Key Takeaways
- Some people may want to consume broccoli in the morning, especially for weight loss, as it helps increase fiber intake throughout the day while supporting digestion and appetite control.
- There is no single best time to eat broccoli, though—making it a consistent, regular part of your diet is key to reaping its health benefits.
- Eating broccoli at least once per week may help reduce the risk of some cancers and offer other benefits like better heart health and mental health.
There is no evidence to support that eating broccoli at a particular time each day will provide more benefits, but eating broccoli daily may provide multiple benefits when it comes to weight, cancer prevention, and other areas of health.
When to Eat or Avoid Broccoli
Broccoli is nutritious, so eating it with breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a snack can help you take advantage of its health benefits.
The only caveat is that it may be a good choice to avoid broccoli close to bedtime (regardless of when exactly you go to bed) because it can increase gas production and cause gastrointestinal (digestive) discomfort. Certain carbohydrates found in broccoli are harder to fully digest than others, leading to more gas production in your large intestine.
Research has found that some people can experience autonomic arousal, or the activation of the autonomic nervous system, when they have gas or bloating while trying to sleep. This can lead to poor sleep.
Gas, bloating, and discomfort after eating broccoli may be more common in people with gastrointestinal disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Broccoli and Weight Loss
Because broccoli is high in fiber and water and relatively low in calories, eating it regularly can support weight management and weight loss efforts. The nutrients and calories help to keep you full, which can control appetite. They can also improve metabolism.
A one-cup serving of raw, uncooked broccoli provides:
- Calories: 35 cals
- Carbohydrates: 5.6 grams (g)
- Fiber: 2.2 g
- Fat: 0.3 g
- Vitamin C: 90% of Daily Value (DV)
- Vitamin K: 77% of DV
- Folate: 15% of DV
You can help get the weight management effects of broccoli at any meal of the day, but it may be especially helpful if you add broccoli to your breakfast due to its fiber.
Weight Loss and Fiber Intake
Research suggests that fiber and weight management are so closely connected that people who eat roughly 19-30 grams of fiber per day can lose weight, even without changing anything else in their diet.
Broccoli and Cancer Prevention
Eating broccoli regularly may help reduce the risk of several types of cancer. Research suggests that eating plenty of broccoli is associated with a reduced risk of:
- Respiratory tract cancer
- Reproductive cancer
- Pancreatic cancer
- Gastric (stomach) cancer
- Bladder cancer
While no specific time is stated for when people ate their broccoli, the research noted that high broccoli consumption ranged from daily to weekly, with some people eating it once per day and others once per week. Eating broccoli only three times per month, or none at all, was considered low broccoli consumption.
Specific metabolites in broccoli, such as isothiocyanates, help give broccoli its anti-cancer properties. These are compounds with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer health benefits.
How to Cook Broccoli for Anti-Cancer Benefits
Older research has found that, compared to boiling or microwaving, steaming broccoli is the best way to cook broccoli to take advantage of its anti-cancer benefits.
Fiber Content in Broccoli and the Benefits
Fiber is an essential nutrient, and when broccoli is cooked, it provides even more digestible fiber than it does when it’s raw. A cup of cooked broccoli has 5.2 grams of fiber, or roughly 18% of the daily value requirements.
Aside from weight management and cancer prevention, eating the nutrients in broccoli and getting enough fiber in your diet also provides several other health benefits, including:
- Improved digestion
- Better metabolic health and insulin sensitivity
- A healthier and more diverse collection of gut bacteria
- A reduction in chronic inflammation
- Improvement in mental health conditions, such as depression
- Less risk of cardiovascular disease
While there is no research to support a best time to consume fiber, eating it in the morning can help ensure that you get enough fiber throughout the day.
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