Let’s Talk About Cruciferous Vegetables — Brussel sprouts, Broccoli, and Cauliflower, to name a few:
“Eat your Veggies” — It’s a common refrain you probably heard over and over again as you were growing up. You might even use it on your own kids.
But did you ever hear about Cruciferous vegetables? You probably ate these vegetiables but just didn’t know what they were called.
But do you know why it’s important to eat your vegetables?
As a holistic nutritionist school with online courses, we can help answer “why should I eat my veggies” along with other questions.
Today we’re going to look specifically at cruciferous vegetables — what they are, and the reasons you should add them to your diet. Let’s take a closer look.
What Are Cruciferous Vegetables?
Some examples of veggies in this family include:
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Arugula
- Bok choy
- Turnips
- Kale
- Radish
- Brussel sprouts
- Broccoli
- Mustard greens
Each of these vegetables actually evolved from the mustard plant, which is what makes them part of the same family.
You might also see them called brassica vegetables. It is the same thing.
Why Eat Cruciferous Vegetables?
There are many great reasons to add more cruciferous vegetables to your plate at dinner time.
From weight loss to anti-cancer properties, these vegetables pack a powerful nutritional punch.
Let’s look closer at some of the great reasons to make sure cruciferous veggies make an appearance in your meals.
1. They Have A Lot Of Essential Nutrients
One of the best ways to ensure that you are getting the nutrients needed by your body is to add lots of vegetables to your diet.
Vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients play important roles in ensuring various bodily functions work smoothly.
Cruciferous veggies, in particular, are great sources of many of these nutrients, including:
2. They’re Good For Your Immune System
If you are looking for a way to help improve your immune system, eating a balanced, varied diet which includes lots of cruciferous vegetables, is a great way to go.
The nutrients in these veggies have antimicrobial properties, which help elevate your immune system’s defenses against pathogens.
They can also help to decrease your risk of chronic diseases such as Asthma, Alzheimer’s, and Diabetes Type 2.
RELATED: Winter Recipes To Keep Your Immune System Strong
3. They Have Anti-Cancer Properties
Cruciferous vegetables are full of compounds called glucosinolates which help to prevent tumour growth and fight cancerous cells.
One 2009 study showed a higher intake of cruciferous vegetables may be associated with a decreased risk of developing lung cancer.
Observational studies have also shown links between reduced rates of stomach, breast, and pancreatic cancers and a high intake of cruciferous vegetables.
Here at Edison Institute of Nutrition, one of the holistic nutrition continuing education units we offer is our Certified Holistic Cancer Practitioner training course.
In that course, you will learn about nutritional approaches, including diet, using a variety of vegetables, like cruciferous vegetables, while supporting someone through their anti-cancer treatment.
4. They Can Help You Lose Weight
Getting enough fibre is one common tip for people looking to lose weight and cruciferous vegetables are full of fibre.
One serving of these veggies can contain up to twenty percent of your recommended daily fibre intake.
In addition to helping you lose weight, fibre can help reduce the risk of developing diabetes and lower blood pressure.
5. They’re Good For Your Heart
A diet with an abundance of fruits and vegetables may help reduce your risk of developing heart disease.
Cruciferous vegetables, in particular, can help lower your LDL (or “bad”) cholesterol levels.
Keeping cholesterol low can help prevent deposits of fat from forming which result in strokes and heart attacks.
We talked about this quite a bit recently with our two part series – Using Holistic Nutrition To Manage Heart Disease Part 1 and Using Holistic Nutrition To Manage Heart Disease Part 2.
Take a look at those articles for more specifics on who cruciferous vegetables are good for heart health.
6. They’re Good For Your Hormones
Cruciferous vegetables contain a compound called 3,3′-Diindolylmethane (DIM).
This compound has been shown to reduce high estrogen levels and support estrogen detox in the liver.
This helps balance estrogen levels overall.
It has been linked to reduced risk of premenopausal breast cancer.
DIM is thought to stop growth and promote apoptosis in response to DNA damage. Apoptosis is the body’s way of destroying abnormal cells.
Estrogen, by contrast, can promote the growth of tumours.
What is the Best Way to Prepare Cruciferous Vegetables?
Knowing how to prepare cruciferous vegetables is important because cooking them can alter their nutritional content — both for better and worse.
For example, cooking them for a long time may reduce the levels of antioxidants, as well as vitamins B and C.
On the flip side, cooking your veggies may increase the bioavailability of calcium, iron, and vitamin A.
Steaming your vegetables seems to be the way to get the best bang for your buck nutritionally speaking, whereas boiling them removes too many nutrients to really get their benefits. If you are not a lover of vegetables, try roasting a variety of cruciferous vegetables together with pumpkin seed oil and sea salt at 450 degrees, for approximately 20 minutes, depending on their size.
Alternatively, some examples of how to prepare them include:
- Blending kale or spinach into a smoothie
- Add chopped arugula to pesto or salad
- Make soup from kale or bok choy to help retain water soluble vitamins
- Raw veggies as a snack with humus
Contact Edison Institute of Nutrition Today
Are you passionate about health and wellness?
Do you love learning about food and nutrition?
You might consider a career as a Registered Holistic Nutritionist.
If this sounds like something that is of interest to you, at Edison Institute of Nutrition, our Diploma in Holistic Nutrition is something you’ll want to learn more about.
Let’s start a conversation today to see if training as a holistic nutritionist is the right choice for you.
