broccoli
A cruciferous powerhouse delivering a full day of vitamin C and K plus the sulforaphane precursor glucoraphanin.
Moderate evidence
🥦Vegetables
Evidence tier
Moderate
Research weight
Citations
8 verified / 8
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)
- Sugars 1.5 g2%
- Fibre 2.4 g3%
- Other carbs 2.1 g2%
- Protein 2.6 g3%
- Other 82.4 g91%
31 kcal2.6 g protein2.4 g fiber1.5 g sugar
| Nutrient | Per serving | % daily value |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin C | 81 mg | 90% |
| Fiber | 2.4 g | 9% |
| Potassium | 288 mg | 6% |
| Folate | 57 µg | 14% |
| Vitamin A | 28 µg | 3% |
| Vitamin K | 93 µg | 77% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.16 mg | 9% |
| Manganese | 0.19 mg | 8% |
| Copper | 0.05 mg | 5% |
| Vitamin E | 0.71 mg | 5% |
| Magnesium | 19 mg | 5% |
| Calcium | 43 mg | 3% |
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
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
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.