Gotta Have It – Broccoli

People seem to be very opinionated on the taste of broccoli. They either love it or hate it. There doesn’t seem to be an in between on this delicious veggie. If you’re not a fan, perhaps reading the nutritional data on this healthy food will convince you to give it another try. I’ve included a couple links to recipes to spice it up as well.

Broccoli was developed in Italy and is well established as one of the major anti-cancer foods. Over the past 20 years numerous studies have concluded again and again that people who eat an abundance of broccoli have fewer cancers of the colon, breast, cervix, lungs, espophagus, prostate, larynx and bladder. Broccoli contains indoles, which can help inactivate harmful estrogens that can promote the growth of tumors, sulforaphone, which stimulates cells to produce cancer fighting enzymes, and beta-carotine, another cancer fighter.

Broccoli contains some 3% of protein and is one of the richest vegetable sources of calcium, iron and magnesium. Moreover, broccoli is very rich in vitamin A and C, exceeding even oranges in the concentration of the latter.

Broccoli is best eaten raw or steamed. Below are some suggested recipes for this essential vegetable.