Within
the cruciferous vegetable group, we commonly eat the flowers of the plant (for example, the broccoli florets), the leaves (for example, mustard greens, collard greens, turnip greens, and kale), the stems and stalks (for example, broccoli stems and stalks), the roots (for example, turnips or rutabagas or radishes), and the seeds (for example, mustard seeds).
During the past five years, cruciferous vegetables have largely taken over the world of research in the area of glucosinolates, phytonutrients that clearly have their headquarters in
the cruciferous vegetable group.
By commonly consuming all parts of plants from this group, including flowers, leaves, stems, stalks, roots and seeds, we allow
this cruciferous vegetable group to integrate together an unusually wide range of nutrients that is broader than any other single food group subdivision in the average U.S. diet.
Within
the cruciferous vegetable group, we commonly eat the flowers of the plant (for example, the broccoli florets), the leaves (for example, mustard greens, collard greens, turnip greens, and kale), the stems and stalks (for example, broccoli stems and stalks), the roots (for example, turnips or rutabagas or radishes), and the seeds (for example, mustard seeds).
Not exact matches
Not only can you choose from dark green leafy
vegetables from the
cruciferous group (for example, mustard greens, turnip greens, kale, or collards), but you can also choose from the leguminous
vegetable group (like green beans or green peas), the squash / gourd
group (including zucchini and cucumber), the parsley / umbelliferous
group (like fennel and celery), green allium
vegetables like leeks, green lettuces like romaine, and finally, of course, the asparagus
group that includes asparagus.
Along this same line of thinking, we've seen another
cruciferous vegetable study showing successful delivery of glucosinolates in broccoli to a
group of study participants in the form of broccoli soup.
The unique benefits of this
cruciferous vegetables food
group may be partly related to inclusion of so many different plant parts in a
cruciferous foods - including diet.
We'd like to make one final comment about preparation of foods in this
cruciferous vegetable food
group.
Finally, arugula, technically considered a
cruciferous vegetable (like broccoli and cabbage), is in a
group of foods that contains di - indoly methane, or DIM which helps to promote healthy estrogen balance and reduces the risk of some cancers.
The methyl
groups that switch genes on and off are not made by the body, instead we get them by eating foods rich in nutrients such as choline and folate, which are found in raw liver and
cruciferous vegetables like cabbage and broccoli.
While the traditional family name for this
group of foods is «
cruciferous vegetables,» many scientists are tending away from the science name Crucifereae for this plant family and more toward the name Brassicaceae.
In terms of conventional nutrients (vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbs, and fats), we can not find another
vegetable group that is as high in vitamin A carotenoids, vitamin C, folic acid, and fiber as the
cruciferous vegetables.
We'd like to make one final comment about preparation of foods in this
cruciferous vegetable food
group.
We are not aware of any food
group that matches
cruciferous vegetables for what we would call integrated nourishment across such a wide variety of nutritional categories.
The astonishing concentration of vitamin A carotenoids in
cruciferous vegetables and their unusually high content of vitamin C and manganese are clearly key components in their growing reputation as an antioxidant
vegetable group.
(Interestingly, you can find this Latin root not in the cabbages that so commonly represent the broader family of
cruciferous vegetables, but in cauliflower, which is another important member of this
vegetable group.)
The unique benefits of this
cruciferous vegetables food
group may be partly related to inclusion of so many different plant parts in a diet that includes
cruciferous foods.
Many people are familiar with the term «
cruciferous vegetables» and can even identify a
vegetable like broccoli as belonging to this
group.
But because research on
cruciferous vegetables has skyrocketed over the past three to seven years, many people are not familiar with the latest science on this age - old
group of
vegetables.
Along this same line of thinking, we've seen another
cruciferous vegetable study showing successful delivery of glucosinolates in broccoli to a
group of study participants in the form of broccoli soup.
Two especially common scientific
groupings of
cruciferous vegetables are the Brassica oleracea (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale, and kohlrabi) and the Brassica rapa (Chinese cabbage and turnips).
