Broccoli is a variety of cabbage native to southern Italy. It was selected by the Romans from wild cabbage. They liked it a lot and Italian cuisine uses it a lot. It was introduced to France by Catherine de Medici.
Broccoli has a firm central stem branched into small clumps which, when in bloom, are dotted with tiny yellow flowers. It is picked before the yellow flowers bloom.
The word "broccoli" is derived from the Latin bracchium meaning "branch", in reference to the shape of the vegetable which makes one think of miniature trees. Usually dark green to sage green, broccoli can also be white or purple (purplish).
Broccoli has a firm central stem branched into small clumps which, when in bloom, are dotted with tiny yellow flowers. It is picked before the yellow flowers bloom.
The word "broccoli" is derived from the Latin bracchium meaning "branch", in reference to the shape of the vegetable which makes one think of miniature trees. Usually dark green to sage green, broccoli can also be white or purple (purplish).
Varieties
There are two groups of cultivated broccoli varieties [ref. necessary] :
annual broccoli cabbage;
broccoli jets.
The edible part [What?], A more or less compact "apple", is green, white, yellow or purple depending on the case.
At high magnification and when making a cut, you can observe the broccoli flowers which, depending on their position in the inflorescence, are in buds or sometimes practically hatched. It is the color of the petals that gives the mature broccoli apple its sometimes yellow and sometimes a beautiful blue color.
Medical benefits
Broccoli is in traditional Chinese medicine, considered as a neutral food (平和 质), that is to say, neither yin nor yang, so it would not risk unbalancing these aspects.
According to a Japanese study, regular consumption of broccoli would reduce the frequency of Helicobacter pylori infections.
CancerAs various studies have shown, broccoli, like the majority of brassicaceae (Brassicaceae) formerly called cruciferous, helps fight cancer.
Studies published on the US National Library of Medicine have shown that regular consumption of broccoli (as well as other vegetables from the cruciferous family such as cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts) could prevent certain cancers: cancers lung, ovary, prostate, kidney, and others. Consumed several times a week, broccoli can reduce the risk of colorectal, stomach, lung, prostate and breast cancer, even in premenopausal women.
This vegetable could even be beneficial to people already suffering from cancer, by increasing their chance of survival, as well as a study on the evolution of bladder cancer and another on the evolution of breast cancer, depending consumption of broccoli and other brassicaceae, allowed us to hypothesize.
Cardiovascular illnesses
A daily consumption of cruciferous would be associated with a reduction of homocysteine in the blood, which could reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. In postmenopausal women, consumption of broccoli is associated with a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease even in women already diagnosed with the disease. The consumption of 5 or more servings of broccoli per week in women considerably reduces the risk of death from cardiovascular disease compared to low consumption (75 g cooked or 125 ml of raw week).