Ho Ho Heart Health

Broccoli benefits

It’s the time of year that many of us bring Christmas trees into our homes – but what about bringing one to your plate? Okay – not exactly a tree, but broccoli sure looks like one and there are a lot of reasons to bring it into the vegetable rotation!

For starters broccoli is a superfood. It’s been reported to have a range of benefits including reducing damage from diabetes, helping to kill breast cancer stem cells, supporting lung health and now another study adds to the body of evidence that cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli, may have additional heart-protective benefits!

This study looked at the diets of nearly 700 participants to see how their diet stacked up against blood vessel disease. Overall, they found that participants that ate vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and cabbage had a lower chance of having build-up of fatty calcium deposits on their aorta, limiting blood flow to other parts of the body thereby increasing risk for heart attack and stroke. This study gives us a better picture as to why these vegetables reduce risk of having a heart attack or stroke.

Participants that reaped these benefits only consumed 45g cruciferous veg a day, which is really only a ¼ cup steamed broccoli, or ½ cup raw cabbage. A quantity that is certainly achieveable by anyone. We suggest adding these to your day with our Slow Roasted Herbed Whole Cauliflower, Warm Brussels Sprouts and Spinach or just open a bag of our Sweet Kale Salad! The American Heart Association recommends eating a variety of fresh, frozen and canned vegetables—free from added salt and sugar—in addition to eating the right number of calories for age and physical activity level.

One medium stalk of broccoli is an excellent source of Vitamins A and C and Folate, all for just 40 calories! Bonus: It’s easy to prepare; you can steam, roast, or even just microwave florets with a damp paper towel over the top for a perfectly cooked side dish.

Published December 2020