Mom was Right: Broccoli Loaded with Essential Vitamins and Minerals

Hard to imagine anyone with childhood memories not remembering how your mother would beseech you to eat your broccoli. Well, it turns out Mom was right. Broccoli is a vegetable chock full of vitamins and minerals which have been found to aid in preventing certain types of cancers by blocking hormones that stimulate  growth of tumors.

Broccoli is an Italian word derived from brachium, the Latin word for arm. Broccoli originated in the mid-eastern part of Mediterranean, most likely Italy. It dates back to the Roman Empire and was described by Pliny in the 1^st century A.D. Eventually Broccoli spread from Italy to Northern Europe, arriving in England in the 18^th century. The English referred to broccoli as “sprout cauliflower” or “Italian asparagus”. Broccoli was introduced to North America by Italian settlers I the 17^th Century.

Whether fresh, steamed or frozen, broccoli maintains much of its nutritious value making it one of the healthiest foods to keep in your weekly diet. Broccoli’s healthy bounty of vitamins and minerals include:

•     Excellent source of vitamin C;
•         Good source of beta carotene and folate;
•         Significant amounts of protein, calcium, iron and potassium;
•        Rich source of glucosinolates, an effective natural cancer fighter for cancers of the colon, breast, cervix, lungs, prostate, esophogas, larynx, and bladder.

In addition, broccoli is low in calories and high in fiber. The only drawback of eating too much broccoli unfortunately may be occasional flatulence.