Which Packs a Greater Antioxidant Punch?

Fall is right here, that means it’s the height season on your favourite cruciferous greens: broccoli and Brussels sprouts.

Wealthy in antioxidants, each of those inexperienced veggies are nice additions to your food regimen. However does one pack extra of a dietary punch with these health-boosting compounds?

Right here’s what three dietitians needed to say about how to decide on between broccoli and Brussels sprouts for max antioxidant advantages.

Antioxidants are present in fruits, greens (together with broccoli and Brussels sprouts), seeds, nuts, leaves, roots, and flours, mentioned Namrita Brooke, PhD, RDN, train physiologist, sports activities nutritionist, and biking coach at BaseCamp. And so they’re essential on your well being.

Antioxidants’ job is to counteract free radicals, that are unstable molecules that construct up from stress, poor food regimen, or a sedentary way of life, Natalie Rizzo, RD, a NYC-based sports activities dietitian and founding father of Greenletes, instructed Well being.

Nonetheless, when somebody doesn’t have sufficient antioxidants of their food regimen, the physique can enter a state of oxidative stress, contributing to well being points, in line with Rizzo.

“Antioxidants work by neutralizing these free radicals and decreasing the harm that contributes to irritation, accelerated growing old, and continual illness danger,” Cara Harbstreet, RD, LD, a Kansas Metropolis-based registered dietitian and the proprietor of Road Sensible Vitamin, instructed Well being.

There are many antioxidants on the market, however they’re usually sorted into two classes:

• Direct (exogenous) antioxidants resembling vitamin C, vitamin E, carotenoids, and others step in immediately to neutralize the free radicals in your physique, Brooke instructed Well being.
• Oblique (endogenous) antioxidants—together with catalase and uric acid—work extra behind the scenes by activating or inhibiting sure enzymes.

These classes aren’t at all times so neat, nevertheless. Curcumin (present in turmeric) is one instance of an antioxidant that has each direct and oblique capabilities.

What Can Antioxidants Do for Your Well being?

Science typically agrees that antioxidants are good for you, however analysis is combined about their capacity to truly forestall well being circumstances.

Sure research have proven that antioxidants can thrust back free radical harm that has been related to most cancers growth. Nonetheless, a number of randomized managed trials have discovered antioxidant dietary supplements had no protecting impact on most cancers danger, in line with the Nationwide Most cancers Institute.

A few of these trials have even recommended that prime doses of vitamin E and beta-carotene may increase the chance of lung and prostate most cancers in sure populations.

With regards to coronary heart illness, it’s the same story. A 2022 research in Scientific Stories recommended antioxidants resembling zinc and nutritional vitamins A, E, and C could “gradual the event and development” of coronary heart illness.

Nonetheless, the authors of a 2024 literature overview in Vitamins concluded that proof of antioxidants’ helpful impact on coronary heart illness long-term “continues to be missing.”

Each of those cruciferous greens have spectacular antioxidant profiles.

One serving (85 grams) of uncooked broccoli comprises:

• Vitamin C: 78 milligrams (mg)
• Vitamin E: 0.13 mg
• Niacin: 0.54 mg
• Beta-carotene: 79 micrograms (mcg)
• Lutein and zeaxanthin: 633 mcg

In the meantime, one cup (88 grams) of uncooked Brussels sprouts has:

• Vitamin C: 75 mg
• Vitamin E: 0.77 mg
• Niacin: 0.66 mg
• Beta-carotene: 396 mcg
• Lutein and zeaxanthin: 1,400 mcg

Each greens comprise different antioxidants too, although actual quantities are more durable to pin down. These embrace antioxidants resembling flavonoids and sulforaphane.

It’s Not Simply Antioxidants

These greens comprise different vitamins, too. In 88 grams (g) of Brussels sprouts and 85 g of broccoli, you’ll discover:

• Fiber: about 3.3 g for Brussels sprouts, 2 g for broccoli
• Potassium: 342 mg for Brussels sprouts, 258 mg for broccoli
• Vitamin Ok: 156 mcg for Brussels sprouts, 87 mcg for broccoli
• Folate: 54 mcg for Brussels sprouts, 55 mcg for broccoli

“Fiber aids in digestion, improves satiety and blood glucose management, decreases ldl cholesterol and coronary heart illness danger, and promotes wholesome intestine micro organism,” Brooke mentioned. “Potassium aids blood strain and muscle contraction, and vitamin Ok helps bone and vascular well being.” As for folate? That’s a B vitamin that helps the physique make new cells.

Selecting between broccoli and Brussels sprouts isn’t a simple activity. Each of those greens are wealthy in antioxidants and are “glorious” additions to your food regimen, Rizzo mentioned.

Evaluating Antioxidants Can Get Sophisticated

There’s nobody vegetable that is available in first in relation to antioxidant content material—broccoli and Brussels sprouts have various concentrations of every compound. Plus, every of those antioxidants does various things for the physique.

For instance, when you’re involved about cardiovascular well being, broccoli could be the higher decide—it comprises extra heart-healthy antioxidants referred to as flavonoids, particularly kaempferol and quercetin.

However Brussels sprouts take the cake in relation to beta-carotene and lutein and zeaxanthin concentrations—these antioxidants are recognized for supporting eye well being.

In the meantime, broccoli sprouts—very younger broccoli vegetation—comprise the very best quantity of sulforaphane, an antioxidant efficient towards carcinogens. It’s additionally being investigated as a attainable remedy for neurodegenerative ailments resembling Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s illness.

You could find sulforaphane in Brussels sprouts and broccoli, too, although ranges rely largely on how the greens are cooked.

The Greatest Alternative? Have Them Each

On the finish of the day, all antioxidants are good for you—so rotating between each greens in your weekly meals might be one of the best ways to cowl all of your dietary bases, Brooke suggested. Your style preferences, cooking model, and funds ought to information your alternative too, Harbstreet added.

Simply be sure that some vegetable is ending up in your plate day-after-day, whether or not it’s broccoli, Brussels sprouts, or one thing else. Adults want wherever from 2–4 cups of veggies day by day, relying on age and intercourse.

“Since many people battle to eat sufficient servings of greens every day, attempt to not give attention to the trivia of optimizing each chunk,” Harbstreet mentioned.

Antioxidants are essential to protecting the physique functioning because it ought to—each broccoli and Brussels sprouts pack loads of these health-boosting antioxidants, in addition to different vitamins which can be good on your well being.

Including extra greens to your food regimen total is a superb start line in supporting mobile well being and anti inflammatory processes, Harbstreet mentioned.