Pop this lifesaving vegetable on your plate

IF YOU are one of the four out of five Australians who fail to include enough vegetables in your diet, this may be welcome news.

According to a doctor in the UK, you only need to be eating one type of vegetable to boost your health.

Dr Rangan Chatterjee, the author of The Four Pillar Plan and a correspondent on the BBC program Doctor in the

House, claims there is only one vegetable people really need to eat – broccoli.

“Broccoli is a lifesaver,” he wrote in a recent article for the MailOnline.

Dr Chatterjee said the common green vegetable boosted people’s gut bacteria, which helped to support their immune systems and improve their bowel health.

“It does a number of things,” he said.

“As it goes through the small intestine it helps to balance your immune system.

“And then the fibre from the broccoli that can’t be digested goes along to the colon, which is the last part of the bowel, where most of the gut bugs reside and they start feasting on the fibre and making shortchain fatty acids.”

Broccoli belongs to the cruciferous vegetable family, which includes kale, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, bok choy and cabbage.

These nutrition powerhouses supply loads of nutrients for few calories.

Eating a high amount of cruciferous vegetables has also been been associated with a lower risk of cancer, particularly lung and colon cancer.

Broccoli also contributes to your daily need for calcium, providing 43 milligrams in just one cup.