NutriDex

The Supplement Research Compendium
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Broccoli

A cruciferous powerhouse delivering a full day of vitamin C and K plus the sulforaphane precursor glucoraphanin.

Moderate evidence 🥦Vegetables

✚ Updated · How we grade evidence

Evidence tier
Moderate
Research weight
Citations
10 verified / 10
Classification
Vegetables
❝
What the evidence says. Several controlled trials; effects real but modest or context-dependent.

Nutrition per serving 1 cup chopped, raw (91 g)

91gSERVING
  • Sugars 1.5 g2%
  • Fibre 2.4 g3%
  • Other carbs 2.1 g2%
  • Protein 2.6 g3%
  • Other 82.4 g91%
What's in one serving, by weight — average composition (USDA).
Vitamin C90%Fiber9%Potassium6%Folate14%Vitamin A3%Vitamin K77%Vitamin B69%Manganese8%
One serving as % of the adult daily requirement (FDA Daily Values). The bold outer ring = 100% of a day's needs.
31 kcal2.6 g protein2.4 g fiber1.5 g sugar
NutrientPer serving% daily value
Vitamin C81 mg90%
Fiber2.4 g9%
Potassium288 mg6%
Folate57 µg14%
Vitamin A28 µg3%
Vitamin K93 µg77%
Vitamin B60.16 mg9%
Manganese0.19 mg8%
Copper0.05 mg5%
Vitamin E0.71 mg5%
Magnesium19 mg5%
Calcium43 mg3%

Composition data: USDA FoodData Central ↗

What is Broccoli?

Broccoli is a vegetable used for improved glucose control in dysregulated type 2 diabetes (sulforaphane). NutriDex grades the human evidence as Moderate. Broccoli is one of the most nutrient-dense common vegetables: a single cup raw supplies roughly a day's vitamin C and vitamin K for under 35 kcal. Its signature bioactive, sulforaphane (released from glucoraphanin by myrosinase), is the subject of the strongest human research, with RCTs showing improved glucose control in dysregulated type 2 diabetes and meta-analyses of broccoli-sprout trials reporting reductions in blood pressure and lipids. Large prospective cohorts also link higher cruciferous-vegetable intake to modestly lower cardiovascular, colorectal, gastric, and lung cancer risk.

Purported Benefits

✓Improved glucose control in dysregulated type 2 diabetes (sulforaphane)
✓Lower systolic/diastolic blood pressure in sprout trials
✓Inverse association with cardiovascular disease
✓Reduced colorectal, gastric and lung cancer risk in cohorts
✓Exceptional vitamin C and vitamin K density

Dosing & Compounds

Typical Dose
Standard serving: 1 cup chopped, raw (91 g). Eat whole (with skin where edible); favour whole fruit over juice.
Active Compounds
sulforaphaneglucoraphaninindole-3-carbinolluteinzeaxanthinkaempferolvitamin C

Safety & Cautions

Raw cruciferous vegetables contain goitrogenic glucosinolates that can mildly impair thyroid iodine uptake if eaten in very large amounts, especially with iodine deficiency; cooking reduces this. High vitamin K content (~93 ug/cup) can interfere with warfarin, so intake should be kept consistent. Broccoli is a high-FODMAP food (fructans) and may trigger bloating/gas in sensitive or IBS individuals; concentrated sprout extracts are generally well tolerated but can cause mild GI upset. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining Broccoli with any medicine.

