Cool Cruciferous!

These incredible vegetables are worth a mention of their own given the extraordinary benefits derived from eating them. Sulforaphane, the main active ingredient in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables, may protect our brain, protect our eyesight, protect against free radicals, induce our detoxification enzymes, help prevent cancer, as well as help treat it and also has antimicrobial activity; so it is definitely worth eating cruciferous vegetables every day! There are plenty to choose from:

Arugula (aka Rocket salad leaves)

Bok Choy

Broccoli

Brussel Sprouts

Cabbage

Cauliflower

Collard Greens

Daikon

Kale

Kohlrabi

Mustard Greens

Radishes

Rutabaga

Turnip

Watercress

Levels of sulforaphane available to the body from cruciferous vegetables are significantly reduced by boiling them so minimal cooking is recommended.

If cooking, a great hack, is to chop fresh cruciferous vegetables first, and wait 40 minutes before cooking to allow the sulforaphane to develop, otherwise the enzyme necessary to produce it is destroyed by the heat, and sulforaphane will not be produced. Sulforaphane itself is heat resistant, so once produced by this chop and wait method, it will survive the cooking process.

If using commercially frozen or just chopped cruciferous vegetables to cook with, add ground mustard seed powder, horseradish or fresh greens after cooking as they will have the necessary enzyme to allow sulfurophane to develop, even after the vegetable has been cooked.

Takeaway:

Eat cruciferous vegetables every day for optimal health. Aim for at least 1 serving a day. 1 serving = 1/2 cup chopped cruciferous vegetables, 1/2 cup Brussels sprout, 1/4 cup broccoli sprouts or 1 tablespoon of horseradish.