Heart Health
Broccoli also contains plenty of heart-healthy benefits. Broccoli’s sulforaphane also contains anti-inflammatory properties, which can help prevent and reverse blood vessel damage from inflammatory chronic blood sugar issues. Broccoli is loaded with other heart-healthy nutrients, such as omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, potassium, folate, fiber, and vitamins B3, B6, and E. The soluble fiber in broccoli even helps reduce cholesterol levels in your body.
Eradication of Harmful H. Pylori Bacteria
What are broccoli’s other health benefits? The sulforaphane in broccoli and broccoli sprouts may help eradicate the bacterium Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), which is responsible for many stomach ulcers and stomach cancer risk. In a study published in the journal Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy in 2003, researchers found that sulforaphane eliminated H. pylori in eight of 11 infected mice. In another study published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research in 2009, researchers observed 48 H. pylori-infected patients for a two-month period. They were assigned randomly to eat 70 g daily of the sulforaphane-heavy broccoli sprouts or a placebo (alfalfa sprouts, which do not contain sulforaphane). The broccoli sprouts decreased biomarkers of H. pylori colonization, including H. pylori stool antigen and levels of urease. The broccoli sprouts also reduced biomarkers of stomach damage, including serum pepsinogens I and II.
Eye Health