Key Studies ★ 10 studies

meta-analysis Houshialsadat et al. 2022 ✓ Full text
Systematic review and meta-analysis of 10 broccoli-sprout clinical trials reported significant reductions in systolic (-10.9 mmHg; 95% CI -17.0 to -4.86) and diastolic (-6.95 mmHg) blood pressure plus improved lipids and glycemia.
meta-analysis Pollock 2016 ✓ Full text
Meta-analysis of 8 studies (>540,000 participants, 26,173 CVD cases) found high green-leafy/cruciferous vegetable intake associated with a 15.8% lower CVD incidence (RR 0.842; 95% CI 0.753-0.941).
meta-analysis Aune et al. 2017 ✓ Source
Dose-response meta-analysis of 95 prospective studies found fruit and vegetable intake inversely associated with CVD, cancer, and all-cause mortality, with benefit up to ~800 g/day; cruciferous vegetables specifically reduced CHD, stroke, and CVD risk.
meta-analysis Wu et al. 2013 (colorectal) ✓ PubMed
Meta-analysis of 35 observational studies found cruciferous vegetable intake inversely associated with colorectal cancer risk (RR 0.82; 95% CI 0.75-0.90).
meta-analysis Wu et al. 2013 (gastric) ✓ PubMed
Meta-analysis of 22 epidemiological studies found higher cruciferous vegetable intake associated with lower gastric cancer risk (RR 0.81; 95% CI 0.75-0.88).
systematic review Lam et al. 2009 ✓ Full text
Systematic review of cruciferous vegetables and lung cancer found ~17% lower risk in cohort studies (pooled RR 0.83; 95% CI 0.62-1.08) and 23% lower in case-control studies (OR 0.77; 95% CI 0.68-0.88).
RCT Dwibedi et al. 2025 ✓ Full text
Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in prediabetes (n=89) found broccoli-sprout extract lowered fasting blood glucose by 0.2 mmol/L overall (P=0.04; ~0.4 mmol/L in a microbiota-defined responder subgroup), missing its prespecified 0.3 mmol/L target.
RCT Axelsson et al. 2017 ✓ PubMed
In a 12-week RCT (n=97 with type 2 diabetes), concentrated broccoli-sprout extract (sulforaphane) reduced fasting glucose and HbA1c specifically in obese, dysregulated patients versus placebo.
Review Poulios 2026 ✓ PubMed
Review of sulforaphane and broccoli-derived preparations in obesity and obesity-related metabolic dysfunction.
Review Gill 2026 ✓ PubMed
Integrating multiomic resources and gene expression studies to identify candidates for engineering climate-resilient Brassica
10 sources cited · 10 verified Search all studies on PubMed ↗

Common questions about Broccoli

What is Broccoli used for?

Broccoli is most often taken for Improved glucose control in dysregulated type 2 diabetes (sulforaphane), Lower systolic/diastolic blood pressure in sprout trials, Inverse association with cardiovascular disease, Reduced colorectal, gastric and lung cancer risk in cohorts. A cruciferous powerhouse delivering a full day of vitamin C and K plus the sulforaphane precursor glucoraphanin.

Does Broccoli work — what does the evidence say?

Moderate evidence. Several controlled trials; effects real but modest or context-dependent. Broccoli is one of the most nutrient-dense common vegetables: a single cup raw supplies roughly a day's vitamin C and vitamin K for under 35 kcal. Its signature bioactive, sulforaphane (released from glucoraphanin by myrosinase), is the subject of the strongest human research, with RCTs showing improved glucose control in dysregulated type 2 diabetes and meta-analyses of broccoli-sprout trials reporting reductions in blood pressure and lipids. Large prospective cohorts also link higher cruciferous-vegetable intake to modestly lower cardiovascular, colorectal, gastric, and lung cancer risk.

What is the typical dose of Broccoli?

Standard serving: 1 cup chopped, raw (91 g). Eat whole (with skin where edible); favour whole fruit over juice.

Is Broccoli safe? Any cautions or side effects?

Raw cruciferous vegetables contain goitrogenic glucosinolates that can mildly impair thyroid iodine uptake if eaten in very large amounts, especially with iodine deficiency; cooking reduces this. High vitamin K content (~93 ug/cup) can interfere with warfarin, so intake should be kept consistent. Broccoli is a high-FODMAP food (fructans) and may trigger bloating/gas in sensitive or IBS individuals; concentrated sprout extracts are generally well tolerated but can cause mild GI upset.

How many studies support Broccoli?

NutriDex cites 10 sources for Broccoli, graded "Moderate".

Cite this page
APA

Peh, D. (2026). Broccoli: Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects & Evidence. NutriDex — The Supplement Research Compendium. Retrieved 16 Sept 2026, from https://nutridex.info/s/broccoli

BibTeX
@misc{nutridex_broccoli,
  author       = {Peh, Daryl},
  title        = {Broccoli: Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects \& Evidence},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {NutriDex --- The Supplement Research Compendium},
  url          = {https://nutridex.info/s/broccoli},
  note         = {Reviewed by Dr Daryl Peh, MBBS Singapore, MMed FM. Accessed 2026-09-16}
}

For medical claims, citing the underlying primary studies linked above is preferred. NutriDex is an educational reference, not medical advice.

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