Everybody eats vegetables to stay healthy and alive. We survive on food and all thanks to the earth. Vegetables have many benefits, and every day we explore different varieties for our betterment.
In the modern world, genius scientists are developing crops in the laboratories, and there’s an outcry from many people.
Do you know that some fruits and vegetables are man-made? Is broccoli man made? The facts are super interesting, but first, we’ll slice up everything about the broccoli. Read on.
Broccoli: A Human Invention
It’s not correctly well-known when this superfood came into existence; however, studies suggest that it’s been around for two millennia.
Human beings have the wisdom to do many things, and one of them was to create broccoli. Thanks to man, we now have the broccoli plant. But how did this come into being?
Apparently, after many years of breeding, the broccoli joins the list of other man-made fruits and vegetables such as bananas, watermelons, and strawberries.
Broccoli is a famous vegetable that we cook for consumption. It’s packed with lots of nutritious benefits, and that’s why it forms part of the diet in many homes.
It has fiber, proteins, minerals, vitamins, and more. So, many people believe it’s a fruit too. Is it veggies or fruit? It’s easy to prepare and requires just steaming for a few minutes.
Broccoli: A Member Of The Cabbage Family
From the appearance, Broccoli looks like a miniature plant and is a member of the Brassica Oleracea family or the wild cabbage.
It comprises a head with flower buds, the stem or stock, and tiny seeds. These seeds are not fruits but are useful in reproduction or propagation.
Surprisingly, broccoli vegetable is not the lonesome member under this classification. Other siblings include Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kales, and cabbages. It’s a cruciferous vegetable that falls under edible plants.
It does better than the older siblings in that it’s tasty and has the most nutritive value. We can trace its origins to the Mediterranean, later grown in Italy, a voyage to America and Medieval Europe before bouncing to every corner of the world. Pretty a journey!
Indeed, it was in Italy where the process of propagation began and spread to other parts of the world.
How Was Broccoli Made?
There is a general misconception that everything that sprouts from the earth is natural. Frankly, this is not the case since many plants that grow today owe their existence to man.
Broccoli is a derivative of the Italian phrase broccoli, which means the sprouting part of the cabbage. Probably you’re wondering how the broccoli was made yet in ancient times, the world was not as advanced as today.
Of course, there were no laboratories thousands of years ago, but Agriculture is as old as the earth. Man has to eat and is always on the lookout for food.
The human population back then relied on Agriculture for food just like today. Crop and animal husbandry have been around for many years, and it’s no wonder that crops such as broccoli came into existence.
We attribute this development to selective breeding or artificial selection. It involves the development of new plants or animals with certain desirable traits.
These characteristics do not differ from the original plant but are superior in that they can withstand certain conditions to exist naturally.
Selective breeding is a complex process that involves isolating positive aspects of a plant to create a new plant with superior characteristics.
For instance, the resulting plant can resist pest and disease attack. It’s also healthy and stays fresh for a longer time.
The broccoli was bred from the wild cabbage or the mustard plant through the elaborate process of selective breeding. The process involved the propagation of seeds for many years to create the broccoli.
Wild cabbage grows on the Mediterranean coasts and the Atlantic. Other than the broccoli, other plants that have developed from this process include kales, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, collard, and cabbage.
These plants are highly advanced and a vegetable of choice for many people.
From our discussion, the wild cabbage has resulted in the development of other similar vegetables. But it does not limit the process to broccoli alone. Man has developed other plants through selective breeding.
These include bananas, strawberries, okra, wheat, sunflower, corn, and soybeans. Broccoli is a safe crop for consumption and is a healthy vegetable.
Broccolini is yet another superfood that is a product of selective breeding. It’s bred from Brassica oleracea or the wild cabbage and is an upgrade of the broccoli food.
After selective breeding, they crossbred the broccoli several times over hundreds of years. The resulting plant was broccolini.
Is Broccoli Genetically Modified?
That’s the question on most people’s minds. Before going straight into the answer, it’s important to know that scientists develop GMO foods in the lab and the process differs from selective breeding.
The GMO process involves altering the DNA of a plant or material to produce other plants without the natural process of breeding or reproduction.
Scientifically, modification and alteration of genes can cause the introduction of DNA elements to a specific part of the entire plant.
This process is not limited to plants only. It also extends to animals. There is a lot of controversy and doubts about the safety of such food products. Pundits argue that such food can cause cancers and other health complications.
The broccoli has close relations with its siblings, and it’s also known as the green cauliflower. The similarities sometimes can lead to various questions, like whether the broccoli is a real vegetable.
People also question whether it’s a GMO food, and all these concerns are valid.
In selective breeding, humans play a minor role in the development of the superior plant. All the other factors are because of the environment or the surrounding. However, this is not the case with GMO food products.
Scientists propagate food crops in the lab with nature, playing a minor role. Everything is artificial, and the crop grows in an artificial farm with favorable conditions.
Broccoli is not a GMO food since it’s not been developed in a lab. Likewise, its DNA and that of other members of the Brassica oleracea family have not been altered to form a different plant.
As seen earlier, the process to develop the broccoli plant is long and spread across many decades.
With broccoli, they took buds from the wild cabbage and forced them to propagate. The weaker elements were discarded and the strong ones reproduced again.
They repeated the process again and again and with cross-breeding; the broccoli emerged as a superior plant.
Is Broccoli Good For You?
Yes! Broccoli is one of the healthiest vegetables of the Brassica olerace family. Although it’s a man-made plant, studies reveal that it’s a superfood and is not a GMO food.
Crops developed through selective breeding are safe since the process involves propagation and allowing nature to take its course in modifying the crop.
After many years of crossbreeding, broccoli is the ultimate crop that develops through a natural process.
Broccoli is rich in fiber and is essential in managing diabetes through blood sugar control. It has proteins and different varieties of vitamins such as A, C, E, and more.
It can be cooked by steaming for a few minutes and served with rice, beef, and other food varieties. Moreover, you can mix with other vegetables to prepare some salad.
Conclusion
Is broccoli is man-made? The verdict is out! Without a doubt, Broccoli is a man-made plant that was developed via an elaborate process of selective breeding.
Without humans, there can be no broccoli! However, we also give credit to nature since, after selective breeding; these vegetables have gone through modifications for thousands of years to develop into what we know now.
We hope that this information has been helpful, and all questions are answered. Well, eat some healthy broccoli!
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