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Vegetables · Cruciferous Vegetables

Broccoli Nutrition Facts, Benefits & the Best Way to Cook It

What a cup of broccoli gives you, what the human studies on cancer risk, longevity, inflammation, blood pressure and gut health found, and how to steam it so you get the most sulforaphane.

By Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CNS·23-min read
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Evidence-based59 sources citedUpdated October 6, 2026
Published Oct 6, 2026Last updated Oct 6, 2026Editorial policyMedical review policyFact-checking policy
Lightly steamed broccoli florets in a wooden bowl
Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica), lightly steamed, the way Dr. Axe recommends eating it most days.
The Dr. Axe Score™
8.1/10
Overall Dr. Axe Score · Broccoli Nutrition Facts, Benefits & the Best Way to Cook It

Broccoli scores 8.1 as an everyday vegetable with exceptional nutrition per calorie, human trials of whole broccoli and other crucifers on oxidative damage, inflammation and blood pressure, large studies tying it to lower cancer risk and a longer life, and a daily place in my protocols.

Scientific Evidence
7.6/10
A broccoli-specific meta-analysis of 35 studies, two cruciferous umbrella reviews and human trials of up to 291 people and 12 weeks.
Antioxidant & Anti-Inflammatory
8.5/10
Steamed broccoli cut oxidized DNA damage 41% in 27 smokers who each ate both diets, and its sulforaphane switches on the body's own NRF2 defenses.
Clinical Effectiveness
8.3/10
Our judgment: an easy daily food in my cancer-support, anti-inflammatory, hormone and thyroid protocols, with trial effects on blood pressure, gut bacteria and detox.
Nutrient Density
8.2/10
Scores 82 on my nutrient density chart; a raw cup gives 90% of the daily value for vitamin C.
Why this score?
Why Broccoli Nutrition Facts, Benefits & the Best Way to Cook It scores 8.1 / 10

    Weighting: Evidence 30% · Antioxidant & Anti-Inflammatory 25% · Clinical Effectiveness 25% · Nutrient Density 20% (7.6×0.30 + 8.5×0.25 + 8.3×0.25 + 8.2×0.20 = 2.28 + 2.125 + 2.075 + 1.64 = 8.12, shown as 8.1). How we score

    A transparent, weighted index built for foods. See how it’s calculated →
    Dr. Josh Axe · Free quiz

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    Broccoli at a glance

    Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable with 31 calories, 90% of your daily vitamin C and 77% of your vitamin K in a cup of raw florets, and it carries glucoraphanin, which your body turns into sulforaphane when you chop, chew and lightly cook it.123

    • Human research: in studies that followed 699,482 people, those who ate the most broccoli had 11% lower cancer risk, and in a 10-day trial in which 27 smokers each ate both diets, steamed broccoli cut oxidized DNA damage by 41%45
    • Best way to eat it: steamed just until bright green, then finished with extra virgin olive oil and sea salt
    • More sulforaphane: add a pinch of mustard powder or a few raw broccoli sprouts to cooked broccoli6
    • How much: my protocols call for 1 to 2 cups of cruciferous vegetables a day78

    For a full anti-inflammatory food plan, get the free Anti-Inflammatory Reset.

    Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable, a cousin of cabbage, kale and cauliflower, and one of the most nourishing foods you can put on your plate every day. On my nutrient density chart, it scores 82, in the Exceptional tier, for its vitamin C, vitamin K, folate and sulforaphane.9

    Broccoli also finishes making its best-known compound in your kitchen. The florets store glucoraphanin, an inactive precursor, and when you chop or chew them, an enzyme in the plant turns it into sulforaphane, which switches on your cells' own antioxidant defenses.310 How you prepare broccoli shapes how much sulforaphane you get, which is why I recommend steamed cruciferous vegetables like broccoli every day.1112

    Broccoli sprouts are probably the single most powerful sulforaphane food on the planet.Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CNSFrom 7 Foods That Quiet Inflammation Better Than Supplements (The Dr. Josh Axe Show, 2026), at 16:57
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    What is broccoli?

    Quick answer

    Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) is a cruciferous vegetable whose tight green flower buds, the florets, and thick stalk you eat raw or cooked. It's the same species as cabbage, kale, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts, and its sprouts, picked a few days after the seed germinates, are eaten too.

    Each head is a cluster of unopened flower buds on a branching stalk, which is why yellowing florets mean a head is past its best: the buds are starting to bloom. Peel the tough skin off the stalk and the pale core underneath is as good to eat as the florets.

    Broccoli belongs to the cruciferous vegetables, along with cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, bok choy and watercress, and like its cousins it carries glucosinolates, the sulfur-containing compounds that sulforaphane comes from.13 In The Biblio Diet, Jordan Rubin and I list broccoli and sprouts among our vegetables, and steamed broccoli with baked or grilled fish is one of the dinners in the book's 7-day plan.14 More on the book's food list is in the biblical diet guide.

