Eat pasta and broccoli to January it is an excellent way to ensure the body a series of health-promoting substances in this period. This dish based on two typical ingredients of the Mediterranean diet is perfect after a period in which you have overdone it with fats, fried foods and sweets. "It contributes to the elimination of excess toxins. Broccoli is indeed very rich in antioxidants, substances that counteract free radicals and promote the elimination of toxins ", he says Valentina Galiazzo, nutrition biologist specializing in clinical biochemistry. This purely winter first course is then a valid ally to regain the hunger-satiety rhythm after a period of irregularity. "Bringing it to the table even a couple of times a week, provided of course not to overdo the quantities, allows you to feel less hungry between meals. Broccoli gives the dish many soluble fibers that first of all slow down the absorption of starch from the pasta and improve the effect on insulin production, which affects satiety ". But the benefits of this dish are also many others. Here are 5 good reasons to eat pasta and broccoli in January.

Fights the winter blues

Bringing pasta with broccoli to the table is also a great way to counteract sadness and mood swings, which tend to be more frequent on winter days. "This dish provides a high concentration of B-complex vitamins, including vitamin B5 and a combination of minerals that support emotional well-being, says the expert," says nutritionist Valentina Galiazzo. "It then provides vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, which helps you always feel at the top even on the coldest days because in addition to facilitating the assimilation of iron, a mineral that fights the feeling of fatigue, it strengthens the body's defenses" .

It's good for the heart

Pasta with broccoli is also an ally dish for cardiovascular health. Consumption of broccoli reduces the blood concentration of homocysteine, an amino acid that increases the risk to the heart. "The credit is due to the richness of soluble fibers which have a real protective effect," says the expert. “First of all, they reduce the chances of becoming overweight and obese, which increase the chances of cardiovascular disease. In fact, they slow down the assimilation of fats, including cholesterol and triglycerides, and sugars. Combined with the complex carbohydrates of pasta, they allow you to avoid blood sugar peaks and prevent type 2 diabetes and hypercholesterolemia, two other risk factors ".

It reduces stress

The B vitamins associated with essential amino acids including tryptophan of which pasta is a source increase the synthesis of serotonin, a neurotransmitter antagonist of stress hormones such as cortisol, noradrenaline and adrenaline ", adds the expert. "Thanks to the presence of minerals and trace elements such as copper, phosphorus, but also manganese and potassium, it is an excellent ally to feel dynamic even in the hardest and most tiring moments".

It prevents cancer

Finally, eating pasta and broccoli often is an excellent strategy for preventing cancer, especially lung, breast and colorectal cancers. "Broccoli is rich in glucosinolates responsible for their bitter taste, including sulforaphane, which have a real anti-cancer action", explains nutritionist Valentina Galiazzo. To make the most of their protective effect and ensure that it does not reduce, it is necessary to avoid keeping the broccoli in the refrigerator for a long time and pay attention to prolonged cooking. «The heat tends to make it diminish. For this reason, the advice to follow in the kitchen is to avoid overcooking them. The ideal is to quickly blanch them in boiling water ".

It can easily turn into a single dish

With the addition of a few ingredients, the pasta and broccoli easily becomes a single dish capable of combining first and second courses. "Among the ingredients that can be added to make it complete and at the same time balanced from a nutritional point of view, there are anchovies or mussels, a source of essential fatty acids and quality proteins", suggests nutritionist Valentina Galiazzo. "Alternatively, to ensure a dish rich in all the nutrients needed by the body, it can also be combined with pine nuts or, if you do not suffer from irritable bowel, with legumes, in particular beans and lentils. The latter cooked together with broccoli in addition to ensuring essential amino acids, allow to double the content of glucosinolates, thus increasing the health benefits ".