Discover the Health Benefits of Broccoli

By Brad Booysen

Did your mum tell you to eat your broccoli when you were young? Chances are you were more focused on eating sweets and only ate your broccoli so she'd let you have some dessert. These days you're all the wiser because you understand the health benefits of this green, crunchy vegetable.

But there's one fact about broccoli and other members of the cruciferous vegetable family that you may not be aware of. These ultra-healthy veggies contain natural compounds that could help you shed body fat and improve your health overall.

It makes sense that eating cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and kale would help with weight loss since they're low-calorie foods. After all, if you fill up on low-calorie vegetables, you'll have less room for a high-calorie bowl of mashed potatoes with butter and sour cream. But scientists from Taiwan think this group of veggies has weight loss benefits that go beyond simply being low in calories - and that's good news if you're watching your waistline.

Why cruciferous vegetables help weight loss

What are these natural compounds that make cruciferous vegetables like broccoli such good weight loss foods? Cruciferous vegetables are a good source of a unique chemical called indole-3-carbinol. Researchers from Taiwan discovered when they gave mice genetically bred to be obese a diet rich in indole-3-carbinol, it lowered their body weight and reduced their blood sugar and insulin levels. As an added bonus, it reduced inflammation in these mice.

Why is this important? Obesity is a disease marked by inflammation. Research shows that inflammation plays a role in obesity, and obese people produce higher levels of inflammatory markers. These rogue inflammatory markers not only boost the amount of fat they carry on their tummies but increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. So, it's not surprising that indole-3-carbinol could lower body weight by reducing inflammation. Reducing inflammation by eating cruciferous vegetables would have the added benefit of reducing the risk of chronic diseases linked with inflammation such as heart disease.

Other benefits of eating cruciferous vegetables

The indole-3-carbinol that comes from eating cruciferous vegetables also has positive effects on the breakdown of estrogen by converting estrogen from a more potent form that increases the risk of breast cancer to a less potent one. This may explain why cruciferous vegetables are protective against breast cancer. Other studies suggest that indole-3-carbinol may protect against other types of cancer as well.

Eating broccoli and weight loss: why it works

At only 27 calories per half-cup, you can't go wrong eating broccoli if you're trying to lose weight. Other cruciferous vegetables that contain indole-3-carbinol include cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale and collard greens. All of these veggies are low in calories, rich in antioxidants and have lots of heart-healthy fiber. The key to maximizing their weight-loss benefits is not to cook them in butter or heavy sauces. Lightly sautee them in olive oil - or lightly steam and season them with spices for a low-calorie side-dish.

Improve your health and waistline by eating more broccoli

Whether indole-3-carbinol causes weight loss in humans by reducing inflammation as it does in mice is a topic for further research, but there's little doubt that eating cruciferous vegetables is part of a healthy weight loss plan. Eat them in place of starchier foods such as potatoes and white rice and you'll take in fewer calories. Plus, you'll keep your insulin levels more stable - all favorable when it comes to weight loss.

It's possible that these green, crunchy vegetables have benefits that go beyond being low in calories when it comes to warding off obesity. But don't forget about other cruciferous veggies such as cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, collard greens, arugula, watercress, bok choy and radishes. So, now there's even more reason to get your "five-a-day". Do it for your health, your well-being and your waistline.

Successful Workplace health and employee health programs can help your company reduce its business costs and improve team morale.

Brad Booysen is the founder and director of Triscope, a successful New Zealand based corporate wellness company. Triscope offers a range of cost effective yet easily administered wellness programs for companies who want to reduce their business costs and look after their most valuable asset..their people. For all your corporate wellness needs contact Brad Booysen of Triscope.

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