Brussels sprouts vs. Broccoli — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison

Introduction

In this article, you can find a detailed description of the differences between brussels sprouts and broccoli.

What's The Actual Difference?

Broccoli is dark green, with firm stalks and compact bud clusters, while brussels sprouts develop a thick stalk where the sprouts, which resemble miniature cabbage heads, form just above where the leaves attach. The flavor of raw broccoli is vegetal, slightly sweet, and slightly bitter. It tastes nothing like cooked broccoli, which is usually sweeter. Brussels sprouts have a sweet, nutty, and smoky flavor. They taste similar to cabbage but milder.

Nutrition

Below you can find the nutrition infographics that visually show the differences between broccoli and brussels sprouts. The nutritional information and infographics are for raw broccoli and raw brussels sprouts.

Vitamins

Brussels sprout contains more vitamins than broccoli. It has more Vitamin A, Vitamin B1, B3, B6, and Vitamin D.

Broccoli contains more Vitamin B2 and Vitamin B5.

Both broccoli and Brussels sprouts fall in the range of the top 10% of foods as a source of Vitamin C.

Both have an equal amount of folate.

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.

Brussels sprouts

6

Broccoli

2

Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A	+21%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E	+12.8%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1	+95.8%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3	+16.6%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6	+25.1%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K	+74.2%

Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2	+30%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5	+85.4%

~equal in Vitamin C ~89.2mg

~equal in Vitamin D ~0µg

~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0µg

~equal in Folate ~63µg

~equal in Choline ~18.7mg

Minerals

Brussels sprout has a relatively higher amount of minerals than broccoli. It contains more iron, potassium, copper, and less sodium than broccoli.

Broccoli contains more calcium.

Both have equal amounts of phosphorus, zinc, and magnesium.

Mineral Comparison

Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.

Brussels sprouts

5

Broccoli

2

Contains more PotassiumPotassium	+23.1%
Contains more IronIron	+91.8%
Contains more CopperCopper	+42.9%
Contains less SodiumSodium	-24.2%
Contains more ManganeseManganese	+60.5%

Contains more CalciumCalcium	+11.9%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium	+56.3%

~equal in Magnesium ~21mg

~equal in Zinc ~0.41mg

~equal in Phosphorus ~66mg

Health Impact

According to studies, people who took a powdered broccoli sprout supplement had lower triglyceride and "bad" LDL cholesterol levels and higher "good" HDL cholesterol levels [3].

In some animal studies, treatment with broccoli extract reduced tumor growth and prevalence in mice with UV-induced skin cancer [4]. Small human studies have yielded similar results, revealing that broccoli extract significantly protects against skin damage and cancer after sun exposure.

Brussels sprouts are high in fiber. Studies show that a higher fiber intake is associated with lower blood sugar and better diabetic control [5].

Brussels sprouts are high in ALA omega-3 fatty acids, which may benefit the health of your brain, heart, immune system, and other organs [6].

Side Effects

Some people may experience gas as a result of eating Brussels sprouts. Also, those with hypothyroidism should avoid them in large quantities due to their potential iodine-inhibiting composition [7].

Broccoli can cause digestive problems, especially in people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) [8].

References

1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1751991815001825
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23631497/
3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20706790/
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2737735/
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8015811/
6. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Omega3FattyAcids-Consumer/#h7
7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23631258/
8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5467063/