It is important to remember that not all protein sources are the same. For instance, your daily protein bar may be packed with protein, but it is also filled with sugar and food additives. Cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower and broccoli help contribute to your daily protein intake, but broccoli packs bigger muscle in the protein category as well. A cup of cooked broccoli (156 grams) contains 4.7 g of protein, while cauliflower contains 2.3 g of protein per cup (124 g).
Calories
Are you concerned about your calorie intake? The good news is that broccoli and cauliflower are both extremely low in calories; however, cauliflower has a slight edge in this category. A cooked cup of broccoli contains 44 calories, whereas cooked cauliflower contains only 29 calories per cup, which is good news for your waistline.
Broccoli and cauliflower also benefit any weight loss plan with about 0.55 g of total fat per cup. Overall, both veggies should help you lose weight.
Minerals
Besides vitamins, the powerhouse cruciferous vegetables are also packed with the other important micronutrients—minerals. Both vegetables are high in calcium, iron, and magnesium.
Calcium is important for the maintenance and development of teeth and bones, and iron helps with your body’s energy production. Magnesium prevents calcium deposits and also acts as a muscle relaxant.
A cup of cooked broccoli is considered a better dietary source of all three minerals. Broccoli contains 74.7 mg of calcium, and cauliflower only has about 19.8 mg; broccoli has 1.4 mg of iron, whereas cauliflower provides 0.41 mg; and broccoli is a very good source of magnesium with 39.0 mg—about 10% of your daily value—while cauliflower only has 11.2 mg of magnesium.
Broccoli is also a better source of manganese, potassium, phosphorus, and zinc.
Nutritional Values of Cauliflower vs broccoli
How does the nutrition value compare per cooked cup of cauliflower vs broccoli?
Nutrients Broccoli Cauliflower
Weight per cooked cup 156 g 124 g
Calories 44 29
Protein 4.7g 2.28 g
Fiber 4.7g 3.35 g
Vitamin A 2,280.7 IU 21.08 IU
Vitamin C 123.4 mg 54.93 mg
Vitamin E 0.8 mg 0.10 mg
Vitamin K 155.2 mcg 11.17 mcg
Folate (vitamin B9) 93.9 mcg 54.56 mcg
Pyridoxine (vitamin B6) 0.22 mg 0.21 mg
Pantothenic Acid (vitamin B5) 0.8 mg 0.6 mg
Niacin (vitamin B3) 0.9 mg 0.5 mg
Riboflavin (vitamin B2) 0.2 mg 0.1 mg
Calcium 74.7 mg 19.85 mg
Iron 1.4 mg 0.41 mg
Magnesium 39.0 mg 11.16 mg
Manganese 0.3 mg 0.17 mg
Potassium 505.4 mg 176.08 mg
Phosphorus 102.8 mg 39.68 mg
Zinc 0.6 mg 0.22 mg
Health Benefits of Broccoli
It is clear that broccoli is a nutritional superfood, and scientific evidence supports its wide range of health benefits. For instance, broccoli has widely been regarded for containing anti-cancer compounds.
Contains Anti-Cancer Compounds
Broccoli contains the sulfur-containing compound sinigrin, which helps release special phytonutrients, like isothiocyanates, that detoxify cancer-causing carcinogens.
The vegetable also contains other anit-cancer properties. In particular, indole-3-carbinol, found in broccoli, helps deactivate the tumor promoter 4-hydroxyestrone, especially in breast cells. The phytonutrient glucoraphanin in broccoli is also known to convert to sulforaphane in your body; sulforaphane is helpful for liver detoxification, which quickly removes any potential carcinogens.
Heart Health
Broccoli also contains plenty of heart-healthy benefits. Broccoli’s sulforaphane also contains anti-inflammatory properties, which can help prevent and reverse blood vessel damage from inflammatory chronic blood sugar issues. Broccoli is loaded with other heart-healthy nutrients, such as omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, potassium, folate, fiber, and vitamins B3, B6, and E. The soluble fiber in broccoli even helps reduce cholesterol levels in your body.
Eradication of Harmful H. Pylori Bacteria
What are broccoli’s other health benefits? The sulforaphane in broccoli and broccoli sprouts may help eradicate the bacterium Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), which is responsible for many stomach ulcers and stomach cancer risk. In a study published in the journal Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy in 2003, researchers found that sulforaphane eliminated H. pylori in eight of 11 infected mice. In another study published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research in 2009, researchers observed 48 H. pylori-infected patients for a two-month period. They were assigned randomly to eat 70 g daily of the sulforaphane-heavy broccoli sprouts or a placebo (alfalfa sprouts, which do not contain sulforaphane). The broccoli sprouts decreased biomarkers of H. pylori colonization, including H. pylori stool antigen and levels of urease. The broccoli sprouts also reduced biomarkers of stomach damage, including serum pepsinogens I and II.
Eye Health
Broccoli is also thought to benefit people with vision problems, such as cataracts. Broccoli contains two powerful antioxidants, lutein and zeaxanthin, which are from the carotenoid family. The sulforaphane in broccoli also may contain antioxidant properties, which helps protect the eye from potentially damaging free radicals.
Other Health Benefits
Broccoli is also important for bone health, osteoporosis prevention, and weight control. The alkalinizing vegetable also helps reduce acidity within your body.
