Not only is broccoli the broom of the stomach – meaning that it’s excellent at keeping your gut clean – but it works wonders at keeping your brain healthy. Broccoli contains a decent amount of lutein, which studies have called “crystallized intelligence.” What it does is that it helps the adult brain use and maintain the skills they’ve learned throughout life. This is a breakthrough, as the adult brain tends to deteriorate over time and lose much of its mental elasticity. Leafy green vegetables, including broccoli (though many people may not think of it as “leafy”), are powerful in the fight against age-related dementia and memory loss and improving overall cognitive function.

In addition to protecting your brain, broccoli helps protect your second brain – your gut. Broccoli is one of many foods considered prebiotics, which helps establish a healthy environment for the probiotics that your stomach needs for overall health and well-being. Many people do not realize that much of their mental health is controlled by the gut. An unhealthy gut is laden down with processed food residue and lacks probiotics (the good bacteria you need to keep the harmful bacteria at bay). Broccoli is one of the best things that you can eat to keep your second brain functioning optimally.