Whenever I get a cold, I want to reach for the orange juice. Images of liquid sun being poured into the glass inspire me to get well soon. All that vitamin floating around in my veins fighting the bad guys. Ha! Take that!
But there's a dirty little secret that the orange growers association don't want you to know. According to the UC Berkeley Wellness Foods, a serving of broccoli, 1 cup cooked, contains 123 mg or 137% of your vitamin C for the day. An orange only contains 80 mg or 89% of your vitamin C for the day. An orange only has 12% of your folate and only 10% of your thiamin for the day. Bummer. Broccoli on the other hand has 23% of your folate, 12% of your beta carotene, 14% of your riboflavin, 13% of your vitamin B6, and 17% of your iron.
Broccoli is also rich in cancer fighting phytochemicals known as antioxidants. Broccoli contains indole-3-carbinol good at fighting hormone related cancers, isothiocyanates good at inhibiting the growth of tumors, and dithiolione which may activate cancer fighting enzymes. Nice.
Store bought orange juice may contain added sugar and is higher in calories than the raw fruit due to the extraction process. Although companies may add vitamins and minerals to the orange juice, emerging research shows that getting vitamins and minerals directly from eating fruits and vitamins may be better for you.
You can squeeze broccoli into almost any dish: lasagna, stir fry, soups, and casseroles. I like to have broccoli steamed for 3 minutes with a shake of foccacia seasoning. Simple, fresh, easy. Serve it alongside a sandwich at lunch or as a vegetable side at dinner.
The next time you get a cold, do more than reach for the orange juice. Whip out some broccoli and teach that virus a lesson.