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    Broccoli nutrition facts

    Quick answer

    One cup of chopped raw broccoli (91 grams) has 31 calories, 2.6 grams of protein, 6.0 grams of carbohydrate and 2.4 grams of fiber, with 81.2 milligrams of vitamin C (90% of the daily value) and 92.8 micrograms of vitamin K (77%).12 A cup of chopped cooked broccoli (156 grams) has 55 calories, 3.7 grams of protein and 5.1 grams of fiber, and more than a full day's vitamin C and vitamin K.15

    Broccoli, raw (FDC 170379) and cooked, boiled and drained (FDC 169967), per 1 cup chopped and per 100 grams raw, from USDA FoodData Central; % Daily Value uses FDA reference values.1152

    NutrientRaw, 1 cup (91 g)Cooked, 1 cup (156 g)Raw, per 100 g

    Calories

    31

    55

    34

    Protein

    2.6 g

    3.7 g

    2.82 g

    Carbohydrate

    6.0 g

    11.2 g

    6.64 g

    Fiber

    2.4 g (8% DV)

    5.1 g (18% DV)

    2.6 g

    Net carbs

    3.7 g

    6.1 g

    4.04 g

    Sugars

    1.5 g

    2.2 g

    1.7 g

    Vitamin C

    81.2 mg (90% DV)

    101.2 mg (112% DV)

    89.2 mg

    Vitamin K

    92.8 mcg (77% DV)

    220 mcg (183% DV)

    102 mcg

    Folate

    57 mcg DFE (14% DV)

    168 mcg DFE (42% DV)

    63 mcg DFE

    Pantothenic acid

    0.52 mg (10% DV)

    0.96 mg (19% DV)

    0.573 mg

    Vitamin B6

    0.16 mg (9% DV)

    0.31 mg (18% DV)

    0.175 mg

    Riboflavin

    0.11 mg (8% DV)

    0.19 mg (15% DV)

    0.117 mg

    Manganese

    0.19 mg (8% DV)

    0.30 mg (13% DV)

    0.21 mg

    Potassium

    288 mg (6% DV)

    457 mg (10% DV)

    316 mg

    Vitamin A

    28 mcg RAE (3% DV)

    120 mcg RAE (13% DV)

    31 mcg RAE

    Vitamin E

    0.71 mg (5% DV)

    2.26 mg (15% DV)

    0.78 mg

    Lutein + zeaxanthin

    1,274 mcg

    1,685 mcg

    1,400 mcg

    Calcium

    43 mg (3% DV)

    62 mg (5% DV)

    47 mg

    Iron

    0.66 mg (4% DV)

    1.05 mg (6% DV)

    0.73 mg

    A cup of cooked broccoli weighs 156 grams against 91 for raw, so it packs in more broccoli and more of most nutrients.115 Gram for gram, boiling lowers vitamin C, from 89.2 milligrams per 100 grams raw to 64.9, one more reason to steam instead (more on that below).115 With 3.7 grams of net carbs in a raw cup, broccoli sits comfortably on the non-starchy vegetables list and among the low-carb vegetables.1

    Vitamin K, vitamin E, beta-carotene and the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin are fat-soluble, so finish your broccoli with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

    Is broccoli good for you?

    Quick answer

    Yes. A cup of broccoli gives you most of a day's vitamin C and vitamin K, and human research links it to lower cancer risk, a longer life, less oxidative damage, lower blood pressure and a healthier gut.141651718

    Where the research stands

    Broccoli's nutrition is measured directly in USDA records, and its health research comes in three layers. Large observational studies of broccoli and cruciferous vegetables, including a 2024 meta-analysis of 35 studies of broccoli itself, link it to lower cancer risk and a longer life. Controlled feeding trials of whole broccoli and other crucifers, lasting 10 to 18 days, measured less oxidative DNA damage, lower inflammation markers, lower blood pressure, and shifts in gut bacteria and estrogen metabolism. Trials of broccoli sprouts and sprout drinks, which carry far more of sulforaphane's precursor than florets do, add evidence on detox, inflammation and blood sugar.45171920

    How does broccoli work in your body?

    Broccoli works mainly through sulforaphane, which turns on your cells' own antioxidant and detox enzymes, and through its fiber, which feeds your gut bacteria.1021 Sulforaphane forms in a series of steps after you bring broccoli home, and you control several of them.

    1Stored as glucoraphanin

    Broccoli stores glucoraphanin, the inactive precursor of sulforaphane, and it also carries myrosinase, the plant enzyme that converts it.322

    2You chop or chew

    Cutting and chewing bring the enzyme and glucoraphanin together. In a study where volunteers tried both ways, chewing fresh broccoli sprouts thoroughly raised the isothiocyanates they excreted, the compound family sulforaphane belongs to, to 42.4 micromoles, against 28.8 when they swallowed the sprouts whole.3

    3Gentle heat helps

    A short steam shifts the reaction toward sulforaphane and away from an inactive look-alike; the cooking studies are in the steaming section below.22

    4Your gut bacteria finish the job

    When cooking has switched off the plant's enzyme, bacteria in your gut can still convert some glucoraphanin. In a trial where 10 people each drank broccoli soups made with the enzyme deliberately switched off, 2% to 15% of the glucoraphanin still came out as sulforaphane byproducts.323

    5NRF2 switches on

    Sulforaphane frees NRF2, a switch inside your cells, from KEAP1, the protein that holds it in check. That switch is sulforaphane's best-established target, and it turns on your cells' own antioxidant and detox enzymes.10

