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BROCCOLI FACTS

(Keywords: broccoli facts, broccoli nutrition facts, bernard preston, how to steam broccoli, how to cook broccoli, cooking broccoli, broccoli soup recipes )

Briefly, a few ordinary facts, since I expect you already know many things about broccoli. It belongs to the cabbage family, and is called a "Brassica". The cauliflower is a first cousin, but because broccoli is rich in dark cancer-preventing pigments, and in my opinion tastes better, it's my first choice from this family.

It's other major virtue is that it can be grown in cold and moderate climates, and it continues to bear for months and months. Having reaped the main head, don't pull the plant - it will continue to produce florets that can be plucked for months. Reap them before they flower. Just two or three plants will keep the average family in broccoli soup for months.

Notice the florets still being produced on this plant... the young leaves are delicious too.

ANTI CANCER Broccoli Facts

Glucoraphanin

I really don't know why we humans blithely assume that cancer is a disease that only other people get. Cancer is common, and the end is usually miserable. It behooves each and every one of us to take whatever steps we can to avoid it - or suffer.

Broccoli is the richest known source of a compound called Glucoraphanin that is converted in the body into a powerful anti-cancer compound called Sulforaphane.

PROSTATE CANCER and Broccoli Facts

In the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (2007, volume 99) researchers evaluated 1338 men with prostate cancer, and found a strong inverse correlation between the aggressive prostate cancers and the cabbage family foods, particularly broccoli.

Other research states that men low in Selenium (a powerful antioxidant) are 5x more likely to get prostate cancer. It comes as no surprise that broccoli is particularly rich in Selenium (1.6mg /100g).

SKIN CANCER and Broccoli Facts

New research confirms that white mice exposed to UV-light, a known skin carcinogen, were 25% less likely to get skin cancer if they were fed a broccoli extract.

STOMACH CANCER and Broccoli Facts

A bug found in the stomach, Helicobacter pylori, has been shown to dramatically increase the risk of stomach cancer.

Research done at Johns Hopkins University found that Glucophanin had a potent double action in preventing stomach cancer.

Firstly, "sulforaphane in certain varieties of broccoli and broccoli sprouts is a potent bacteriostatic agent against Helicobacter pylori, irrespective of its resistance to conventional antibiotics." (ie. Even if the bug has grown resistant to antibiotics, sulforaphane will still nuke them.)

Secondly, they found that "sulforaphane induced detoxication and antioxidant enzymes that blocked gastric tumor formation."

The drug industry is of course busily making extracts that they can sell to you at great profit. Perhaps eat more delicious broccoli...??? Cheaper, nicer, and almost certainly more beneficial.

It's not unreasonable, though it remains unproven, that the anti-carcinogenic properties shown above apply to all cancers, by stopping the unbridled proliferation of cells that characterises malignant tumours.

BROCCOLI NUTRITION FACTS

	100g raw BROCCOLI
Kcal	34
Protein	2.8
Carbohydrate	6,4
Fibre	2,6
Calcium	47
Magnesium	21
Potassium	316
Zinc	0,41
Selenium	2.5
Vit C	89
Folate	63
Vit B6	0,1
Vit B12	0
Vitamin A	623 IU
Vit E	0,78
Niacin	0,6
Vit K	102
MUFAs	insignif
PUFAs	insignif

Conclusions

This may be well just be a boring, insignificant list of numbers to you, but what is interesting from these broccoli facts is that raw broccoli is

low in carbohydrate and calories,

very high in anti-oxidants like zinc and selenium,

has more vitamin C than orange juice and,

should you have a problem with easy bruising, broccoli is resonably high in vitamin K. Parsley is the Vitamin K queen! Not just a garnish.

Broccoli is high in vitamin B6 and Folate, two of the B vitamins that have been linked to lower levels of heart attack and stroke, and a particularly nasty condition called Spina Bifida.

Comparing these figures with those for cooked broccoli show that some of these nutrients are leached away in the water used to cook your broccoli. Save this water, for a gravy, or soup.

For a comparison of these vitamins and minerals in other salads look at the Parsley benefits page. PARSLEY BENEFITS ... what are they?

Win-win

We meat lovers often have too much of an amino acid called Homocycteine in the blood, and vegetarians often have too little of another amino acid called Methionine.

