in reducing the risk of inflammation of the prostate gland. In addition, the inflorescences are considered an aphrodisiac, which improves potency and increases libido.

Pregnant women, in addition to a huge supply of vitamins and minerals, provide their body and fetal body with folic acid, vital for the development and formation of the latter.

Included in the B vitamins allow the pregnant woman to stabilize the emotional background, remove anxiety and excitement, get rid of insomnia.

Broccoli puree often becomes the first baby food, which again is explained by the usefulness of its composition, high protein content and hypoallergenic. The product can be introduced into the diet of children from 4-5 months of age. It contains the protein necessary for growth, which, unlike an analogue of animal origin, is absorbed by the baby’s body.

However, the presence of protein and vitamins in the composition makes broccoli useful for the health of adults, if for some reason they are unable or unwilling to eat proteins of plant origin. For athletes, broccoli becomes an additional source of protein, so necessary for the growth of muscle mass.

Reviews of bodybuilders suggest that daily consumption of even 100 g of broccoli makes it possible to notice an improvement in the work of the digestive tract (which is important for those who are “on weight”), an increase in body endurance and faster muscle recovery after exercise and, consequently, their high-quality growth. .

Finally, broccoli is one of the products that reduces the risk of developing cancer. Especially useful in this regard, the vegetable seedlings.

Despite the abundance of beneficial properties, with individual intolerance to broccoli will harm the body. As a rule, this is manifested by pain and pain in the stomach, increased gas formation, nausea, vomiting, deterioration of well-being due to a decrease in blood pressure. The same signs can be observed with excessive consumption of vegetables.Fortunately, cases of allergies to broccoli are quite rare, and overeat it is also quite difficult - the vegetable quickly gives a feeling of satiety.

The existing varicose veins, transferred heart attacks and strokes, as well as increased blood viscosity in some cases cause refusal of broccoli or a significant reduction in the allowed daily dose. This is due to the presence in it of vitamin K, which, in addition to the specified action, can also increase blood viscosity. This, in turn, threatens stagnation, thrombosis.

In addition, this vitamin enhances the action of statins, so people who take them as part of medicines, should first obtain permission from the doctor.

For diseases of the thyroid gland, it is not recommended to eat raw broccoli, since isothiocyanates in the composition prevent the body from absorbing iodine. In heat-treated vegetables, this phenomenon is not observed.

Get the maximum benefit from the consumption of broccoli can only be if you choose the appropriate inflorescences and properly prepare them. Let us dwell on the first aspect.

Edible inflorescences should be saturated green, even light blue is allowed. But the presence of yellow blotches suggests that the cabbage fades, and at the same time loses some of the nutrients.

The stem of the inflorescence should be elastic and juicy, not showing signs of wilting and drying, brown spots. Inflorescences must be unopened, tight to each other.

When buying fresh cabbage, do it from late summer to early autumn. When choosing a frozen product, make sure that it has not been subjected to repeated freezing and thawing.

Immediately after buying a broccoli, you need to cook or, wrapped in a damp towel, put into the refrigerator. You can also put the plant in a jar of water as a bouquet, or, disassembled into inflorescences, freeze in small batches. The product that is stored fresh in the refrigerator should be consumed no later than 2 weeks.

Primarily under the use of broccoli imply its use in food. The easiest way to cook it is to boil it in slightly salted water. True, there are some tricks here, which will be discussed below.

Boiled cabbage can be used as a side dish for meat and fish, add to salads. Vegetable is suitable for stewing and roasting, and the most famous recipe is broccoli in batter.

Naturally, such a useful vegetable is actively used in cosmetology. On its basis, masks are created to solve various skin problems. They perfectly tighten and tone up the skin, giving it a healthy glow and velvety tenderness. Due to the content of ascorbic acid masks on the basis of broccoli have a light whitening effect, help to cope with oily shine.

