Before continuing to use this website, please consult the following Disclaimer. The content we provide is for general information purposes only. It does not substitute medical or otherwise professional dietary advice or treatment.
This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience
This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience
Ok
Plant Families with Anticancer Properties:
The Cruciferous Family
Our modern crucifers developed from wild plants that grow in the eastern Mediterranean region. In the wild, cruciferous veggies look much like today’s kale, with leafy greens and without a crown or central head.
Unlike most of our produce, crucifers have not been watered down or sweetened up. This is both good and bad news. The good news is that crucifers offer more health benefits than most fruits and vegetables. The bad news is that many of them have a bitter or spicy taste that drives many consumers away, especially children.
Vegetables in the cruciferous family contain compounds called glucosinolates, sulfur-containing compounds that are the main source of their health benefits as well as their off-putting flavor. The more glucosinolates in the vegetable, the greater the health benefits and the more bitter the taste. Glucosinolates have been found to protect cells from DNA damage, deactivate carcinogens, induce apoptosis (cell death), inhibit angiogenesis, and prevent tumor cell metastasis.
Vegetables in the cruciferous family contain compounds called glucosinolates, sulfur-containing compounds that are the main source of their health benefits as well as their off-putting flavor. The more glucosinolates in the vegetable, the greater the health benefits and the more bitter the taste. Glucosinolates have been found to protect cells from DNA damage, deactivate carcinogens, induce apoptosis (cell death), inhibit angiogenesis, and prevent tumor cell metastasis.
Most crucifers are anti-inflammatory and antibacterial, as well as rich in antioxidants. They contain significant amounts of beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin K1, B vitamins, lutein, and minerals, such as manganese, magnesium, potassium, and folate. 100 calories of cruciferous vegetables provide 25%-40% of the daily dietary fiber requirement
One study on horseradish, which contains ten times more glucosinolates than broccoli, found that the glucosinolates activated detoxification and elimination of cancer-causing free radicals in the body. A teaspoon a day was enough to receive the benefits using high-grade horseradish. It also has a high absorption rate, with approximately 90% absorbed per amount eaten.
One study on horseradish, which contains ten times more glucosinolates than broccoli, found that the glucosinolates activated detoxification and elimination of cancer-causing free radicals in the body. A teaspoon a day was enough to receive the benefits using high-grade horseradish. It also has a high absorption rate, with approximately 90% absorbed per amount eaten.
Cooking and storage methods
Cruciferous vegetables are best when prepared by chopping, macerating, fermenting, or massaging in an acid such as lemon. These methods release the enzyme myrosinase, which is responsible for anticancer action in the body. Steaming is a light cooking method that is also effective at preserving nutrients in crucifers.
Cruciferous vegetables can be stored from three days (e.g. brussels sprouts )up to two weeks (e.g. red cabbage) in a perforated bag in the refrigerator. For long-term storage they should be blanched and kept in the freezer.
The cruciferous family includes arugula, bok choy, broccoli, brown mustard seed, cabbage, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, collard greens, daikon radish, horseradish, kale, kohlrabi, land cress, mustard greens, red cabbage, radish, rutabaga, shepherds’ purse, turnip, watercress, and yellow mustard seeds.
Cruciferous vegetables can be stored from three days (e.g. brussels sprouts )up to two weeks (e.g. red cabbage) in a perforated bag in the refrigerator. For long-term storage they should be blanched and kept in the freezer.
The cruciferous family includes arugula, bok choy, broccoli, brown mustard seed, cabbage, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, collard greens, daikon radish, horseradish, kale, kohlrabi, land cress, mustard greens, red cabbage, radish, rutabaga, shepherds’ purse, turnip, watercress, and yellow mustard seeds.
Brussels sprouts
Brussels sprouts are one of the highest-nutrient crucifers. The chemicals sinigrin and progoitrin are responsible for their bitter taste, which makes them far from a favorite in many households. However, they offer so many health benefits that it is important to include them in a daily diet.
Brussels sprouts kill more human cancer cells than all other crucifers. In a 2009 test-tube study, extracts of the vegetable destroyed 100% of human cancer cells from breast, pancreas, stomach, prostate, and lung tumors.
Selecting and cooking it properly will reduce the bitterness of the sprouts and increase the sweet, nutty aspect of the flavor. The product should have green, tight leaves, and should not have a strong cabbage odor, which would indicate that the product was harvested a long time ago and has used up all of its natural sugar and nutrients. Frozen brussels sprouts have only 20% of the cancer-fighting compounds that fresh sprouts do. Once the product is at home, it should be refrigerated immediately and consumed within 1-2 days. Brussels sprouts can be steamed, sauteed, or roasted for about 6-8 minutes. When ready, they should be tender but still crunchy.
References
- “Cruciferous Vegetables and Cancer Prevention.” National Cancer Institute.
- “Brussels Sprouts: Nutrition Facts.” American Institute for Cancer Research, 3 Aug. 2021.