    6Glutathione rises

    In a small pilot of 9 adults with no comparison group, a broccoli sprout extract supplying 100 micromoles of sulforaphane a day raised blood glutathione by about 32%, from 9.22 to 12.2 nanomoles per milliliter, in 7 days.24

    On my show, I've explained that sulforaphane supports your body in making glutathione, the master antioxidant it produces for itself.25 Heal Your Cells, the book I wrote with Dr. Will Cole, describes the same chain: the glucosinolates in crucifers convert into sulforaphane, which activates Nrf2, and that makes crucifers powerful in lowering inflammation and reducing cancer risk.26

    Broccoli's fiber does its own work further down. Your gut bacteria ferment it into short-chain fatty acids, which your body uses for energy and as chemical signals.21

    Broccoli benefits, ranked by evidence

    From the best-supported to the newest, broccoli's benefits are lower cancer risk, a longer life, less oxidative damage and calmer inflammation, liver detox support, healthier blood pressure, gut health and blood sugar support.

    1

    Lower cancer risk

    Moderate evidenceHuman studyMeta-analysis of 12 cohort and 23 case-control studies · umbrella review of 41 meta-analyses

    In a 2024 review of studies on broccoli itself, the 12 studies that followed 699,482 people over time found 11% lower cancer risk in those who ate the most broccoli, and the 23 studies comparing 12,929 people who had cancer with 18,363 who didn't found 36% lower odds among those who ate the most broccoli, with lower odds of lung, stomach, colorectal, bladder and breast cancer in particular; among the studies that followed people over time, broccoli was also tied to lower prostate cancer risk.4 Across cruciferous vegetables, a 2022 umbrella review of 41 meta-analyses covering 303 studies found 24 significant associations, every one toward lower risk, with the best-supported links for gastric, lung and endometrial cancer.27 A 2025 review of 17 studies tied cruciferous vegetables to 20% lower odds of colon cancer.28 The breast and prostate findings are in the section for women and men below. On my show, I've explained why crucifers belong among the cancer-fighting foods: they contain compounds that activate detoxification enzymes and support DNA protection.11

    Study takeaway: in studies that followed 699,482 people, those who ate the most broccoli had 11% lower cancer risk.

    2

    A longer life

    Moderate evidenceHuman studyCohorts of 88,184 and 134,796 adults · umbrella review of 57 reviews

    In a Japanese study that followed 88,184 adults for a median of 16.9 years, those who ate the most cruciferous vegetables had 14% lower risk of death from any cause if they were men and 11% lower if they were women.16 In 134,796 adults in Shanghai who were followed over time, the risk of death fell step by step with more cruciferous vegetables, to 22% lower in the top fifth of intake, mainly through fewer deaths from cardiovascular disease.29 A 2022 umbrella review of 57 published reviews and meta-analyses worked out the dose: every 100 grams a day of cruciferous vegetables, about a cup of chopped raw broccoli, went with about 10% lower risk of death from any cause.30

    Study takeaway: across 57 published reviews, each daily cup or so of cruciferous vegetables went with about 10% lower risk of death from any cause.

    3

    Less oxidative damage and calmer inflammation

    Moderate evidenceHuman studyControlled feeding trials · 27 smokers · 63 adults · sprout study of 40 adults

    In a trial of 27 young smokers in which each person ate both diets for 10 days, 250 grams (about 1½ cups) of steamed broccoli a day cut oxidized DNA damage in their white blood cells by 41% and raised the cells' resistance to DNA strand breaks by 23%, compared with the same people on a diet without broccoli.5 In young male smokers on the same 250 grams a day for 10 days, in a trial where each person ate both diets, C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation, fell 48% in an extra analysis run after the main one, while IL-6 and TNF-α didn't change.31 In 63 healthy adults who each ate four 2-week diets, a double portion of cruciferous vegetables lowered the inflammatory signal IL-6 by 19% against a vegetable-free diet, with no change in CRP or TNF-α.32 Broccoli sprouts lowered it too: in 40 overweight adults who ate 30 grams of broccoli sprouts a day for 10 weeks, with no comparison group, IL-6 fell by more than half, from 4.76 to 2.11 pg/mL, and C-reactive protein fell as well.33 For more foods that calm inflammation, see these anti-inflammatory foods.

    Study takeaway: in 27 smokers who each ate both diets, steamed broccoli cut oxidized DNA damage by 41% in 10 days.

    Steamed broccoli for 10 days: 41% less oxidized DNA damage in smokers

    Steamed broccoli for 10 days: 41% less oxidized DNA damage in smokers27 young smokers · 250 g steamed broccoli a day for 10 days · each person ate both diets. Oxidized DNA damage in white blood cells: -41 % vs. no-broccoli diet; Resistance to DNA strand breaks: 23 % vs. no-broccoli diet27 young smokers · 250 g steamed broccoli a day for 10 days· each person ate both dietsOxidized DNAdamage in whiteblood cells-41 % vs. no-broccoli dietResistance toDNA strandbreaks23 % vs. no-broccoli diet
    Source: Riso et al. · Mutagenesis, 2010 [5]Change after 10 days on steamed broccoli, compared with the same people on a diet without broccoli.
    4

    Liver detox support

    Moderate evidenceHuman studyRandomized, placebo-controlled trial · 291 adults · broccoli sprout drink

    On my show, I've called cruciferous vegetables one of the hero foods for your liver, and steamed is the cleanest way to eat them.34 A large human trial tested that detox effect with broccoli sprouts. In a 12-week randomized trial of 291 adults in Qidong, China, an area with substantial air pollution, people who drank a concentrated broccoli sprout beverage supplying 600 micromoles of glucoraphanin and 40 micromoles of sulforaphane a day, compared with a placebo drink, excreted 61% more benzene and 23% more acrolein in the tagged forms the glutathione pathway produces; a third pollutant, crotonaldehyde, didn't change.20 Broccoli also helps the liver process estrogen, covered in the section for women and men below.

