The impressive nutritional profile of broccoli delivers a multitude of health benefits. Broccoli is an awesome source of vitamin C and vitamin K and a very good source of vitamin A. In addition to this broccoli provides an abundance of antioxidants that help protect us from developing cancer, arthritis, diabetes type II and heart disease.
Heart Health Benefits of Vitamin C
When it comes to vitamin C content, broccoli stands tall. 1 cup of broccoli delivers an impressive 200% of the recommended daily allowance of this vitamin. That is more than even a medium sized orange provides.
When it comes to nutrition, an adequate vitamin C intake is essential for the development and maintenance of healthy arteries. To build and repair healthy arteries the body needs to produce collagen, a sticky substance that provides elasticity and strength to the arteries. Without collagen, the body has to use a substitute – cholesterol! Clearly this is not a good thing and is a process that will develop into arteriosclerosis and heart disease. So where does vitamin C come into this? Well, even though collagen is made up of amino acids it needs vitamin C as a chemical co-factor in its production. So, no or even low vitamin C intake will develop into arteriosclerosis!
Vitamin C also provides our arteries with further benefits. As an antioxidant vitamin C is one of the most powerful for protecting LDL cholesterol cells from oxidation by free radicals. The damage inflicted upon LDL cholesterol by free radicals causes the cholesterol to harden and attach itself to the artery wall. As this process continues the damaged cholesterol cells will build up and form a plaque that hardens and narrows the arteries. This is the number one cause of arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure, heart attacks and stroke! I think its time to buy some broccoli!
There is also more heart healthy antioxidants in broccoli called indoles. Research conducted at the University of Hawaii found that indoles inhibited the secretion (by 56%) of a chemical by the liver that transports LDL ‘bad’ cholesterol to the tissues of the body. So eating indoles rich broccoli actually helps to lower our blood levels of LDL cholesterol and help protect us from the heart disease risk factor of high cholesterol levels. In addition to this, indoles were also found to lower blood levels of triglycerides, therefore decreasing another risk factor for heart disease!
Don’t Overcook Broccoli!
Boiling vitamin C for 10 minutes will kill off a considerable amount of its vitamin C and indoles content (and many other nutrients). The best way to ensure the broccoli your eating is still brimming with its healthy nutrition, we should steam it, blanch it, eat it raw or make it into broccoli vegetable juicer recipes.
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