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Broccoli has a fantastic nutritional profile that offers plenty of potential health benefits.

It’s rich in fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidants (1).

Broccoli can be prepared in numerous ways, including sautéed, steamed, boiled, or roasted, but it can also be served raw in salads or with dips.

This article explores whether you can safely eat raw broccoli and the advantages and disadvantages of eating it raw or cooked.

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Can be enjoyed with little preparation 

While it may be more commonly served cooked, broccoli can be a nutritious addition to your diet without hardly any preparation.

To enjoy raw broccoli, first clean the head of broccoli under cold running water.

Use your fingers to rub clean any noticeably dirty spots and gently pat the broccoli with a paper towel until it’s completely dry.

Using a sharp knife, cut the broccoli florets from the main stem into bite-sized pieces.

Both the florets and stems are completely safe to eat. However, the stems may be stringy and tougher to chew. The thinner the stems are cut, the easier they’ll be to chew.

At this stage, the broccoli can be enjoyed just as it is, though you may choose to boost the flavor by dipping the florets in a yogurt-based dressing, hummus, or another vegetable dip.

You can easily add broccoli to a raw vegetable platter or mix it into a tossed salad or pasta dish to add texture, flavor, and nutritional value.

Summary

Broccoli can be enjoyed raw with little preparation. Florets can be incorporated into salads, added to a veggie platter, or enjoyed dipped in various dipping sauces and dressings.

Preparation may affect nutrient content 

Some cooking methods may reduce broccoli’s content of certain nutrients.

For instance, broccoli is an excellent source of vitamin C.

One cup (90 grams) of chopped raw broccoli provides 90–108% of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for this nutrient for men and women, respectively (2, 3).

However, vitamin C is a heat-sensitive vitamin, and its content can vary greatly depending on the cooking method.

One study found that stir-frying and boiling broccoli decreased the content of vitamin C by 38% and 33%, respectively (4).

Another study noted that microwaving, boiling, and stir-frying caused significant losses in vitamin C and chlorophyll, a health-boosting pigment that gives broccoli its green color (4).

Steaming broccoli appears to offer the greatest retention of these nutrients, compared with the other cooking methods mentioned (4).

Broccoli is also rich in the natural plant compound sulforaphane.

Sulforaphane has been linked to various health benefits and may help protect against heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and digestive issues (5, 6, 7, 8).

Interestingly, your body is able to more readily absorb sulforaphane from raw broccoli than cooked broccoli (9).

Nevertheless, cooking broccoli may have its benefits.

For example, cooking broccoli significantly enhances its antioxidant activity.

Specifically, cooking may boost broccoli’s content of carotenoids, which are beneficial antioxidants that help prevent disease and enhance the immune system (10, 11).

Summary

Cooking broccoli may significantly increase its antioxidant activity but decrease its content of heat-sensitive nutrients like vitamin C and sulforaphane. Steaming broccoli appears to offer the greatest retention of nutrients.

May cause gas or bloating 

In most cases, raw broccoli is safe to enjoy with little or no risks.

However, like most vegetables in the cruciferous family, both raw and cooked broccoli may cause excessive gas or bloating in some people.

Broccoli may cause digestive distress, particularly in people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) (12).

This is due to its high fiber and FODMAP content.

FODMAPs (fermentable oligo-, di-, mono-saccharides, and polyols) are poorly absorbed short-chain carbs that are found naturally in foods, including cruciferous vegetables like broccoli (12).

In individuals with IBS, FODMAPs can pass to the colon unabsorbed, which may cause excessive gas or bloating (12).

It’s unclear whether certain cooking methods can affect the FODMAP content of food.

Still, cooking broccoli may help soften tough plant fibers that are found in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli. Therefore, it may make broccoli easier to chew and digest for some individuals.

Summary

Both raw and cooked broccoli contain FODMAPs, which are short-chain carbohydrates that may cause gas and bloating in some individuals. Cooking broccoli softens its fibers, making it easier to chew and digest.

A nutritious choice both raw and cooked 

Making broccoli a part of your diet is a healthy choice regardless of how you prepare it.

Both cooked and raw broccoli offer beneficial nutritional profiles that are rich in fiber, antioxidants, and important vitamins and minerals (1, 13).

To reap the greatest health benefits, it’s best to eat a variety of raw and cooked broccoli.

Enhance tossed salads by topping them with chopped raw broccoli florets, or simply munch on raw broccoli as a nutritious and crunchy snack.

On the other hand, enjoy lightly steamed broccoli as a stand-alone side dish or mixed into a hearty casserole.

Summary

Both raw and cooked broccoli are nutritious. Incorporating a combination of the two into your diet will offer the greatest health benefits.

The bottom line

Broccoli is a nutrient-packed vegetable that can be eaten safely either raw or cooked.

Cooking may enhance the antioxidant activity of broccoli, but it may also reduce its content of certain heat-sensitive nutrients, such as vitamin C and sulforaphane.

When cooking broccoli, it may be best to steam it, as this appears to offer the greatest retention of nutrients, compared with other cooking methods.

For maximum health benefits, incorporate a combination of both raw and cooked broccoli into your diet.