    Study takeaway: in a placebo-controlled trial of 291 adults, those on a daily broccoli sprout drink excreted 61% more benzene.

    5

    Blood pressure support

    Emerging evidenceHuman studyRandomized trial · 18 adults, 17 analyzed · cross-sectional study · 954 women

    In an Australian trial of 18 adults with mildly raised blood pressure, mostly women with a median age of 68, each person ate both diets in random order without knowing which one was being tested: 2 weeks of about 300 grams a day of broccoli, kale, cauliflower and cabbage in two daily soups, and 2 weeks of the same amount of potato, sweet potato, carrot and pumpkin. On the cruciferous soups, 24-hour systolic blood pressure fell from 126.8 to 124.4 mmHg in the 17 with complete readings, 2.5 points lower than on the comparison diet, and triglycerides were 0.2 mmol/L (about 18 mg/dL) lower.17 In 954 Australian women aged 70 and older, each extra 10 grams a day of cruciferous vegetables went with a 0.8% thinner carotid artery wall, an early marker of atherosclerosis, in a study that recorded their diets once and scanned their arteries three years later.35 For more on this goal, see natural ways to lower blood pressure.

    Study takeaway: in 17 adults who each ate both diets, two weeks of cruciferous vegetable soups left 24-hour systolic blood pressure 2.5 points lower than the comparison diet.

    Two weeks of broccoli, kale, cauliflower and cabbage soups: 24-hour blood pressure from 126.8 to 124.4

    Two weeks of broccoli, kale, cauliflower and cabbage soups: 24-hour blood pressure from 126.8 to 124.417 adults with mildly raised blood pressure · about 300 g of cruciferous vegetables a day · each person ate both diets. Before: 126.8 mmHg, 24-hour systolic; After 2 weeks of cruciferous soups: 124.4 mmHg, 24-hour systolic17 adults with mildly raised blood pressure · about 300 g ofcruciferous vegetables a day · each person ate both diets126.8BEFORE124.4AFTER 2 WEEKSOF CRUCIFEROUSSOUPSmmHg, 24-hour systolic-2.4 mmHg, 24-hour systolic · -1.9%
    Source: Connolly et al. · BMC Medicine, 2024 [17]2.5 points lower than on the same amount of potato, sweet potato, carrot and pumpkin, whose readings also dipped slightly.
    6

    Gut health support

    Emerging evidenceHuman studyControlled feeding trial · 18 adults · sprout trial · 48 adults with constipation

    In a controlled feeding study, 18 healthy adults each spent 18 days eating 200 grams of cooked broccoli plus 20 grams of raw daikon radish a day and 18 days on the same diet without them. On broccoli, the share of Bacteroidetes in their gut bacteria rose 10% and Firmicutes fell 9% relative to the control diet, with the strongest shifts in people with a BMI under 26.18 In a 4-week trial of 48 healthy adults with constipation symptoms who ate 20 grams a day of raw broccoli sprouts or alfalfa sprouts, the broccoli sprout group spent less time straining and their total constipation score fell from 7.25 to 5.17, while the alfalfa group's scores didn't change; a sprout grower funded the study.36 More options are in natural constipation relief.

    Study takeaway: in 18 adults who each ate both diets, 200 grams of cooked broccoli a day, with a little raw daikon, shifted gut bacteria within 18 days.

    7

    Blood sugar support

    Emerging evidenceHuman studyReview of 4 cohort studies · placebo-controlled trial of 81 adults with type 2 diabetes

    In a review of four studies that followed people over time, those who ate the most cruciferous vegetables had 16% lower risk of type 2 diabetes.37 In a 4-week trial of 81 adults with type 2 diabetes, in which neither the people nor the researchers knew who got what, 10 grams a day of broccoli sprout powder lowered blood insulin and insulin resistance compared with a placebo, among the 63 who were analyzed.38 For a full eating plan, see the insulin resistance diet.

    Study takeaway: in four studies that followed people over time, those who ate the most cruciferous vegetables had 16% lower risk of type 2 diabetes.

    Four blood markers for inflammation and nutrient status

    These markers show the broader picture of inflammation and the nutrients broccoli supplies over the months. They can't tell you which food made the difference or diagnose a condition on their own.

    • hs-CRP: A sensitive, general read on inflammation in your body.
    • Homocysteine: An amino acid that rises when folate and B12 run low.
    • Folate: Your folate status, a B vitamin a cooked cup of broccoli supplies generously.
    • Vitamin B12: Folate's partner in methylation.

    See the cellular bloodwork panel

    Have results? Analyze them free → →

    How do you steam broccoli?