The significance? Homocysteine has been strongly linked to heart disease and stroke. A Methionine deficiency is very serious because it's an "essential" amino acid. You can't build a healthy body without it. The disease is called Kwashiorkor.

"Plasma homocysteine levels are strongly influenced by diet, as well as by genetic factors. The dietary components with the greatest effects are folic acid and vitamins B6 and B12. Folic acid and other B vitamins help break down homocysteine in the body. Several studies have found that higher blood levels of B vitamins are related, at least partly, to lower concentrations of homocysteine. Other recent evidence shows that low blood levels of folic acid are linked with a higher risk of fatal coronary heart disease and stroke."

The American Heart Association.

Conversion of HOMOCYSTEINE to METHIONINE

Win-win? The B vitamins Folate, B6 and B12 are vital for conversion of Homocysteine to Methionine in the body. Eat more rabbit food!

HOW TO STEAM BROCCOLI

Nothing could be easier than how to steam broccoli. Even a hacker like me can do it! There are only three significant facts.

Use the stalk too, slicing it thinly and cooking it first for five minutes before adding the broccoli florets.

Steam it for less than ten minutes, or you'll lose some of the cancer-prevention properties.

Use an absolute minimum of water, steam on high heat, and save the water for a soup or gravy.

BROCCOLI SOUP RECIPES

Ingredients: How to cook broccoli. A piece of cake!

1 broccoli head, including the stalk. Or 3-4 cups of florets.
1 onion.
2-3 potatoes. Perhaps a carrot.
3-5 cloves of garlic.
A few slithers of hot chili, some like it hot!
Chicken bones stock. CHICKEN BONES bouillon, easy to make at home.

PREPARATION of Broccoli Soup Recipes

Start about an hour ahead of time with your chicken bones bouillon.
In a separate pot, lightly saute the chopped onion in a TBSP of butter.
Meanwhile, thinly slice the broccoli stalk, and add to the onion.
Peel, crudely dice (since you are going to liquidise it) and add to the onion and broccoli-stalk mix that is sauteing.
Add any other veg that you choose, and the slithers of chilli, salt and pepper to taste.
Strain the chicken bones bouillon directly into your pot of onion, broccoli stalks and potatoes.
Boil for about 15 mins.
When the potatoes are nearly done, added the chopped broccoli, and bring rapidly to the boil for NO MORE THAN TEN MINUTES.
Liquidise.

NOTES on Cooking Broccoli

Cooking broccoli for more than ten minutes has been shown to reduce the Glucoraphanin content.

If you are on a low-carb diet, as recommended in our free weight loss programs, simply add less potato.

Interesting research shows that, even though you are eating exactly the same food, the same number of calories, if you liquidise your food you will put on less weight.

The young broccoli florets that you can pick continously for months after the head has been reaped are even richer in Glucoraphanin that the broccoli head.

The stalk is perfectly edible.

If you're eating this kind of food on a daily basis, your cholesterol will be "dangerously low". Add a dollop of cream! Now you've got Broccoli Cream soup. And perhaps some chives.

Broccoli soup is just the easiest and quickest for the busy cook who wants Slow Food Made Fast.

FREE WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAMS ...

More recipes for broccoli...

BROCCOLI AND SALMON SOUP

Broccoli has a neglible amount of fat, and salmon of course (along with the olive and the avocado) has the very healthy essential fatty acids that healthy nerves demand. So together they make a great dish. We had it last night! So easy to make, so delic... WAYS TO COOK SALMON, Broccoli and Salmon soup recipe.

WHY BROCCOLI FACTS @ BERNARD-PRESTON.COM?

Having two patients right now who are ailing seriously, one with double breast cancer (why, oh why did her doctor prescribe hormones in menopause when the risks are so high...?) and another with prostate cancer helps focus the mind that adjusting spines is not the only important part of a chiropractor's life.

Tomatoes and Omega-3 are also potent prostate cancer preventers by the way. And research in Holland, which has the highest breast cancer in the world, one in eight women, suggests that a high animal protein diet is the cause... eat more Tofu nutrition and Hummus, more fish and less read meat.

TOMATO PROSTATE ...

TOFU NUTRITION ...

HUMMUS - Chickpea Garbanzo bean dip ...

FISH SOUP ...

USEFUL LINKS at Broccoli Facts

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