Broccoli is an annual or biennial vegetable belonging to the cabbage family. The word “broccoli” comes from the Italian plural of broccoli, which means “the flowering crest of a cabbage”, and is the diminutive form of broccoli, meaning “small nail” or “sprout.”
Broccoli has been around for more than 2000 years.
Broccoli is known as the “Crown of Jewel Nutrition” because it is rich in vitamins and minerals.
The Heaviest broccoli was grown by John and Mary Evans of Palmer, Alaska, USA in 1993 weighed 15.87 kg (35 lb.)
The head of the broccoli is made up of tiny flower buds. If you do not harvest it on time, the head will be full of yellow flowers. Even when harvested, broccoli's need to be kept in a cool temperature to prevent the buds from flowering, which will make the vegetable taste bitter.
Eating broccoli raw is one of the best ways to maximize its nutrition potential. Since cooking destroys some of the valuable nutrients found in broccoli, keep cooking time as short as possible.
Broccoli is the best nutritional food for pregnant women due to folic acid and vitamin C which are helpful in cellular division which causes natural growth of fetus.
The health benefits of broccoli include its ability to prevent cancer, improve digestion, lower cholesterol levels, detoxify the body, and maximize vitamin and mineral uptake. It also prevents allergic reactions, boosts the immune system, protects the skin, prevents birth defects, lowers blood pressure, eliminates inflammation, and improves vision and ocular health. It also contains high amount of calcium compared to other vegetables which is helpful to build bone mass.