    Quick answer

    Steam broccoli in a covered basket over a little simmering water, just until it turns bright green and crisp-tender, then finish it with sea salt and a little extra virgin olive oil. I recommend steaming as the best way to eat cruciferous vegetables, with roasting in olive oil as the next best option,11 and in lab tests, 1 to 3 minutes of steaming raised the sulforaphane broccoli made.22

    Heal Your Cells gives the reason: cruciferous vegetables like broccoli are easier on the gut and keep more usable nutrients when lightly steamed than when eaten raw.26 On my show, I've suggested getting a big vegetable steamer and steaming big batches.11

    1. Cut. Separate the head into florets of about the same size, and peel and slice the stalk.

    2. Set up. Bring a little water to a simmer under a steamer basket, so the broccoli sits above the water.

    3. Steam. Add the broccoli, cover, and steam just until it turns bright green and a fork slides in with a little crunch left.

    4. Finish. Lift it out right away and add sea salt, or olive oil and sea salt, or dip it in hummus, which is what I do.39

    Lab and human studies support light steaming. Broccoli carries a partner protein that steers some of its glucoraphanin toward an inactive form, sulforaphane nitrile, and that protein gives out under heat before the enzyme does. When researchers steamed four broccoli varieties for different lengths of time, 1 to 3 minutes of steaming raised sulforaphane yield in three of them, while boiling and microwaving gave a brief rise and then a loss, all within a minute.22 Of five home cooking methods tested on broccoli, steaming was the only one with no significant loss of vitamin C or chlorophyll, and it lost the least glucosinolate.40 In another lab comparison, steaming, microwaving and stir-frying caused no significant loss of glucosinolates in broccoli and three other crucifers, while boiling did, and about 90% of what boiling removed turned up in the cooking water.13 So if you do boil broccoli, keep the water for a soup or sauce.

    The difference shows up in people. In a pilot study where 7 volunteers ate broccoli both ways, steamed broccoli put more than twice the isothiocyanates into their blood that boiled broccoli did, 417.4 against 175.3 on the study's measure.41 In a controlled feeding study of 12 volunteers, broccoli cooked lightly, for 2 minutes in a microwave, yielded about three times as much sulforaphane as broccoli cooked for 5.5 minutes.42 And the trial that cut oxidized DNA damage by 41% in 27 smokers, each of whom ate both diets, used steamed broccoli.5

    Add the enzyme back with mustard powder

    Longer cooking switches off broccoli's own enzyme, and you can add it back. Mustard seed carries the same enzyme, myrosinase.6 In a trial of 12 healthy adults who each ate 200 grams (about 1¼ cups) of cooked broccoli twice, in random order, once plain and once with 1 gram of powdered brown mustard, the sulforaphane byproduct in their 24-hour urine was more than four times higher with the mustard: 44.7 against 9.8 micromoles per gram of creatinine.6

    1 gram of brown mustard powder on cooked broccoli: 44.7 vs. 9.8

    1 gram of brown mustard powder on cooked broccoli: 44.7 vs. 9.812 healthy adults · 200 g cooked broccoli with or without 1 g brown mustard powder · each person ate both. Cooked broccoli + mustard powder: 44.7 µmol per g creatinine; Cooked broccoli alone: 9.8 µmol per g creatinine12 healthy adults · 200 g cooked broccoli with or without 1g brown mustard powder · each person ate both44.7COOKEDBROCCOLI +MUSTARD POWDER9.8COOKEDBROCCOLI ALONEµmol per g creatinine
    Source: Okunade et al. · Mol Nutr Food Res, 2018 [6]Sulforaphane byproduct in 24-hour urine, a measure of how much the body absorbed.

    Fresh, uncooked broccoli sprouts carry the active enzyme too,3 and so does raw radish, which is why one broccoli study served 200 grams of cooked broccoli with 20 grams of raw daikon radish.18 A few raw sprouts or a little grated radish on steamed florets is an easy habit.

    Can you eat broccoli raw?

    Yes. Raw florets and raw sprouts are good foods if your digestion handles them well. In a trial of 8 men who each ate 200 grams of crushed broccoli raw and cooked, in random order, more sulforaphane was absorbed from the raw broccoli (37% against 3.4%), and faster: it peaked in the blood at 1.6 hours rather than 6.43 Lightly steamed broccoli is my everyday recommendation,12 and you can get the enzyme's head start either way by topping steamed broccoli with raw sprouts or a pinch of mustard powder. If raw crucifers don't agree with you, or you have an underactive thyroid, see the safety section below.

    Which form of broccoli is best?

    Fresh heads, frozen florets and sprouts are all good broccoli, and each earns a place in your week.

    Broccoli sprouts. Broccoli sprouts are seedlings eaten a few days after the seed germinates. In a 1997 study, 3-day-old broccoli sprouts carried 10 to 100 times more glucoraphanin than mature broccoli,19 and on my nutrient density chart, broccoli sprouts score 97, second of the 50 foods.9 My Hormone Balance for Women protocol calls for 2 tablespoons a day.8 During my mom's cancer recovery, which came through nutrition and lifestyle alongside her medical care, broccoli sprouts were one of the foods we had her eat constantly, because they're high in sulforaphane.25 Raw sprouts carry a food-safety caution for some people, covered in the safety section below. Microgreens are a close cousin.

