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Broccoli

Brassica oleracea var. italica

Also known as Calabrese, Sprouting broccoli

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The immature flower heads and stalks of a cultivated Brassica oleracea. It is the most-studied source of glucoraphanin, the precursor of sulforaphane.

Heart HealthCellular HealthInflammation

Potential health benefits

Best supported: Limited

Ordered by how well the human research supports them — strongest first. A rating describes the state of the evidence, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Blood lipid profile

Heart Health
Limited evidence

Evidence is limited for an effect on blood lipids. A handful of trials of broccoli sprout powder report small reductions in LDL cholesterol, but the trials are short and the findings have not been firmly repeated.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

4 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

DNA and cellular integrity

Cellular Health
Limited evidence

Sulforaphane activates the phase II enzyme system, and a few human studies report faster clearance of airborne pollutants and changes in DNA damage markers. This is early biomarker work, a long way from any statement about disease.

What may be going on: Sulforaphane activates the NRF2 pathway, which increases production of phase II conjugating enzymes that help excrete reactive compounds.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

3 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Inflammatory markers

Inflammation
Limited evidence

Some trials of broccoli or broccoli sprout preparations report lower C-reactive protein or related markers. Trials are small, doses vary enormously between food and extract, and results are not consistent.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

3 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Ask about Broccoli

Ask about Broccoli

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

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Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories34 kcal2%
Protein2.82 g6%
Total fat0.37 g0%
Carbohydrate6.64 g2%
Fibre2.6 g9%
Total sugars1.7 g—
Water89.3 g—
Fats
Saturated fat0.114 g1%
Monounsaturated fat0.031 g—
Polyunsaturated fat0.112 g—
Cholesterol0 mg0%
EPA (omega-3)0 g—
DHA (omega-3)0 g—
DPA (omega-3)0 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.049 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A31 µg3%
Vitamin C89.2 mg99%
Vitamin D0 µg0%
Vitamin E0.78 mg5%
Vitamin K102 µg85%
Thiamin (B1)0.071 mg6%
Riboflavin (B2)0.117 mg9%
Niacin (B3)0.639 mg4%
Pantothenic acid (B5)0.573 mg11%
Vitamin B60.175 mg10%
Folate63 µg16%
Vitamin B120 µg0%
Choline18.7 mg3%
Minerals
Calcium47 mg4%
Iron0.73 mg4%
Magnesium21 mg5%
Phosphorus66 mg5%
Potassium316 mg7%
Sodium33 mg1%
Zinc0.41 mg4%
Copper0.049 mg5%
Manganese0.21 mg9%
Selenium2.5 µg5%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene361 µg—
Alpha-carotene25 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin1403 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash0.87 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Broccoli, raw (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 170379).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

  • crushedIncreases sulforaphane yield

    Chopping broccoli and leaving it to stand for around forty minutes before cooking lets myrosinase convert glucoraphanin into sulforaphane while the enzyme is still active. Cooking immediately after chopping produces much less.

  • boiledReduces glucosinolates and myrosinase

    Boiling destroys myrosinase within a couple of minutes and leaches glucosinolates into the water. Broccoli boiled from raw yields very little sulforaphane.

  • steamedPreserves glucosinolates and vitamin C

    Light steaming for a few minutes retains most glucosinolates and much of the vitamin C, and is the cooking method most consistently associated with the highest isothiocyanate yield.

  • with foodIncreases isothiocyanate yield from cooked broccoli

    Adding a raw source of myrosinase such as mustard powder, horseradish or a few raw broccoli sprouts to already-cooked broccoli restores much of the conversion the heat destroyed.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Interaction

    Vitamin K and warfarin

    Broccoli carries a meaningful amount of vitamin K1. As with other greens, consistency matters for anyone on warfarin, and a large change in intake should be mentioned to the anticoagulation clinic.

  • Worth knowing

    Goitrogens with iodine deficiency

    Thiocyanates from raw cruciferous vegetables compete with iodine for thyroid uptake. Ordinary intakes are not a concern for people with adequate iodine, but very high raw intakes combined with iodine deficiency have been linked to thyroid enlargement.

  • Too much

    Fermentable fibre and wind

    Broccoli contains raffinose and fructans that pass undigested to the colon. Bloating and wind after a sharp increase in intake are common and usually settle as intake stabilises.