Calories in Broccoli: 4 oz/100g = 33 calories
Personal note: I am blending one head of broccoli with three cups of juice/water (either fruit or vegetable) each day. I drink this "cold" as a beverage during the day. (10/06//10) Update: The apple and its seeds are a good source of B-17, as well as other nutrients. I have started blending up our own crab apples to put in this drink. It actually tastes good! One head broccoli, one cup ground up crab apples, two cups juice (I use one cup juice/one cup water due to my diabetes), and one teaspoon MCP Pectin. This make enough for one day. I drink three glasses a day.
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Excerpt from airc.org...
"No single food or food component can protect you against cancer by itself. But scientists believe that the combination of foods in a predominantly plant-based diet may. There is evidence that the minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals in plant foods could interact in ways that boost their individual anti-cancer effects. This concept of interaction, where 1 + 1 = 3, is called synergy".
"In addition, vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans are low in calorie-density and protect against weight gain. According to the second expert report, carrying excess body fat is implicated in the development of cancer. Eating a predominantly plant based diet can help prevent weight gain and protect against those cancers whose risk is convincingly increased by higher body fat (cancers of the colorectum, esophagus, endometrium, pancreas, kidney and breast in postmenopausal women)."
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(10/20/10)
Found another site, while it is a long article, the information is worth it! Go to it and break up the reading like I do.
The World's Healthiest Foods ~ George Mateljan Foundation
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=9
Just a few excerpts from above mentioned article.
Health Benefits...
"... development of cancer and its relationship to three metabolic problems in the body. Those three problems are (1) chronic inflammation (2) oxidative stress, and (3) inadequate detoxification. While these types of problems have yet to become part of the public health spotlight, they are essential to understanding broccoli's unique health benefits. Over the past 5 years, research has made it clear that our risk of cancer in several different organ systems is related to the combination of these three problems."
The Cancer/Inflammation/Oxidative Stress/Detox Connection...
"...use of prescription and over-the-counter medications, and other lifestyle practices can result in a level of danger to our bodies that prompts our inflammatory system to work in overdrive on a 24/7 basis. Researchers often refer to this phenomenon as "chronic inflammation."
"...over time, the constant and cumulative DNA damage inside our cells can pose a major risk factor for conversion of healthy cells into cancerous ones."
Broccoli antioxidant benefits...
"...if cancer development is compared to a 3-legged stool, the antioxidant benefit of broccoli can be viewed as weakening one leg of the stool, namely the leg called "oxidative stress." We've already seen how the glucosinolates and omega-3 fats in broccoli can be viewed as helping to weaken a second leg of the stool (chronic inflammation). In the next section, we'll look..."