The main rule of cooking broccoli - minimum heat exposure. Only in this case, it will retain not only excellent taste and rich green hue, but all the useful elements.

In the pan you need to pour water, add a little salt, and after boiling, dip the inflorescence in the liquid. Cooking time - no more than 3-5 minutes. After that, the cabbage must be removed with a slotted spoon, let it drain and serve.

If you use a frozen vegetable, you should not defrost it in hot water and microwave, it will spoil the taste of the finished dish.

It is impossible to cook in the water in which broccoli was boiled, since toxins are then present in its composition. For the same reason, do not immediately lay the vegetable in vegetable or meat broth along with other ingredients. You should boil the cabbage beforehand and lay it at the very end of cooking or even after the dish is removed from the fire.

Boiled broccoli can be served with meat and fish dishes, flavored with a small amount of olive oil or by adding sour cream, cheese sauce. Broccoli is combined with almost all vegetables, herbs.

From boiled cabbage you can make a juicy and full of vitamins salad. To do this, boiled inflorescences need to be mixed with cucumber, carrots and apples (vary the number of ingredients and their ratio at their discretion). Chop the carrot into fine straws, cucumber and apple peretert on a coarse grater, cabbage disassembled into florets. Optionally, you can add sweet marinated onions, greens. As a dressing, use sour cream and mustard, taken in proportions 4: 1.

Broccoli in batter can be prepared from a minimum of ingredients. Inflorescences of cabbage and liquid dough based on water and flour with salt will be required. Cabbage should be dipped in a batter and fry in a saucepan or frying pan with high sides in a well-heated oil. In the batter, you can also add eggs and kefir, mineral water, then it will turn out lush and airy. The original cheese and creamy taste of the dish will be added to the grated cheese added to the dough. It is also good to add crushed garlic and finely chopped greens in such a batter.

In most cases, fresh vegetable is used in cosmetology as a more biologically active, concentrated in composition.

To get rid of oily shine, for example, gruel from broccoli inflorescences will help. They can be finely chopped with a knife, but it is better to punch with a blender. It will take 1-2 teaspoons of puree and the same amount of green or black clay diluted with water to a slurry. Ingredients should be mixed and applied to cleansed face for 20 minutes. Wash off the mask with warm water, and then wash cool.

In the fight against dryness and tightness of the skin, instead of clay you should use fat sour cream. The procedure time is at least 20-30 minutes.

In its action, it resembles silicone, which closes the hair scales, moisturizes the hair, gives them shine. Unlike many store products of the same effect, broccoli juice does not form a film on the hair and does not make them heavier.

To prepare the healing drug, it is enough to squeeze the juice from fresh cabbage and apply it first on the scalp, rubbing it a little into the skin, and then spread it over the entire length. The procedure is carried out on clean, washed hair, leaving the juice on the head for half an hour. You can additionally warm the head with a towel or a scarf.

As already mentioned, broccoli cabbage has a small calorie content and the ability to activate metabolic processes, clean the intestines. Regular use of it in combination with physical activity will allow you to get rid of fat deposits and build muscle.

For weight loss, it is enough to follow the rules of healthy eating, inscribing in your norm CBDI at least 150-200 g of broccoli prepared in a “healthy” way - boiled, baked.

There are also monodietals based on broccoli, which will help to lose weight significantly in a short time. They usually give a good weight loss, but because of their aggressiveness should not be used longer than 5-7 days and no more than once every 3-5 months.

In addition to broccoli, the use of carrots, cucumbers, sweet peppers is allowed during this period. Complex carbohydrates are represented by lean veal, breast, low-fat varieties of white fish. The quality of drinks - kefir, herbal decoctions, water.

Such mono-diets can have several schemes and be based on those or other approaches for weight loss.They are not recommended in the presence of serious chronic diseases, during illness, in the recovery period, for pregnant and lactating women, adolescents, the elderly.

For the benefits and dangers of broccoli, see the next video.