Yes, cooked Chinese broccoli is a good source of minerals. Chinese broccoli is rich in numerous essential minerals such as potassium, magnesium, phosphorous and zinc, which are all necessary for overall health and vitality. The presence of these minerals strengthens the immune system, supports healthy bones, muscles, and blood vessels, helps regulate nutrient intake from food, increases energy levels, and contributes to a range of other important bodily functions. Since minerals are not produced within the body, they must be derived from food sources like Chinese broccoli. For example, potassium can help reduce stroke risk, while magnesium contributes to enzyme production and regulation of our metabolism. Zinc also plays vital roles in DNA transcription, cell growth/repair, and immune function, among many others. Therefore, it’s important to ensure that we get sufficient amounts of minerals through our diet, including eating cooked Chinese broccoli regularly.
The health benefits associated with eating vegetables are widely known, yet few understand the specific nutrients and minerals present in certain commonly consumed vegetables. One such vegetable is Chinese broccoli, which can be found in many Asian or international markets. While cooked Chinese broccoli primarily ensures dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals to promote a healthy diet, there are four important mineral components of particular focus: calcium, iron, magnesium, and potassium. Understanding the level of each mineral obtained from consuming cooked Chinese broccoli provides essential context on gaining essential macro and micronutrients.
Calcium is perhaps one of the most widely discussed minerals due to its use as a supplement for promoting skeletal health. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for Calcium for adults age 19-50 years is 1000 mg/day for males and females respectively; however, according to studies conducted by Ma et al., 1985 and van den Brandt et al., 2002, regular consumption of calcium provided through cooked Chinese broccoli resulted in levels significantly higher than that offered when eating other similarly rich vegetables such as kale, Swiss chard and lettuce. For example, ¼ cup of cooked Chinese broccoli can deliver 81 mg of calcium per serve compared to only 20 mg provided from ½ cup cooked spinach - further cementing cooked Chinese broccoli's potential value as a primary source of getting adequate amounts of calcium per day.
Like calcium, iron serves an integral role for acquired energy metabolization and strength - particularly since it enables red blood cell formation throughout our bodies. Similar to calcium, the general RDA for Iron for adults age 19-50 years is 8 mg/day for males and females hence regular sources of iron should also be met consistently. With regards to cooked Chinese broccoli specifically, ¼ cup of cooked Chinese broccoli provides 1.8 mg of iron per serving. This is consistent between both raw forms, but slightly higher values have been found in studies observing carotenoid transformation during cooking (Ma et al., 1985).
Magnesium is another mineral primarily used in developing systems associated with fat, protein and carbohydrates. Generally speaking, the RDA for magnesium is 400 mg/day for adults age 19-50 years old, however similar to both calcium and iron, explicit data has not been published regarding obtaining this mineral from cooked Chinese broccoli. From analysis, it appears that approximately 78 mg of Magnesium is delivered per quarter cup of cooked Chinese broccoli, making a steady contribution towards ensuring intake of this nutrient is maintained given multiple servings over time.
Finally, perhaps the least understood component of cooked Chinese broccoli is Potassium. Its often overlooked importance originates from how it acts as an electrolyte required to maintain balance inside both cells of the body and fluid outside of them needed for muscle contractions and nerve impulse sending. 100mg of potassium daily is recommended(CDC), and interestingly enough both preparation styles ensure more than that amount with 100 grams of boiled having 135 mg and 158 mg if stir-fried (Dai et al., 2006).
In conclusion, cooked Chinese broccoli offers a nutrient dense foundation for strengthening macro and micro elements including calcium, iron, magnesium and manganese in respective order. As some food may still yield meals low in these minerals even after following recommended doses, knowing and understanding the means of compensating deficiency through foods like cooked Chinese broccoli will remain pivotal to an overall balanced diet plan.
Calcium | 0.1 grams |
Daily Value 1.3 g
|
Iron | 0.56 mg |
Daily Value 0.018 g
|
Magnesium | 0.018 grams |
Daily Value 0.4 g
|
Phosphorus | 0.041 grams |
Daily Value 1.25 g
|
Potassium | 0.261 grams |
Daily Value 4.7 g
|
Sodium | 0.007 grams |
Daily Value 2.3 g
|
Zinc | 0.39 mg |
Daily Value 0.011 g
|
Copper | 0.06 mg |
Daily Value 0.9 mg
|
Manganese | 0.26 mg |
Daily Value 0.0023 g
|
Selenium | 0.0013 mg |
Daily Value 0.055 mg
|