Composition, benefits and harms of broccoli cabbage

Broccoli is a green superfood, as it is called in the West. This nutritious cabbage is beneficial for the gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular system, has antioxidant and anticancer properties. Let's talk about a vegetable as a valuable dietary product, its chemical composition, benefits and main contraindications.

What is broccoli cabbage

The name "broccoli" has Italian roots, literally means "flowering stalk of cabbage." Translated from the Latin language, bracchium means "branch".

Reference. Broccoli was successfully grown by the ancient Romans in the 6-5th centuries. BC e. Europe learned about this vegetable only in the 16th century. In England, the plant gained recognition after 200 years, here it was called Italian asparagus. They began to actively cultivate culture in America, Spain, Russia in the 30s of the 20th century.

Broccoli is a vegetable plant, an annual, a variety of Cabbage of the huge Cruciferous family (Brassicaceae, or Cabbage). In scientific gradation, it is believed that broccoli is the genetic "progenitor" cauliflower.

What does broccoli look like?

The dense stem extends up to 70–90 cm in height during the season. It is thick and powerful, forms a large number of strong succulent branches, peduncles.

At the top of the peduncles, small bright green buds are formed in groups. At the very beginning of formation, they gather in a loose head, and then bloom. Small yellowish flowers. The biological features of broccoli cabbage are visible in the photo.

Dark emerald inflorescences are tightly pressed against each other, have a special taste and aroma of vegetable freshness. The stump is also used for food.

Attention! Cut off the inflorescences until flowering. Blooming bright yellow broccoli is unfit for food.

An important condition of agricultural technology is a sufficient amount of moisture and sun. The optimum air temperature is up to + 20… + 23 ° C.

Under favorable conditions, the head grows in diameter up to 15-17 cm, depending on the hybrid or subspecies. When the central head is cut, new ones are formed from the lateral buds. Cabbage generously shares the harvest throughout the season (3-4 months in a row).

Health benefits and harms of broccoli

The benefits of broccoli have been proven by many studies in world medicine. Fresh green buds and stems resist:

• the development of atherosclerosis, the formation of cholesterol plaques;
• chronic inflammation that damages the walls of blood vessels;
• pathologies of the stomach and duodenum;
• inflammatory processes in the body (pain in the joints and spine, bleeding gums).

Healing properties

All bred broccoli varieties contain many nutrients. Sulforaphane, derived from glucoraphanin, protects the gastrointestinal mucosa from oxidative damage caused by the helical bacteria Helicobacter pylori. The substance has anti-inflammatory properties, its antitumor effect is being actively studied. Moreover, broccoli is ahead of Brussels sprouts and savoy cabbage by the amount of sulforaphane, seedlings are especially rich in them.

Vitamin K is involved in platelet aggregation, is responsible for hematopoiesis, blood clotting, healing and integrity of the skin and mucous membranes.

Interesting! 100 g of broccoli contains 85% of the daily value of vitamin K, color - 13%, white - 63%, Brussels - 208%.

Dietary fiber removes toxins and excess fluid, relieves constipation.

Vitamin C - a source of strength and energy, a natural antioxidant - supports the protective functions of the body, resists inflammation and infections.100 g of broccoli contains 99% of the daily value of ascorbic acid.

Diet rich in glucoraphanin broccoli (young plants and seedlings), reduces the amount of LDL in blood plasma by 5-7% versus 2-3% in standard adult cabbage. It is low density lipoproteins that are associated with the development of atherosclerosis.

Xanthophyll carotenoids (lutein and zeaxanthin) support the health of the organs of vision, resist cataracts, destruction of the retina, and maintain visual acuity.

Contraindications

The product has no direct contraindications, no adverse reactions were recorded with moderate consumption.

Due to its low calorie content, broccoli is included in the diet of people who are overweight, obese, with problems with the heart, blood vessels, high blood pressure.

Reference. Fasting days with vegetables are practiced, the main side dish is replaced with broccoli stew, it is boiled or baked.

The main rule is not to exceed the daily rate: up to 200 g of the finished product for an adult.

With caution and under the supervision of a doctor, it is allowed to include cabbage in the diet in a steam or blanched form for chronic pathologies:

• bowel diseases;
• pancreatitis;
• increased acidity of the stomach;
• signs of individual intolerance to a vegetable;
• seasonal or food allergies.

It is recommended to use cabbage in food for medicinal purposes only raw. It is allowed to blanch or steam it. With prolonged heat treatment, a significant part of the nutrients is lost.

For children, the elderly and people with pathologies of the digestive tract, nutritionists advise pouring hot water for 20-30 minutes before using the inflorescence. Without heat treatment, cabbage will become softer, color brighter, taste better.

Choosing the right broccoli is important:

• stems of uniform dark green color;
• young cabbage, not overripe;
• odorless of rot, mold, and dark or yellowish fragments;
• inflorescences are dense.

Terms storage:

• fresh inflorescences are placed in water for 12 hours;
• frozen, disassembled into parts, washed and dried, packaged in containers or cellophane bags in portions.

It is forbidden to defrost the vegetable several times - beneficial features it is not saved.

