Broccoli’s status as a ‘superfood’ is widely appreciated. What is less known, is the extra benefits of eating it in concentrated form by adding broccoli powder to dishes.
The advantages could even include better sleep patterns!
We will get to the potential for broccoli to be a natural remedy for insomnia shortly. First, a summary of broccoli’s nutritional value, and an introduction to broccoli powder.
Quick guide to the health advantages of broccoli
It's common to buy broccoli whole, or in florets (children often refer to these as ‘little trees’)in three varieties.
• Calabrese broccoli – a regular feature of family meals.
• Sprouting broccoli – which has grown in popularity to add to stir-fries or steam.
• Purple cauliflower — less used and people don’t tend to realise it’s a type of broccoli.
By the way, sprouting broccoli doesn’t always need to be green either! There are white and purple versions. This is a tender - and some would consider tastier - variety of this vegetable, featuring slim stalks and smaller florets.
The value of eating broccoli has been understood since ancient times.
Now we can analyse it using modern technology, we can see why. It’s packed with important vitamins, minerals and other bioactive plant compounds. Including a healthy dose of vitamins A and C.
One portion can provide over 100% of your Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) of vitamin K, and you get Potassium, Phosphorus and Selenium too.
Broccoli is an excellent source of antioxidants, which help balance free radicals from the environment and the passing of time. It’s also a good source of plant fibre, to aid our digestive systems.
This vegetable also has key anti-inflammatory properties, and there are studies underway to explore whether some of its bioactive compounds can reduce the cell damage caused by diseases like cancer. There’s also work underway to support the view that eating broccoli is good for heart health, bone strength and brain function.
Can you eat broccoli raw? You certainly can.
To protect its high nutritional content it’s best not to boil it, and to lightly steam it instead, or include it in stir-fries. Alternatively, for convenience and a highly concentrated amount of the vital elements in broccoli, simply purchase the powdered form.
Why buy powdered broccoli?
One of the reasons to eat broccoli is that it contains bioactive plant compounds called Glucosinolates. These are the main reason this vegetable has the potential to regulate inflammation and metabolism, and offer antioxidant value.
There is always a chance when you cook broccoli that some of these nutritional values are lost.
An important way to guard against that – and increase your intake of its Glucosinolates and other nutritional elements – is to use a powdered form of broccoli as a supplement.
Using broccoli powder also means you can consume more than you would if you prepared the veg every day. Not least as in its natural state broccoli has a lot of water in it.
If you buy broccoli powder from a reputable source, the nutritional value is the same as fresh, according to research by Australia’s National Science Agency.
Another benefit of buying broccoli powder is that it’s produced from whole, fresh plants. As opposed to the vegetables found in supermarkets which are often sold more for their aesthetic appearance and profit margin, than their freshness.
Using the powdered form is also a convenient way to add broccoli to your diet. It’s even being used to create plant-based beverages as a healthy alternative to coffee! The powder also helps people eat broccoli when they don’t like the taste or texture of the vegetable.
How can broccoli help you sleep better?
That’s the answer to “Is broccoli powder good for you?”, but what's that got to do with natural remedies to improve sleep?
Insomnia or poor sleep quality are health issues affecting many people. According to the Sleep Foundation some studies put the figure at 50% to 60% of the adult population.
Nutritional aids to better sleep include avoiding caffeine, alcohol and rich foods in the evening. However, there's been considerable interest in finding foods that induce better sleep.
A recent report from Japan suggests broccoli extract provides an important step forward in that thinking. It concerns a study into how broccoli sprouts boost melatonin and decrease levels of prostaglandin D2 which is linked to inflammation.
These hormones are key to our sleep cycle. When they are out of balance it can trigger insomnia or insufficient deep sleep.
The Japanese study focused on a plant compound called sulforaphane. The researchers conducted human trials – using a double-blind randomised method – to see what happened if poor sleepers increased intake of sulforaphane using broccoli capsules. The outcome appears to have been positive.
The authors of the report concluded: “For the first time it was shown that sulforaphane intake for four weeks may increase melatonin production. It was suggested that the increased melatonin production and anti-inflammatory effect of sulforaphane treatment may improve the quality of sleep. No adverse events related to the test food were identified.”
This clearly warrants further research.
Meanwhile, as the above guide to broccoli’s nutritional value shows, eating more in the powdered form will certainly bring you wide-reaching, health benefits.
Sources:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/benefits-of-broccoli#TOC_TITLE_HDR_2
https://www.livestrong.com/article/475011-benefits-of-broccoli-powder/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/glucosinolates
https://www.sbs.com.au/food/article/2018/06/06/broccoli-lattes-brewed-csiro-created-broccoli-powder-could-soon-be-thing
