Broccoli: A Wonder Vegetable for Your Dental Health

The foods that you eat can help protect your dental health in a variety of ways. For example, broccoli provides one of the best sources of oral health protection available. You can receive benefits from broccoli whether you eat it raw or prefer to steam it before you eat. The details below will explain why you need broccoli in your life for comprehensive oral health protection.

Broccoli Supports Dental Health Broccoli provides your teeth and gums with a substantial boost of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. Just a few of the most critical include:

• Vitamin C — This decreases the risk of periodontal disease and increases tissue strength.

• Kaempferol — This nutrient is a flavonoid that helps to protect your teeth from periodontal diseases.

• Sulforaphane — This vitamin may reduce your risk of certain types of oral cancers.

• Beta-carotene — This helps improve vitamin A synthesis to improve teeth and gum health.

The concentration of these minerals remains high throughout broccoli and varies depending on the color. For example, florets with deep purple and green colors typically have the highest amounts of vitamins and minerals. Look for these florets, whenever possible, to get the best benefits. Raw Broccoli May Break Apart Plaque Raw broccoli may also offer many dental health benefits that you cannot ignore. Fresh broccoli's nutrient levels remain high and provide an easier way to get children to enjoy this vegetable. For example, you can give dips to children for the broccoli — such as hummus — that your children enjoy and which make them more likely to enjoy this vegetable. However, broccoli may also help to break apart plaque buildup on your teeth due to its sturdy surface. The UIC College of Dentistry noted that stiff, hard, and fibrous vegetables stimulate the production of saliva in the mouth and scraped away plaque from the mouth. This benefit was observed primarily in veggies such as carrots and celery as well as fruits like apples and oranges. However, the thick stalks of broccoli provide the same benefit when broccoli is raw. The stem must be reasonably hard to receive this advantage, which is why you should eat the broccoli raw to get this effect. Do not ignore the floret of the broccoli, though as this is where most of the nutrients — and taste — of broccoli exists. Steaming Preserves and Enhances Nutrient Count Though raw broccoli provides many dental health benefits, many people may struggle to enjoy uncooked broccoli in their diet. And while boiled broccoli is easy to prepare, this cooking method will leach a vegetable's nutrients. For example, studies have found that boiled zucchini loses about 50 percent of its nutrients. Though broccoli likely does not lose as much, the nutrient loss is problematic. By contrast, steamed vegetables like broccoli maintain their nutrient levels and provide a higher dose of teeth- and gum-saving vitamin and minerals like beta-carotene and vitamin C. Try to cook your broccoli whole, too, as cut vegetables may also lose nutrients. Also, steam your vegetables as minimally as possible and remove them from the streamer when they are soft enough to eat but not too mushy. Professional Dental Help Is Critical As you can see, broccoli remains one of the best foods for your overall dental health. Whether you like it raw or steamed, you have plenty of options from which to choose. So if you want to protect your dental health and need professional help to keep your teeth healthy, please do not hesitate to contact us at Jeffrey L. Erwin DDS right away. We will work hard to protect your teeth and your gums from decay. Call us today.