Oh the mighty Veggie Family of Crucifers how I love you so!

Also interchangeable with the term “Brassicas”, Cruciferous Vegetables have been gaining some much deserved attention in the last several years. Understandably. Not only are these beautiful vegetables dense and delicious, their benefits to health, in both the role of preventative nutrition AND in treatment of mild to severe illness, are NOT to be overlooked.

While the information made available, the studies, webinars, and classes, continues to change and evolve, some foods make it to the forefront time and time again, overlapping many topics and disease management regimes, and are a mainstay in all preventative & nutritional approaches to health.
Cruciferous Vegetables are definitely at the front line.

There is a long list of Crucifer family members, so don’t panic if you’re not a broccoli lover like me (but, really?!), there are many other beauties that you can turn to.

Cruciferous Vegetables

Arugula
Bok choy
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Chinese cabbage
Collard greens
Daikon radish
Horseradish
Kale
Kohlrabi
Mustard greens
Radish
Rutabaga
Shepherd's purse
Turnip
Watercress

Here’s what makes the Cruciferous Family so amazing:

✔️ They have an impressive nutrient profile: high in vitamin A carotenoids, vitamin C, folic acid, and vitamin K
✔️ Vitamin K is of particular interest, as it helps to regulate our inflammatory response, including chronic, excessive inflammatory responses that can increase our risk of certain cancers
✔️ Their antioxidant content work to counteract oxidative stress and protect against free radical formation, reducing risks for developing atherosclerosis, Cancer, and other degenerative diseases
✔️ They are LOADED with FIBER: One hundred calories' worth of cruciferous vegetables provides about 25-40% of your daily fiber requirement. Not only that, they contain PREBIOTIC fiber, responsible for feeding the healthy bacteria in our gut and supporting better digestive health
✔️ Crucifers contain a surprising amount of PROTEIN and ALA Omega- 3 Fats, both responsible for reducing inflammation
✔️ Cancer Protection: These powerhouse vegetables contain heavy amounts of PHYTONUTRIENTS, specifically, a family of phytonutrients called glucosinolates which can help protect the body from developing cancer by “turning on” genes that suppress tumors, slowing tumor growth, and stimulating self-destruction of cancer cells. And that’s not all!! Glucosinolates may stimulate enzymes that deactivate carcinogens and decrease cancer cells’ ability to divide and spread! 💪🏽
✔️ Disease Prevention: The Crucifer family contain a sulfur-rich compound called sulforaphane, a powerful phytochemical that helps to neutralize toxins, reduce inflammation, protect DNA, and slow tumor growth
✔️ Reduce Inflammation: incredibly high volumes of phytonutrients present in the Crucifers provides powerful anti-inflammatory benefits and serves to protect against all inflammation-related disease and illness

Pro-Tips for Crucifer Consumption:

TO EAT RAW: When consumed in raw form, it is most advantageous to consume freshly picked cruciferous vegetables. Fresh crucifers contain the most amount of enzyme activity, increasing our intake of those incredible glucosinolates. Raw cruciferous vegetables are more likely to be absorbed in the upper digestive tract, transported to the liver, and more readily distributed to the surrounding tissues. To best activate the protective and powerful enzymes, chop, crush, or chew the raw cruciferous vegetables well.

TO EAT COOKED: Best lightly steamed or stewed, cooked crucifers are more likely to pass through the upper digestive tract unabsorbed and continue into the lower digestive tract where they will be further metabolized by bacteria. This breakdown in the colon is where the action takes place that is associated with reduced colon cancer risk. To increase enzyme activity, chop raw cruciferous vegetables and let them sit for a few minutes on the counter before cooking. This process will allow the magical myrosinase enzymes to activate before cooking.

TO SPROUT: Broccoli sprouts contain somewhere around 20x the amount of sulforaphane compared to whole broccoli. So sprouting broccoli seeds is an incredible way to super boost your detoxification systems, your cancer protection, and increase the absorption of nutrients from these powerhouse seeds.

Convinced? 🥦 I SHOULD HOPE SO!
Now hop to it and fill your arms with Cruciferous Vegetables the next time you are out shopping! Better yet, get planting!
Need a little inspiration? Try this delightful Creamy Vegan Broccoli Soup, nurturing & comforting, this soup is PACKED with the super strength of Crucifers!!

References:
The George Mateljan Foundation, http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=btnews&dbid=126
Agnit Brahma, https://uvitals.com/sulforaphane/