Broccoli, a member of the cabbage family, is more often consumed raw or cooked than juiced. Think of how it is presented in movies, recipes, and pictures. It’s not a common picture to see it juiced. Compare it with oranges, for example, which you immediately imagine juiced. However, juicing can preserve the nutrients in broccoli and all their advantages. The taste of pure broccoli juice, however, can be very strong and not suitable for everybody. Try combining it with some sweeter foods like apples, oranges or carrots. You can even try adding some spinach.
We all know that broccoli is very good for our health. Its health benefits range from cancer-fighting properties to preventing heart diseases. But what exactly makes it so good for us and which are its most beneficial properties?
Red blood cell production
Red blood cells and myoglobin, and hemoglobin proteins are responsible for carrying the oxygen and transport it throughout the body. Broccoli has a high concentration of iron which is proven to help in the production of red blood cells and the above-mentioned proteins. A cup of broccoli juice can supply you with up to 17% of the recommended daily iron consumption.
Heart and Vision
It is proven that fresh broccoli is beneficial for your heart and eyes. Those who consume broccoli on a daily basis have a lower risk of heart problems like heart disease or high blood pressure. Additionally, the zeaxanthin and lutein, carotenoids, contained in broccoli, protect the eyes from infections, excessive sunlight and environment pollutants. They also reduce the risk of lung cancer and improve night vision.
Cells Protection
Being rich in manganese, broccoli helps you to gather your daily dose of the nutrient. Manganese activates antioxidant enzymes which protect your cells from the toxins released from by-products from your metabolism. A 2-ounce broccoli juice contains enough manganese to supply 12% of daily consumption for men or 16% for women. The nutrient also helps with bone development, processing carbohydrates, and proteins.
Bone and Teeth
For those of you who are lactose-intolerant and cannot consume milk or cheese, broccoli can be a supplement for them. Actually, it contains way more calcium than you can find in them. Therefor, broccoli’s calcium keeps your bones and teeth healthy and prevents diseases like arthritis or osteoporosis.
Stomach Disorders
Since broccoli is rich in sulforaphane, juicing it on a daily basis will help your body to get rid of the Helicobacter pylori which are the most common reason for peptic ulcers. The sulforaphane also helps your body to deal with stomach disorders like gastritis, esophagitis, and acid indigestion.
The great thing about broccoli is that you cannot consume too much from it since it is very low in calories. It is a perfect addition to your diet if you are concerned about your weight. Many people do a broccoli cleanse, most often for a couple of days, to clear the toxins from cigarettes, meat, caffeine, alcohol, and processed foods. But we will leave this one for another blog post.
Juicing Tips
Be careful when buying broccoli. Always choose those with dark green color, and firm stalks and stems. Wash it right before juicing and store it dry in your refrigerator.
Even the best centrifugal juicers don’t perform very well with broccoli. Make yourself a favor and get the best masticating juicer. It produces up to 2-3 times more juice and in long-term, you will get your investment back. Since the pure broccoli juice can be quite strong, mix it with carrot, orange or apple juice to make it more palatable.
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