Nutritional value and composition of broccoli

The calorie content and chemical composition of broccoli varies:

• insignificantly, within 5-10 units, depending on varieties, growing conditions, climate, soil fertility;
• by 20-50 units, depending on the method of preparation (adding butter, broth, marinade, butter or sour cream sauce);
• nutrients are significantly lost (by 50%) during long-term storage and transportation of fresh vegetables, repeated defrosting, improper freezing.

Calorie content

100 g of fresh cabbage contains 30–34 kcal. The nutritional value of the product is fully preserved during shock (immediate) freezing. Inflorescences and stems treated with boiling water lose nutrients by 4-5% without heat treatment.

When cooked or stewed, broccoli cooked in the microwave does not lose its taste, retains its density and bright saturated color. The calorie content of the finished product is slightly reduced to 25–27 calories per 100 g.

Pickled platter, marinated cabbage with added sugar, vinegar and spices increases the calorie content by 10 units.

The inflorescences fried in butter are high in calories, therefore they are not considered useful and dietary dish. It is better to season a salad or a boiled side dish with vegetable (corn or olive) oil.

BJU in broccoli

Fresh and frozen, the ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates per 100 g of product is 38.4%, 7.6%, 54%. From the daily allowance in grams - 3.29, 0.65, 4.6, respectively.

Stewed or baked inflorescences without salt practically do not change their properties. The ratio of BZHU (in grams) - 2.4, 0.42, 6.1.

Cooked without adding salt - 2.39 g of proteins, 0.41 g of fat, 3.89 g of carbohydrates. With a moderate addition of salt, the values ​​do not change.

In the marinade, per 100 g of the product there are 2.4 g of proteins, 0.42 g of fat and 3.9 g of carbohydrates.

Vitamins and other elements

The chemical composition of broccoli is varied. With a low calorie content, proteins and fiber predominate.

100 g of raw cabbage contains:

• more than 11.2% of dry matter;
• up to 3.8% sugar, depending on the variety and growing conditions;
• 0.4% starch;
• 7-13% fiber (indigestible coarse fiber);
• more than 4.5% protein.

100 g of fresh inflorescences contain:

• up to 90 mg of ascorbic acid;
• more than 1400 mcg of lutein and zeaxanthin;
• 0.07 mg thiamine (B1);
• 0.12 mg riboflavin (B2);
• 0.64 mg nicotinic acid (PP);
• 18.7 mg choline (B4);
• 0.57 mg of pantothenic acid (B5);
• 0.18 mg pyridoxine (B6);
• up to 66 mcg folate (B9);
• 0.78 mg alpha-tocopherol (E);
• 0.5 μg biotin (H);
• 102 μg phylloquinone (K);
• 9.1 mg vitamin U.

There are 17 micro and macro elements per 100 g of a vegetable:

• 316 mg potassium
• 47 mg calcium;
• up to 80 mg of silicon;
• 21-25 mg magnesium;
• 33 mg sodium;
• 140 mg sulfur;
• up to 68–70 mg of phosphorus;
• 575 mcg aluminum;
• 185 mcg boron;
• 0.73 mg iron;
• 15 mcg iodine;
• 0.22 mg manganese;
• 50–70 mcg copper;
• 9 mcg nickel;
• up to 3 mcg of selenium;
• up to 2 mcg chromium;
• up to 0.6 mg zinc.

The fresh aboveground part of broccoli contains useful (digestible) carbohydrates:

• 1.7 g of mono - and disaccharides;
• 0.5 g glucose;
• 0.68 g fructose.

The essential and nonessential amino acids contained in broccoli support the endocrine glands, ensure the normal functioning of the liver, regulate metabolic processes, provide energy, increase efficiency and endurance.

100 g of broccoli contains:

• 0.2 g arginine;
• up to 0.14 g of valine, lysine and leucine;
• 0.06 g histidine;
• 0.08 g isoleucine;
• up to 0.07 g of methionine and tryptophan;
• 0.09 g threonine;
• 0.1 g alanine;
• 0.33 g of aspartic acid;
• 0.09 g glycine;
• 0.54 g glutamic acid;
• up to 0.12 g of proline and serine;
• 0.05 g tyrosine;
• 0.03 g cystine;
• 0.17 g phenylalanine.

Broccoli contains saturated, mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids, participants in metabolic processes in the body:

• 0.01 g of stearic acid;
• 0.05 g palmitic;
• 0.03 g omega-9;
• 0.02 g omega-3;
• 0.02 g omega-6.

One medium head weighing 608 g contains 904% of the daily value of ascorbic acid, 772% of vitamin K, 96% of B9, 55% of potassium, 40% of phosphorus, about 30% of magnesium and calcium, 25% of iron.

Conclusion

Over the past decade, broccoli has grown in popularity dozens of times in India, Turkey, Italy, China, Spain, Israel and America. According to statistics, up to 45% of the total world harvest of this vegetable is harvested in these countries.

Vitamins and minerals in cabbage provide metabolism. Useful substances resist the formation of cholesterol plaques, protect the heart and blood vessels, prevent strokes and heart attacks. Broccoli protects the mucous membrane of the digestive tract from pathologies, is equally useful for both children and adults.