    Supplements. Sulforaphane capsules and sprout extracts exist, and on my show I've said they're beneficial; my mom took a sulforaphane capsule during that same recovery. Still, sulforaphane is always more powerful when you're taking it as a food, and broccoli sprouts are probably the single most powerful sulforaphane food on the planet.44

    Frozen broccoli. Frozen broccoli is a good option. In The Biblio Diet, our vegetable list says organic fresh or frozen vegetables are best.14 Per 100 grams, USDA's frozen chopped broccoli has 26 calories, 3.0 grams of fiber, 56.4 milligrams of vitamin C and 81.1 micrograms of vitamin K.45 In a study of commercial freezing, the blanching and freezing steps lowered broccoli's glucosinolates, while vitamin C held steady and its carotenoids, phenols and antioxidant capacity measured higher.46 Blanching uses heat, and heat is what switches off broccoli's own enzyme, so frozen broccoli is a good place for that pinch of mustard powder.6 See frozen vs. fresh vegetables for more.

    Broccoli for women and men

    Broccoli supports hormone balance in women and men through the same liver pathway. My Hormone Balance for Women protocol ranks cruciferous vegetables first among its top 10 hormone-balancing foods, at 2 cups cooked a day, because indole-3-carbinol and sulforaphane route estrogen down the protective 2-hydroxy path.8 As I put it on my show:

    Cruciferous vegetables help your body safely process and eliminate toxins and excess hormones.Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CNSFrom How to Prevent CANCER: 15 Proven Ways to Lower Your Risk (The Dr. Josh Axe Show, 2026), at 18:20

    Human research has measured that estrogen shift. In a controlled diet study, 16 healthy nonsmokers, 14 men and 2 women, added 500 grams of broccoli a day (about 5½ cups, chopped raw) to a standard diet for 12 days, and the ratio of the protective 2-hydroxy estrogen metabolite to the 16-hydroxy form rose 29.5%.47

    For women. In a review of 13 studies, 11 of them comparing women with and without breast cancer, women who ate the most cruciferous vegetables had 15% lower risk of breast cancer.48 My Breast Cancer Support Protocol sums up how the pieces fit: "Your liver breaks estrogen down; your gut decides whether it leaves. A daily bowel movement, 25–35 g of fiber and steamed cruciferous vegetables are the quiet trio that keeps used estrogen moving out."49

    For men. Estrogen matters here too. On my show, I've pointed out that one of the things that depletes testosterone is excess estrogen, or testosterone turning into estrogen, and that the indole-3-carbinol in cruciferous vegetables supports the liver in breaking down and getting rid of the excess.34 In 29,361 men followed for about 4 years, those who ate broccoli more than once a week, compared with less than once a month, had 45% lower risk of advanced prostate cancer (stage III or IV). Fruit and vegetables weren't tied to prostate cancer overall, but the lower risk of advanced cancer with more vegetables ran mainly through cruciferous ones.50

    How much broccoli should you eat?

    Quick answer

    My protocols give a clear daily target: 1 to 2 cups of cruciferous vegetables a day in my Anti-Inflammatory Reset, at least one cooked cup in my Cancer Support Protocol, and 2 cups cooked plus 2 tablespoons of broccoli sprouts in Hormone Balance for Women.7128

    Broccoli doesn't have to fill that whole amount. On my show, I've said you want variety: some broccoli, some cauliflower, some kale and a lot of different vegetables on your plate.44 Brussels sprouts, bok choy and watercress count too.

    Planning your cruciferous vegetables?

    Ask Dr. Axe AI; it answers from this library and shows its sources.

    Easy ways to eat more broccoli

    Steamed broccoli is the everyday base, and these six ideas keep it interesting.

    Toss florets and sliced stalks in extra virgin olive oil and sea salt and roast them
    Blend steamed broccoli into a creamy broccoli soup
    Serve steamed broccoli beside baked or grilled fish, one of the dinners in The Biblio Diet
    Top a salad or a bowl of steamed florets with a handful of raw broccoli sprouts
    Peel the stalk, shave it thin and toss it with lemon and olive oil for a crunchy slaw
    Dust warm steamed broccoli with a pinch of brown mustard powder before serving

    How to buy, store and prep broccoli

    Buying. Choose heads with tight, deep green florets and a firm stalk, and pass over any with yellowing buds or a limp stem. The Biblio Diet's shopping list says to buy organic when possible.14

    Storing. Keep broccoli unwashed in a loose bag in the refrigerator and cook it within about a week. Storage is forgiving: in lab tests, 7 days of storage cost broccoli and its cousins only 9% to 26% of their glucosinolates.13

    Prepping. Rinse broccoli under running water just before you cut it.51 Keep the stalk: peel off the fibrous skin, slice the core and steam it in the same basket as the florets.

    Is broccoli safe? Side effects and who should be careful

    Quick answer

    Broccoli is a safe everyday food for nearly everyone, with a few specific cautions: keep your vitamin K intake steady if you take warfarin, eat your crucifers cooked if you have an underactive thyroid, skip raw sprouts if you're at higher risk of food poisoning, avoid it if you're allergic to Brassica vegetables, and start with small, steamed portions if crucifers give you gas.

