Complete list of Cruciferous Vegetables and their Benefits
Cruciferous vegetables are vegetables of the family Brassicaceae (also called Cruciferae) with many genera, species, and cultivars being raised for food production such as cauliflower, cabbage, garden cress, bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and similar green leaf vegetables.
They include the following:
|
|
What are the benefits?
- Anti-cancer benefits: Evidence supports high intakes of Brassica vegetables reduce prostate cancer risk.
- Depression Relief: An animal study published in 2015 found sulforaphane “has antidepressant and anxiolytic-like [anxiety reducing] activities in stressed mice model of depression, which likely occurs by inhibiting the hypothalamic.”
- Pain Relief: There is evidence that shows that Sulforaphane can help in pain management.
- Anti-inflammatory benefits: The consumption of broccoli sprouts modulated the excretion of biomarkers linked to inflammation and vascular reactions,” according to a conducted study.
Here is their nutritional value:
|
Per 1 cup:
|
Broccoli
|
Cauliflower
|
Cabbage
|
B. Sprouts
|
Bok Choy
|
Kale
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (steamed) | (frozen, cooked) | (raw) | (cooked) | (cooked) | (cooked) | |
| Calories | 44 | 34 | 22 | 60 | 20 | 36 |
| Fiber | 5g | 5 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Vitamin A | 33% DV | 1% | 2% | 16% | 62% | 137% |
| Vitamin B-2 | 16% | 9% | 3% | 11% | 10% | 8% |
| Vitamin B-6 | 17% | 12% | 7% | 21% | 22% | 14% |
| Vitamin C | 165% | 75% | 38% | 129% | 59% | 71% |
| Folic Acid | 23% | 18% | 10% | 23% | 17% | 4% |
| Magnesium | 12% | 5% | 4% | 10% | 6% | 7% |
| Potassium | 14% | 7% | 6% | 14% | 18% | 8% |
| Omega-3s | 200 mg | 140 mg | 60 mg | 260 mg | 100 mg | 100 mg |
Tips for Enjoying Cruciferous Vegetables
Here are some tips to maximize nutrition and taste:
- Don’t overcook cruciferous vegetables. They can produce a strong sulfur odor and become unappealing.
- You can buy several types of cruciferous vegetables ready-to-go in the frozen or fresh packaged sections of your supermarket, including broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts.
- They are perfect for party platters, especially broccoli and white cauliflower.
- Add raw broccoli or cauliflower florets to your green salad to give the nutrients a big boost.
- Add chopped cruciferous veggies to soups, stews, and casseroles.
- When buying fresh broccoli, look for firm florets with a purple, dark green, or bluish hue on the top. They’re likely to contain more beta-carotene and vitamin C than florets with lighter green tops. If it has yellow in it or is limp and bendable, the broccoli is old, do not buy it.
No Comments