Broccoli: Nutrition, Benefits and Raw vs Cooked Facts

Broccoli is a green cruciferous vegetable, a cousin of cabbage and cauliflower, eaten for its tight flower heads and tender stalks. Is broccoli healthy? In USDA data, a cup of raw chopped broccoli has about 31 calories and close to a full day’s Daily Value of vitamin C, plus a large share of vitamin K, some folate and fiber. This guide covers broccoli nutrition raw, cooked and frozen, what the research on broccoli benefits and its sulfur compounds actually shows, raw vs cooked broccoli, and the safety topics worth knowing: vitamin K with blood thinners, the thyroid question and gas.

Peptide Labs does not sell broccoli or broccoli products. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice.

Broccoli nutrition: USDA numbers raw, cooked and frozen

The table uses the USDA SR Legacy database (FDC IDs 170379 for raw, 169967 for boiled and 169969 for frozen boiled broccoli) with percent Daily Values (%DV) based on FDA reference amounts. Broccoli calories are low because the vegetable is about 89% water, and almost all of its energy comes from carbohydrate and a little protein.

A few patterns stand out. Per 100 grams, USDA lists 89.2 milligrams of vitamin C for raw broccoli and 64.9 for boiled, which fits the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) note that vitamin C is destroyed by heat and that steaming or microwaving may lessen cooking losses. The boiled half cup shows more vitamin K and folate than the raw cup: USDA lists more of both per 100 grams of boiled broccoli than raw, and the frozen cup is a heavier serving. A cup of raw broccoli also has about 6 grams of carbohydrate, of which 2.4 grams are fiber; our fiber per day guide explains the Daily Value for fiber.

Is broccoli healthy? What the numbers mean

There is no single score for whether a food is healthy, but the official sources are consistent about broccoli. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans place broccoli, raw or cooked, in the dark-green vegetable subgroup, alongside kale, spinach and collards. The NIH ODS vitamin C fact sheet names broccoli among good food sources and lists a half cup of cooked broccoli at 51 milligrams, 57% of the Daily Value. The ODS vitamin K fact sheet names broccoli as one of the most common sources of vitamin K in the US diet.

• Vitamin C: raw broccoli is one of the richer vegetable sources; our vitamin C foods guide compares it with peppers, kiwi and citrus.
• Vitamin K: broccoli supplies phylloquinone (vitamin K1); the vitamin K guide ranks it against leafy greens.
• Calcium: the amount is modest, but ODS notes that calcium from broccoli, kale and cabbage is absorbed about as well as calcium from milk, unlike calcium from spinach. See our calcium foods guide.
• Fiber and folate: moderate amounts per cup, higher per cup when cooked or frozen. Our high-fiber foods guide lists vegetables with more.

Broccoli is also low in fat and sodium in its plain form. Sauces, cheese and butter change the picture, so check the Nutrition Facts label on frozen broccoli with sauce.

Broccoli benefits and glucosinolates: what research shows

Much of the interest in broccoli benefits comes from glucosinolates. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) fact sheet on cruciferous vegetables describes them as sulfur-containing chemicals that give these vegetables their pungent smell and slightly bitter taste. During chopping, chewing and digestion they break down into active compounds, including indoles and isothiocyanates. Two have been studied most: indole-3-carbinol and sulforaphane. In broccoli, sulforaphane comes from a glucosinolate called glucoraphanin.

NCI explains that these compounds have shown effects in cell experiments and in rats and mice, and that this is why researchers study them. It is just as clear about the limits: studies in humans have shown mixed results. Most of the human evidence comes from observational studies that compare what people report eating with later health records. NCI notes two problems with that kind of research: people may not remember precisely what they ate, and people who eat more cruciferous vegetables may also have other healthy habits. So the research is a reason to keep studying broccoli, not proof that broccoli changes anyone’s risk of a disease.

Indole-3-carbinol also forms diindolylmethane (DIM) in the stomach, the compound sold as a supplement; our DIM supplement guide explains what that research measured. For broader context on plant compounds, see foods high in antioxidants.

Raw vs cooked broccoli

Broccoli carries its own enzyme, myrosinase, that converts glucosinolates when the plant tissue is cut or chewed. A 2024 systematic review in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences explains that cooking deactivates myrosinase, so intact glucosinolates travel to the colon, where gut bacteria break them down instead. A small randomized crossover trial published in 2008 in 8 men found much more sulforaphane in blood and urine after raw broccoli (37% bioavailability) than after cooked broccoli (3.4%), with slower absorption from the cooked form. That trial measured absorption only, not health outcomes.

The practical summary of raw vs cooked broccoli: raw keeps more vitamin C and more of the enzyme; cooked is softer, easier for many people to eat in larger portions and still supplies fiber, folate and vitamin K. Both count as vegetables, and the form you will actually eat matters more than small differences on paper.

Broccoli parts and relatives: florets, stalks, Chinese broccoli and broccoli raab

USDA has separate SR Legacy entries for parts of the plant and for related greens sold under similar names. Values below are per 100 grams of the raw vegetable.

The stalks are edible and, in USDA data, similar in calories and vitamin C to the florets (the stalk entry, FDC 169331, has no fiber value). Peel the tough outer layer of thick stalks and slice them thinly. Broccoli raab, also called rapini, is sold as a separate leafy vegetable with its own USDA entry, and per 100 grams USDA lists more than twice the vitamin K of regular broccoli. Broccoli sprouts are also sold, often marketed for sulforaphane; SR Legacy has no entry for them, and this guide makes no claims about sprouts or sulforaphane supplements.

Vitamin K with warfarin, thyroid questions and gas

Blood thinners. The ODS vitamin K fact sheet says vitamin K can have a serious and potentially dangerous interaction with warfarin (Coumadin), and that people taking it need to keep their vitamin K intake consistent. MedlinePlus advises eating consistent amounts of vitamin K-containing food from week to week and talking to your doctor before changing your diet. That does not mean avoiding broccoli; it means not suddenly eating much more or much less of it. Ask the prescriber or pharmacist about your own medicine.

Thyroid. The ODS iodine fact sheet lists cruciferous vegetables, including broccoli and cauliflower, among foods containing goitrogens, substances that interfere with iodine uptake in the thyroid and can worsen iodine deficiency. It adds that the concern is mainly for people in areas prone to iodine deficiency, and that for most of the US population, with adequate iodine and a varied diet, reasonable amounts of these foods are not a concern. The 2024 systematic review above reached a similar conclusion. If you have a thyroid condition, ask your clinician; our iodine guide covers iodine sources.

Gas. NIDDK lists cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower among foods that may cause extra gas, because bacteria in the large intestine break down carbohydrates that were not fully digested. Smaller portions, cooking and adding vegetables gradually are common approaches; see our gas and bloating guide. Broccoli is not one of the nine major food allergens under US law. For a lower-calorie companion vegetable, see cauliflower.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Food comes first; follow the label and ask a healthcare provider before starting a supplement, especially if you take a blood thinner, have a thyroid condition or are pregnant. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Last reviewed October 2026.

Related guides: Cauliflower: Nutrition, Cauliflower Rice and Health Facts, Foods High in Vitamin K: USDA List, K1 vs K2 and Warfarin Notes, High Fiber Foods: USDA List of Fruits, Vegetables, Beans and Grains, Broccolini: What It Is, Broccolini vs Broccoli, How to Cook It, Cruciferous Vegetables List: The Mustard Family and USDA Data.