Broccoli, with its intense green color and dense florets, just looks healthy. Derived from the Latin word for "branch" or "arm," broccoli belongs to the family of cruciferous vegetables which includes cabbage, brussels sprouts, cauliflower and turnip.
"These would, for sure, be foods with extremely potent antioxidant compounds to help fight disease," Blatner said.
In the winter, when some of the more exotic fruits may be of lesser quality than the summer, broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables are an excellent -- and cheap -- source of vitamins A, C and E. In addition, broccoli is high in glucosinolates which stimulate the body's immune system.
Broccoli is a doubly powerful food because of its high concentration of sulforaphanes, which are potent anti-cancer agents.
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