The Benefits of Broccoli Healthy Juicer Recipes
Broccoli is a member of a group of vegetables called crucifers or cruciferous vegetables. Crucifers are the most healthiest of vegetables and they include brussel sprouts, cauliflower, collard greens, cabbage and kale. The exceptional nutritional profile of broccoli has lead to this vegetable being coined as the ‘king of vegetables’ and not surprisingly! Broccoli is loaded with cancer fighting phytochemicals called indoles and sulforaphane. It is also a great source of vitamins C and K with just one cup providing twice the recommended daily allowance of both these nutrients. The health benefits of broccoli also include dietary fiber, beta-carotene, potassium and chlorophyll.
Chlorophyll is the plant pigment that puts the green color in plants, explaining why broccoli is a good source. Besides ‘painting’ plants green, chlorophyll also improves our red blood cell count. The chemical structure of chlorophyll is 99% similar to hemin – a component of our red blood cells. When chlorophyll is digested it is actually converted 100% to hemin by digestive enzymes and helps to build red blood cells!
The high vitamin C content of broccoli is a great benefit to the immune system. Vitamin C helps to create white blood cells which attack viruses that cause colds, flu and ear infections. Several research studies show that vitamin C in high doses of 500mg or more a day helps to reduce inflammation in the joints. This helped to reduce the pain experienced by arthritis sufferers, especially arthritis in the knees. This effect was considerably more pronounced when the vitamin C came from real food like broccoli rather than supplements. Broccoli healthy juicer recipes can deliver a super high dose of vitamin C.
The phytochemicals in broccoli called indoles and sulforaphane are especially powerful at protecting us from cancer. Indoles have been shown to make hormonal changes in the body which promote chemicals that help protect us from prostate and breast cancer. In addition to this indoles also inhibit the production of chemicals in the body that can cause tumor growth in the breasts and the prostate! Sulforaphane on the other hand, helps protect us from a variety of cancers by enhancing the detoxification abilities of the body. Sulforaphane stimulates the liver to increase its production of detoxifying enzymes that remove harmful carcinogens from the body.
One of the best ways to achieve the health benefits of broccoli is by making broccoli vegetable juicer recipes. Juicing extracts more of the chlorophyll, indoles and sulforaphane from the fibers of broccoli, making more of them available for digestion. Juicing 4 cups of broccoli heads with 2 apples is a great way to make broccoli juice a lot more palatable. Straight broccoli juice is not for the faint of heart!