Broccoli: properties, nutritional values, calories

The Broccoli belong to the Crocifere family, which includes, among others, watercress, horseradish, radish, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts. The word " broccoli " is the elongated and almost diminutive form of brocco (from the Latin low broccu-m that originally stood for " protruding tooth" and then for "rampollo", "bud" ); the term indicates the first one the thallus of turnip and of certain qualities of cabbage when they begin to bloom.

Broccoli properties

Broccoli is a vegetable rich in mineral salts such as, especially calcium, iron, phosphorus, and potassium . They also contain vitamin C (essential to prevent various diseases ranging from heart disease to osteoporosis), vitamin B1 and B2, dietary fiber (for which they are indicated in the case of constipation) and sulforaphane, a substance that prevents the growth of cancer cells, also prevents the process of cell division with consequent apoptosis (cell death) and performs a protective action against intestinal, lung and breast tumors. Broccoli combat water retention by helping the body to detoxify and eliminate waste. These are precious foods with extraordinary healing properties, including reducing the risk of cataracts and protecting them from stroke .

Some researchers from the University of California, headed by prof. M. Riedl, performed a study on healthy volunteers. Some of them were given broccoli extracts, others just placebos. From the clinical observations that have emerged, it has emerged that the active ingredients present in these vegetables also have the ability to mitigate the inflammation of the upper airways (pharynx, larynx, trachea and upper part of the bronchi). And it's all about the sulforano.

Calories and nutritional values of broccoli

100 g of broccoli contain 39 kcal / 163 kj .

Furthermore, for every 100 g of this product, we have:

Water 88, 30 g
Carbohydrates 4.5 g
Sugars 4, 5 g
Proteins 4.30 g
Fats 0.5 g
Cholesterol 0 g
Total fiber 3.3 g
Vitamin A 2µg
Vitamin C 33 mg

Broccoli, allies of

Respiratory system, immune system, circulatory system, intestine, lymphatic circulation, eyes, bones.

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Curiosity about broccoli

Given the high antioxidant power of broccoli, according to medical studies, adequate consumption helps to strengthen the immune system and fight Helicobacter pylori, a very resistant bacterium that colonizes the gastric mucosa generating causing gastritis and ulcers.
Broccoli is excellent cooked, but not too much. While a low temperature cooking contributes to the release of some protective substances, overheating them in a prolonged cooking will destroy others. For example, carotenoids such as beta-carotene resist heat, but indoles such as I3C (anticancer molecule) are thermolabile. The ideal is a light steaming.

A recipe up your sleeve

A rustic broccoli cake is a recipe that can come in handy on more than one occasion, to serve as an appetizer or to show off in an outdoor picnic. Ingredients for 6 people: 500 gr. more than sliced bread, 500 gr. of broccoli tops, 2 medium potatoes, 1 egg, 80 gr. of pitted black olives, anchovy paste, 120 gr. of fresh caciocavallo, 1 onion, milk, extra virgin olive oil, salt, red pepper. We begin the preparation: steam the broccoli, then pass them for a short time in a pan with thinly sliced onion and 3 tablespoons of oil.

Remove from heat and add 1 tablespoon of anchovy paste, broken olives, diced cheese, and season with salt and pepper. Take a baking sheet, cover it with parchment paper, and place the bread on it compactly. Brush the bread with a mixture obtained from the egg, 1 tablespoon of milk, salt, and bake in a preheated oven for 7 minutes at 200 °.

Cover the layer of bread with one of leveled broccoli, one with thinly sliced potatoes, another with broccoli, and the next one with bread. Continue cooking in the hot oven and when you notice that the surface is toasting, the rustic cake is ready to be brought to the table.