    Is broccoli bad for your thyroid?

    No. Cooked broccoli is fine for your thyroid. In my Hashimoto's Protocol, the answer to "Should I avoid broccoli and kale?" is no: cooked cruciferous vegetables are fine, and only very large amounts of raw greens or juices are worth limiting.52

    The amounts in broccoli are small. In a review of the research, goitrin, the compound that can slow the thyroid's uptake of iodine, did so at 194 micromoles but not at 77, and commercial broccoli carries less than 10 micromoles per 100-gram serving.53 In 45 women in a 12-week randomized trial of a broccoli sprout drink rich in sulforaphane, TSH, free T4, thyroglobulin and thyroid antibody status didn't change.54 A 2024 review of 123 lab, animal and human studies concluded that brassica vegetables in the daily diet, particularly with adequate iodine, pose no adverse effects on thyroid function.55 My Hypothyroidism Protocol ranks cooked cruciferous vegetables sixth among its top 10 thyroid foods and adds two rules: cook your crucifers to deactivate their goitrogens, and keep iodine at food level.56 For food sources, see iodine-rich foods.

    Does broccoli interact with warfarin?

    Interaction check: Moderate. Broccoli's vitamin K can affect how warfarin works. A cup of raw broccoli carries 92.8 micrograms of vitamin K and a cooked cup 220 micrograms,115 and a 2022 review noted reported cases of warfarin resistance from vitamin K-rich broccoli.30 Keep eating it, and keep your broccoli and other green vegetables steady from week to week, and tell the doctor who manages your INR before you make a big change in how much you eat.

    Also good to know:

    • Raw sprouts: Sprouts grow in warm, humid conditions that also suit Salmonella, Listeria and E. coli, so the FDA advises children, older adults, pregnant women and anyone with a weakened immune system to skip raw or lightly cooked sprouts of any kind.51

    • Brassica allergy: If you're allergic to broccoli or its Brassica relatives, avoid them.30 Get emergency care for any swelling of the lips or throat or trouble breathing after eating.

    • Gas and bloating: Your gut bacteria ferment broccoli's fiber, and for some people that means gas.21 Steamed broccoli in smaller portions is gentler; see how to get rid of gas.

    The bottom line

    Should you eat broccoli every day?

    Yes. Broccoli is one of the most nourishing vegetables you can eat every day: a raw cup gives you 90% of your daily vitamin C for 31 calories, it scores 82 on my nutrient density chart, and it carries the glucoraphanin your body turns into sulforaphane. Studies that followed hundreds of thousands of people tie it to lower cancer risk and a longer life, and in short feeding trials, steamed broccoli cut oxidative DNA damage while soups made with broccoli and other crucifers lowered blood pressure.

    Steam it lightly, finish it with olive oil and sea salt or a dip in hummus, add raw sprouts or a pinch of mustard powder now and then, and rotate it with cauliflower, kale and the other crucifers for 1 to 2 cups a day. The free Anti-Inflammatory Reset builds those cups into a 30-day plan.

    Your body was designed to heal, and a daily cup of lightly steamed broccoli hands it good raw material for the job.

    Get the free Anti-Inflammatory Reset

    This 30-day protocol puts cruciferous vegetables among its top 10 anti-inflammatory foods and gives you four phases, its top 8 herbs and nutrients and a 7-day meal plan. Have recent bloodwork? Analyze it free and see your inflammation markers in functional ranges.

    Free with your Dr. Axe account (email or Google). You'll also get the protocol's short email series and the Dr. Axe newsletter; unsubscribe anytime.

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    Broccoli: frequently asked questions

    Is broccoli good for you?

    Yes. A cup of chopped raw broccoli has 31 calories and 90% of your daily vitamin C,12 and in studies that followed 699,482 people over time, those who ate the most broccoli had 11% lower cancer risk.4 In short feeding trials where each person ate both diets, steamed broccoli cut oxidized DNA damage by 41% in 27 smokers, and two weeks of cruciferous vegetable soups lowered 24-hour blood pressure in 17 adults.517

    How many calories are in broccoli?

    A cup of chopped raw broccoli (91 grams) has 31 calories, and a cup of chopped cooked broccoli (156 grams) has 55.115 Per 100 grams of raw broccoli, it's 34.1

    How much protein is in broccoli?

    A cup of chopped raw broccoli has 2.6 grams of protein, and a cup of chopped cooked broccoli has 3.7 grams.115

    How many carbs are in broccoli?

    A cup of chopped raw broccoli has 6.0 grams of carbohydrate, including 2.4 grams of fiber, which leaves 3.7 grams of net carbs.1 That makes it an easy fit for a low-carb or keto plate.

    What vitamins are in broccoli?

    Broccoli is richest in vitamin C and vitamin K: a raw cup gives 90% and 77% of the daily values, and a cooked cup 112% and 183%.1152 It also supplies folate, vitamin B6, pantothenic acid, potassium and the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin.1

    What's the healthiest way to cook broccoli?

    Steaming. Of five home cooking methods tested on broccoli, steaming was the only one with no significant loss of vitamin C,40 and in a pilot study where 7 volunteers ate broccoli both ways, steamed broccoli put more than twice the isothiocyanates into their blood that boiled broccoli did.41 Steam it just until bright green, and add a pinch of mustard powder for more sulforaphane.6

    Can you eat broccoli raw?

