The Medicinal Herb Info site was created to help educate visitors about the often forgotten wisdom of the old ways of treating illnesses. Many of today's drugs and medicines were originally derived from natural ingredients, combinations of plants and other items found in nature.

We are not suggesting that you ignore the help of trained medical professionals, simply that you have additional options available for treating illnesses. Often the most effective treatment involves a responsible blend of both modern and traditional treatments.

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Broccoli

Scientific Names

  • Brassica oleracea
  • Brassicaceae family

Common Names

  • BrĂ³coli
  • Broccoli Flower
  • Calabrese Broccoli
  • Purple Sprouting Broccoli

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Parts Usually Used

The parts that grow above the ground

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Description of Plant(s) and Culture

broccoli plant

Broccoli has large flower heads, usually dark green in color, arranged in a tree-like structure branching out from a thick stalk which is usually light green. The mass of flower heads is surrounded by leaves. Broccoli resembles cauliflower, which is a different cultivar group of the same Brassica species.

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Where Found

Broccoli is cultivated as a vegetable worldwide.
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Medicinal Properties

Scientific research has shown support for broccoli having cancer fighting properites, bone health improvement abilities and anti-aging properties. It has also shown promise as a treatment for fibromyalgia, high blood pressure, asthma, allergic rhinitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), schizophrenia, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), type 2 diabetes, Crohn’s Disease, leaky gut and colitis. Borccoli is also known for its ability to improve digestion, natural detoxification, immune boosting, cholesterol-lowering and anti-inflammatory effects.
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Biochemical Information

Broccoli contains antioxidant phenolics, such as 5 and kaempferol 3-O-sophoroside, 1-sinapoyl-2-feruloylgentiobiose, 1,2-diferuloylgentiobiose, trisinapoylgentiobiose, and neochlorogenic acid.

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Legends, Myths and Stories

The word broccoli comes from the Italian plural of broccolo, which means “the flowering crest of a cabbage”, and is the diminutive form of brocco, meaning “small nail” or “sprout”.

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Uses

broccoliBroccoli is eaten as a vegetable and is used as an ingredient in a multitude of diets and cuisines.

Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli have shown cancer fighting properties against lung, colon, rectal, prostate, breast, bladder and stomach cancer. In fact, broccoli has been shown to kill the stem cells that make cancer immortal.

Adding broccoli to the diet has shown a link to a lower risk of bone fractures due to its vitamin K.

Eating more broccoli has shown the ability to help fight sun damage to the skin as well as a protection against polution.

The high fiber content of broccoli helps digestion, helps prevent constipation and is a natural detoxifier.

Broccoli has been shown to significantly lower risks of developing coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and certain gastrointestinal diseases.

A new study titledby the Buck Institute for Research on Aging in Novato, Californiashows that broccoli increased 10-fold the strength of a compound found in broccoli to develop a possible treatment for age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers say a compound derived from broccoli sprouts can help adjust the chemical imbalances in the brain that have been linked to schizophrenia. The vegetable’s high levels of the chemical sulforaphane could potentially be used as an alternative to antipsychotic drugs and their often painful or dangerous side effects.

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Formulas or Dosages

High cholesterol. Drinking a beverage containing broccoli, cabbage, and fruit twice daily for 12 weeks seems to reduce “bad” low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in people with high cholesterol.

Early research suggests that taking ascorbigen and broccoli powder by mouth might reduce pain and other symptoms in people with fibromyalgia.

A University of Illinois study suggests that combining broccoli with broccoli sprouts may make the vegetable’s anti-cancer effect almost twice as powerful.professional before using. Broccoli sprouts should be eaten raw. They are great on sandwiches, in wraps, or as a salad topping.
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Nutrient Content

Broccoli is a rich source of vitamin C and vitamin K, several B vitamins and manganese.

broccoli nutritional facts

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How Sold

Sold in grocery stores as a fresh or frozen vegetable
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Warning

People taking blood-thinners, such as Coumadin (warfarin), should use caution when deciding how much broccoli to include in their diet. Broccoli contains vitamin K, which plays a large role in blood clotting.

