When it comes to maintaining a healthy diet, minor adjustments can yield significant results. One often-overlooked green vegetable could become your new dietary staple, thanks to its rich nutrient content and disease-fighting properties.
This leafy green is earning recognition from health professionals. As research continues to reveal the medicinal benefits of common foods, recent studies have highlighted a particular type of broccoli that can lower the risk of both cancer and diabetes. The superfood in question? Broccoli rabe.
“Commonly known as broccoli rabe (but also referred to as rapini or broccoli raab), it’s a cruciferous vegetable that, despite its name and appearance, is closely related to turnips and cauliflower,” Health Digest reported. Broccoli rabe has a distinctive bitterness akin to mustard greens, which is actually beneficial, reports Surrey Live.
Bitter foods are known to aid digestion, improve nutrient absorption, enhance immune function, and even help suppress sugar cravings. Let’s explore further how broccoli rabe can help reduce the risk of cancer and diabetes.
Cancer
According to health experts, “A one-cup serving of broccoli rabe provides 131 micrograms of vitamin A, which may help alleviate issues linked to oxidative stress, including certain cancers.”
A 2022 study highlighted in Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity has shed light on vitamin A’s potential as a formidable weapon against cancer. The findings suggest that individuals with a higher intake of vitamin A may enjoy a lower likelihood of developing certain types of cancer, including breast cancer, the most prevalent form globally, and ovarian cancer.
Broccoli rabe, along with its cruciferous cousins, is packed with glucosinolates, known for their bitter flavour. When consumed, these substances can transform into smaller compounds like thiocyanates, isothiocyanates, indoles, and nitriles.
Web MD notes that these components are celebrated for their anti-cancer capabilities. “Indoles and isothiocyanates, in particular, have been found to prevent the development of cancer-causing cells.
“Some studies in the U.S., the Netherlands, and other parts of Europe showed that those who ate higher amounts of broccoli rabe had a lower risk of prostate cancer. Another study in the Netherlands found that women with a high intake of broccoli rabe had lower incidences of colon cancer.
“One other study in the U.S. showed that women who ate more than five servings of broccoli rabe every week reduced their risk of lung cancer.”
Diabetes
The role of glucosinolates extends beyond cancer prevention, potentially influencing blood sugar levels as well. Health Digest experts have pointed out that “a 2021 review in Frontiers in Pharmacology, vegetables that skewed toward being the most bitter (which describes broccoli rabe) appeared to improve glycemic control best.”
In a recent 2024 study published in Heart, Lung, and Circulation, it was found that participants who consumed 300 grams of cruciferous vegetables daily for a fortnight demonstrated enhanced glucose processing.
Although the research primarily targeted individuals without diabetes, the results indicate that these vegetables could provide natural assistance in managing blood sugar levels, potentially aiding those with diabetes as well.
Nutritional information sourced from Web MD
170 grams of Broccoli rabe yields:
- 42 calories
- Five grams of carbohydrates
- 4.8 grams of fibre
- Seven grams of protein
- One gram of fat
- Vitamin A: 43% of the daily value
- Vitamin C: 70% of the daily value
- Folate: 30% of the daily value
- Calcium: 15% of the daily value
- Iron: 12% of the daily value
- Zinc: 8% of the daily value