    Yes, if your digestion handles raw vegetables well. In a trial of 8 men who each ate both, more sulforaphane was absorbed from raw broccoli than from cooked, and faster,43 while lightly steamed broccoli is easier on the gut,26 so a handful of raw broccoli sprouts on steamed florets gives you some of both.

    Is frozen broccoli as healthy as fresh?

    Yes, frozen broccoli is a good option; the vegetable list in The Biblio Diet says organic fresh or frozen vegetables are best.14 Per 100 grams, frozen chopped broccoli has 26 calories, 3.0 grams of fiber, 56.4 milligrams of vitamin C and 81.1 micrograms of vitamin K.45

    Are broccoli sprouts healthier than broccoli?

    They're far richer in sulforaphane's precursor: 3-day-old sprouts carried 10 to 100 times more glucoraphanin than mature broccoli, and they score 97 on my nutrient density chart, with broccoli heads at 82.199 Eat both; my Hormone Balance for Women protocol pairs 2 cups of cooked crucifers with 2 tablespoons of sprouts a day.8

    Is broccoli bad for your thyroid?

    No. Cooked broccoli is fine for your thyroid. Commercial broccoli carries less than 10 micromoles of goitrin per 100-gram serving, far below the 194 micromoles that slowed the thyroid's iodine uptake, and a 2024 review of 123 lab, animal and human studies found that brassica vegetables in the daily diet pose no adverse effects on thyroid function, particularly with adequate iodine.5355 With an underactive thyroid, eat your crucifers cooked.56

    Does broccoli interact with warfarin?

    It can, through its vitamin K: a cooked cup has 220 micrograms, and warfarin resistance from vitamin K-rich broccoli has been reported.1530 You don't need to avoid it. Keep your intake steady from week to week, and tell the doctor who manages your INR before a big change.

    Does broccoli help you lose weight?

    It can help. A raw cup has 31 calories and 2.4 grams of fiber,1 and in 133,468 U.S. adults followed for up to 24 years, each extra daily serving of cruciferous vegetables went with 0.68 pound less weight gained every 4 years.57

    Why does broccoli give me gas?

    Your gut bacteria ferment its fiber, the same process that produces short-chain fatty acids, and for some people that means gas.21 Steam it rather than eating it raw, and start with smaller portions; lightly steamed crucifers are easier on the gut.26

    Is broccoli good for your eyes?

    Yes. A raw cup carries 1,274 micrograms of lutein and zeaxanthin,1 and in a review of six studies that followed people over time, those who ate the most of these carotenoids had 26% lower risk of late macular degeneration (the early form didn't change) and 32% lower risk of its wet form.58

    Is broccoli good for your bones?

    Yes, through its vitamin K, a nutrient bones rely on: a cooked cup has 220 micrograms,15 and in a review of five studies that followed 80,982 people, those with the most vitamin K in their diets had 22% lower risk of fractures.59

    How much broccoli should you eat a day?

    Aim for 1 to 2 cups of cruciferous vegetables a day, the amount in my Anti-Inflammatory Reset, with broccoli as a regular part of the rotation; my Cancer Support Protocol calls for at least one cooked cup a day.712

    Freshness & update log

    October 6, 2026 — Matched Dr. Axe's quotes to his own words, with their sources.

    October 5, 2026 — Rewrote the page in full. The previous version, "Broccoli: Benefits, Nutrition, Cooking & Side Effects" (updated September 2026), used a retired scoring method; this version is scored under the current food weighting (editorial score 8.1) and corrects the byline credentials to DC, DNM, CNS. It adds the cooking research on steaming and sulforaphane (lab tests of steaming time, two human studies of steamed or lightly cooked broccoli and a trial of mustard powder on cooked broccoli); human trials of whole broccoli and other crucifers on oxidative DNA damage, inflammation, blood pressure, gut bacteria and estrogen metabolism; thyroid safety data; and studies on mortality, weight and prostate cancer. It corrects the size of the cruciferous umbrella review (57 reviews and meta-analyses, not 57 meta-analyses) and removes two outdated lines: a note that USDA's newer Foundation record for raw broccoli lists no calories (it now does) and a claim that standard broccoli didn't lower LDL cholesterol in the high-glucoraphanin broccoli trial (it lowered it 1.8% and 2.5%, changes that weren't statistically significant). It removes the myths table, three supplement trials (vitamin C for colds, a lutein supplement trial and a sulforaphane supplement trial in autism), the cruciferous comparison table and an unconfirmed medical-review line, and replaces first-person lines that couldn't be traced to Dr. Axe's books, protocols or show with sourced ones. It adds a step diagram of how broccoli makes sulforaphane and charts of three trials. Every PubMed record and USDA value was re-verified.

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    Dr. Josh Axe

    Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CNS

    Doctor of Natural Medicine · Founder, DrAxe.com

    Dr. Axe is a certified doctor of natural medicine, clinical nutritionist, and multiple New York Times bestselling author. He has spent 20+ years in clinical practice helping people heal at the root cause and founded one of the most-visited natural-health platforms in the world.

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