It is the total diet or overall eating pattern that is most important in disease prevention and achieving good health. The key to a healthful diet is to eat a variety of foods, rather than to concentrate on individual foods.

When applied to the skin, broccoli can cause an allergic rash in hypersensitive people.

People taking these medications that are changed by the liver should be careful not to overdo broccoli in their diet due to potential interactions: clozapine (Clozaril), cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril), fluvoxamine (Luvox), haloperidol (Haldol), imipramine (Tofranil), mexiletine (Mexitil), olanzapine (Zyprexa), pentazocine (Talwin), propranolol (Inderal), tacrine (Cognex), theophylline, zileuton (Zyflo), zolmitriptan (Zomig), nicotine, chlormethiazole (Heminevrin), coumarin, methoxyflurane (Penthrox), halothane (Fluothane), valproic acid (Depacon), disulfiram (Antabuse).

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Resource Links

Broccoli’s Cancer-Fighting Potential Revealed

Futurity: Broccoli Sprout Extract May Block Cancer’s Return

University of Pittsburgh: Broccoli Sprout Extract May Protect Against Oral Cancer Recurrence

Prevention of Carcinogen-Induced Oral Cancer by Sulforaphane

Futurity: Stuff in Broccoli Helps Drug Kill Colon Cancer

Broccoli ingredient has positive influence on drug efficacy

Sulforaphane Preconditioning Sensitizes Human Colon Cancer Cells towards the Bioreductive Anticancer Prodrug PR-104A

Futurity: Drug Made from Herbs May Fight Breast Cancer

University of Missouri: Natural Compound Found in Herbs, Vegetables Could Reduce Breast Cancer Risk in Some Women

Luteolin inhibits progestin-dependent angiogenesis, stem cell-like characteristics, and growth of human breast cancer xenografts

Futurity: Broccoli Sprout Extract May Prevent Mouth Cancer

Futurity: This Broccoli Compound May Treat Prostate Cancer

SUV39H1/H3K9me3 attenuates sulforaphane-induced apoptotic signaling in PC3 prostate cancer cells

Texas A&M University: Chemical Found in Broccoli May Offer a New Option for Treating Advanced Prostate Cancer

Futurity: How Selenium in Broccoli May Fight Melanoma

The Selenium Metabolite Methylselenol Regulates the Expression of Ligands That Trigger Immune Activation through the Lymphocyte Receptor NKG2D

University of Copenhagen: Selenium compounds boost immune system to fight against cancer

Broccoli Sprout Extract May Improve Autism Symptoms

Wikipedia: Broccoli

MedicalNewsToday: The many health benefits of broccoli

MedicineHealth: Broccoli

Antioxidant and Anticancer Activities of Broccoli By-Products from Different Cultivars and Maturity Stages at Harvest

Want a healthy gut? Eat more broccoli, study says

Sulforaphane reduces hepatic glucose production and improves glucose control in patients with type 2 diabetes

Dietary broccoli impacts microbial community structure and attenuates chemically induced colitis in mice in an Ah receptor dependent manner

How to Get More Cancer Protection From Your Broccoli

Eating Kale and Broccoli Can Help Prevent Colon Cancer, Study Claims

Health benefits and possible risks of broccoli – An overview

A Reason to Love Broccoli

Broccoli can deliver therapeutic benefits, study says

ClinicalTrials.gov: Broccoli In Osteoarthritis (BRIO)

National Cancer Institute: Cruciferous Vegetables and Cancer Prevention

Broccoli may help fight off schizophrenia: study

Broccoli sprout compound may restore brain chemistry imbalance linked to schizophrenia

Antioxidants and Fiber May Aid Blood Sugar Control

High-throughput sequencing in medicinal plant transcriptome studies

ScienceDirect: Brassicas

ScienceDirect:: Nutraceuticals in Cardiovascular Diseases

ScienceDirect: Dietary Influence on Pain via the Immune System

ScienceDirect: Upregulation of Quinone Reductase by Glucosinolate Hydrolysis Products From Dietary Broccoli

ScienceDirect: Breast Cancer

ScienceDirect: Fruit and Vegetable-Based Beverages—Nutritional Properties and Health Benefits

Potential health benefits of broccoli- a chemico-biological overview

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