How to Maximize the Health Benefits of Cruciferous Vegetables

What are Cruciferous Vegetables?

Cruciferous vegetables are a group of vegetables that contain many essential nutrients and have been proven to reduce the incidence of chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease [4]. Common cruciferous vegetables include broccoli, cauliflower, kale, brussels sprouts, spinach, and cabbage. These vegetables are low in calories and high in fiber, which allow you to feel full longer and make them a great food to consume on heart-healthy or weight-loss diets [4]. Scientists have identified a specific compound in cruciferous vegetables, called sulforaphane, which is responsible for the disease preventative effects of cruciferous vegetables. This blog will review the benefits of consuming sulforaphane and ways we can maximize sulforaphane content when consuming these vegetables.

Why Should You Care About Sulforaphane?

Sulforaphane is a powerful antioxidant that has been shown to prevent cancer. It works by increasing levels of enzymes in the liver and counteracts harmful chemicals in our environment and produced by our bodies. There are many health benefits and little adverse effects of consuming sulforaphane. The only recorded adverse effect is that the high fiber content might be sensitive to some individuals causing diarrhea, flatulence, or abdominal pain [1].

Health Benefits of Sulforaphane [3]

• Neutralizes toxins via its antioxidant properties.
• May protect your DNA by preventing mutations that cause cancer.
• May slow tumor growth by reducing the ability of tumor cells to multiply.
• Reduces inflammation in the body.
• Promotes cell death of cancer cells, reducing chance of metastasis.
• Proven to be effective in treating advanced cancers in combination with traditional cancer therapies.
• Supports detoxification.
• Provides vitamins and minerals like magnesium, potassium, calcium, protein and vitamin C, which can improve bone health, slow aging, and boost the immune system.

How to Maximize Your Sulforaphane Intake

Convinced that you should eat more cruciferous vegetables? The powerful antioxidant properties of these vegetables are serious and scientifically proven to improve your health, even at a cellular level. However, in order to get the most amount of sulforaphane from these vegetables, we have to make sure our cooking processes allow us to preserve this compound. When you cook cruciferous vegetables, the heat involved in cooking can inhibit sulforaphane. However, steaming or using a sealed bag (sous vide) has been shown to preserve the sulforaphane in cruciferous vegetables. Also, adding mustard seed powder to roasted cruciferous vegetables or other heat impacted processes greatly increased the sulforaphane content of the cooked vegetable [2]. Also, the matureness of the vegetable has an effect on the concentration of sulforaphane. For example, broccoli sprouts are 20-50 times more effective in chemoprevention than mature broccoli heads because they contain more of the compound that can convert to sulforaphane [3].

Summary

Cruciferous vegetables are full of powerful antioxidants that have disease-prevention properties. The USDA recommends at least 1.5 to 2.5 cups of cruciferous vegetables per week, but extensive research shows the benefits of consuming cruciferous vegetables each day, including that it may slow aging and lower the risk of disease [4]. Cruciferous vegetables are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, and contain the compound sulforaphane. This compound has been proven to be effective in treating and preventing all types of cancers due to its unique antioxidant properties. It reduces inflammation, protects DNA, and more [3]. We can harness sulforaphane in our vegetables by preparing the vegetables correctly. Cooking with intense heat via roasting and boiling can lower the amount of sulforaphane, but steaming or adding mustard seed powder to any cooked cruciferous vegetables can maximize the sulforaphane content [2]. Cruciferous vegetables provide hope that food can truly be medicine, and it is an easy way to improve your health every day.

References

1. Alexander, H. (2020, April 8). Sulforaphane benefits: How broccoli and Brussels sprouts may help reduce your cancer risk. MD Anderson Cancer Center.
2. Ghawi, S. K., Methven, L., & Niranjan, K. (2013). The potential to intensify sulforaphane formation in cooked broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) using mustard seeds (Sinapis alba). Food chemistry, 138(2-3), 1734–1741. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2012.10.119
3. Nandini, D. B., Rao, R. S., Deepak, B. S., & Reddy, P. B. (2020). Sulforaphane in broccoli: The green chemoprevention!! Role in cancer prevention and therapy. Journal of oral and maxillofacial pathology : JOMFP, 24(2), 405. https://doi.org/10.4103/jomfp.JOMFP_126_19
4. WebMD. (n.d.). Cruciferous vegetables: Health benefits, nutrients per serving, preparation information, and more. WebMD.