Broccoli is richest in vitamin C, delivering 81 milligrams per cup of raw florets, which covers 90% of the recommended daily intake for adults. But vitamin C is just the headliner. Broccoli also provides meaningful amounts of vitamin K, vitamin A, folate, vitamin B6, and vitamin E.
Vitamin C: Broccoli’s Standout Nutrient
A single cup of raw broccoli gets you almost all the vitamin C you need for the day. At 81 milligrams per cup, it actually rivals an orange, which surprises most people. Vitamin C supports your immune system, helps your body build collagen for skin and joint repair, and acts as an antioxidant that protects cells from damage. It also improves how well you absorb iron from plant-based foods, so pairing broccoli with beans, lentils, or leafy greens at the same meal gives you more benefit from both.
Cooking reduces vitamin C content because it breaks down in heat and dissolves in water. Steaming preserves the most, while boiling causes the biggest losses. If you eat your broccoli raw with hummus or in a salad, you’ll get the full 81 milligrams.
Vitamin K for Bones and Blood Clotting
Broccoli is one of the best vegetable sources of vitamin K1, the form involved in blood clotting. Without enough vitamin K, your blood can’t form clots properly after a cut or injury. It also plays a key role in directing calcium into your bones rather than your arteries, which is why consistent vitamin K intake is linked to better bone density over time.
A cup of raw broccoli provides well over 100% of the daily value for vitamin K. Because vitamin K is fat-soluble, your body absorbs it better when you eat broccoli alongside some fat. A drizzle of olive oil, a handful of nuts, or a slice of cheese with your broccoli makes a real difference in how much vitamin K actually reaches your bloodstream.
Vitamin A and Beta-Carotene
Broccoli contains about 567 IU of vitamin A per raw cup, mostly in the form of beta-carotene (roughly 329 micrograms). Beta-carotene is a pigment your body converts into active vitamin A as needed, which means there’s no risk of getting too much from food sources. Vitamin A supports your vision, particularly your ability to see in low light, and helps maintain healthy skin and mucous membranes that serve as your first line of defense against infections.
Like vitamin K, beta-carotene is fat-soluble. Cooking broccoli lightly can actually increase the availability of beta-carotene by breaking down cell walls, making it easier for your digestive system to extract.
Folate for Cell Growth
A half cup of cooked broccoli provides about 52 micrograms of dietary folate equivalents, or 13% of the daily value. Folate, also called vitamin B9, is essential for making and repairing DNA and for proper cell division. This makes it especially important during pregnancy, when rapid cell growth is happening, but everyone needs it daily for normal tissue maintenance and red blood cell production.
Folate also plays a role in processing amino acids, the building blocks of protein. People who eat plenty of folate-rich vegetables like broccoli, asparagus, and spinach tend to have lower levels of homocysteine, a compound linked to cardiovascular risk when it builds up in the blood.
Vitamins B6 and E
Broccoli provides smaller but useful amounts of vitamin B6 and vitamin E. Vitamin B6 helps your body convert food into energy, make neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, and support immune function. Vitamin E works as an antioxidant, protecting cell membranes from oxidative damage. Neither nutrient appears in blockbuster quantities in a single serving of broccoli, but they add up when broccoli is a regular part of your diet alongside other vegetables.
Getting the Most From Broccoli
How you prepare broccoli affects which vitamins survive on your plate. Water-soluble vitamins like C and folate are sensitive to heat and leach into cooking water. Steaming for three to four minutes preserves most of them. Fat-soluble vitamins like K, A, and E hold up better during cooking and actually become more available when you eat them with a source of dietary fat.
The practical takeaway: if you want the most vitamin C, eat some of your broccoli raw. If you’re cooking it, steam rather than boil, keep it slightly crisp, and add a bit of fat. That combination gives you the best shot at absorbing the full range of vitamins broccoli has to offer.