Although the commercial food industry has sometimes attempted to breed out bitter - tasting constituents from
cruciferous vegetables (including sinigrin, one of the glucosinolates especially plentiful in cabbage), that practice does not make sense if we want to optimize our nourishment from this
vegetable group.
Moreover,
cruciferous vegetables, such as cabbage, contain a
group of sulfuric compounds called glucosinolates.
Not only can you choose from dark green leafy
vegetables from the
cruciferous group (for example, mustard greens, turnip greens, kale, or collards), but also from the squash / gourd
group (including zucchini and cucumber), the parsley / umbelliferous
group (like fennel and celery), green allium
vegetables like leeks, green lettuces like romaine, the asparagus
group that includes asparagus, and finally, of course, the leguminous
vegetable group that includes both green beans and green peas.
Taken as a whole, we are not surprised by the hallmark impact on cancer prevention made by
cruciferous vegetables, or the potential of this food
group to modify activities in cells that have already become cancerous.
In fact, we can not find another food
group (even a fruit subgroup) that is as nutrient - rich in these antioxidants as the
cruciferous vegetables.
Support of Phase II detox activity by
cruciferous vegetables may be unsurpassed by any other food
group.
And because this 3 - system combination plays such a pivotal role in our risk of cancer development,
cruciferous vegetables are unsurpassed as a food
group in terms of their cancer risk - reducing properties.
Most of the research on dietary intake of
cruciferous vegetables and their physiological benefits has focused on intake of glucosinolates from this food
group.
The anti-inflammatory properties of
cruciferous vegetables — together with their unusual concentration of folic acid — combine to make this food
group protective against atherosclerosis, heart attack and stroke.
However, in this situation we are talking about several pounds of a raw
cruciferous vegetable on a daily basis over a prolonged period of time, rather than high - but - balanced consumption of
cruciferous vegetables as a
group within the context of an overall healthy diet.
This whole body impact of the
cruciferous vegetables as a
group has its parallel in the disease prevention category for which
cruciferous vegetables have become most famous.
As a food
group, the
cruciferous vegetables are outstanding providers of these two antioxidant nutrients.
But given this unique ability on behalf of
cruciferous vegetables, it is not surprising that no other
group of foods has a better track record when it comes to cancer prevention.
What is particularly striking about
cruciferous vegetables as a
group is their ability to provide nutrient support for all five of the body systems listed above.
Among all cancer - preventive mechanisms studied by nutritional researchers, none have been as far - reaching as the mechanisms involving one unique family of phytonutrients, «the glucosinolates», found in no other food
group to the same extent that they are found in
cruciferous vegetables.
But it would be hard to find a single food
group that provides broader «all systems» support than the
cruciferous vegetables.
The combination of ITCs, vitamin K, and omega - 3s in
cruciferous vegetables make them a unique food
group for supporting our body's inflammatory system.
When combined with their extremely low - calorie, nutrient - rich nature, these features of
cruciferous vegetables make them a uniquely «whole body» support food
group.
In addition,
cruciferous vegetables contain a
group of substances known as glucosinolates, which are sulfur - containing chemicals.
However, research has not yet revealed a specific
group of people who, because of their genetics, benefit more than other people from eating
cruciferous vegetables.
I consume cooked
vegetables in the evening, but I'm not always sure about the
cruciferous group.
Researchers believe that the protection offered by
cruciferous vegetables is mainly due to their content of sulforaphane, an organosulfate compound in the isothiocyanate
group.
A
group of researchers at the Baylor College of Medicine has published the results of a study in the journal PLoS ONE demonstrating that a concentrated form of the compound sulforaphane found in broccoli and other
cruciferous vegetables has been shown to reduce the number of acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells in a lab setting.
In addition, we
grouped fruits into categories of citrus, melon, and berries and
vegetables into categories of
cruciferous, green leafy, and legumes based on similar nutritional content (S6 Table).