Sarah EatonWhen it comes to health benefits, cauliflower packs a powerful punch. This vegetable is a member of the cruciferous family, its cousins being broccoli, cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts, among other less common vegetables. Cauliflower health benefits include the abilities to prevent certain diseases, promote a healthy hormone balance, as well as protect your eyes from various sources of damage. Below you will find more information on what this popular vegetable can do for your health.
Here are 8 cauliflower health benefits:
1. Reduces Cancer Risk
Cauliflower health benefits include preventing specific types of cancer. For example, studies show that this veggie is particularly useful in preventing breast, colon, liver, lung and stomach cancers. (1)
Furthermore, this veggie can stall phases of cancer development. This helps stop the growth of tumors. And it can stop the development of chemically-induced carcinogenesis. It does this by acting as an anti-mutagen, which stops tumor cells from reproducing.
Another role cauliflower health benefits have in cancer prevention is through its high content of glucosinolates. This is what gives cruciferous veggies their distinct scent when they are cooked. These compounds slow the growth of mutated cancer cells.
As such, cauliflower is an excellent dietary choice for cancer prevention as well as for decreasing chances of relapse. (2)
2. Fights Inflammation
By now, you may have heard that inflammation is the root cause of many chronic diseases. Poor diet, pollution, and exposure to toxins all contribute to inflammation-induced disease. However, you can help fight this dangerous inflammation by consuming a diet rich in antioxidants. Cauliflower health benefits include a high content of these antioxidants needed to fight oxidative stress and free radicals in the body.
Furthermore, just one cup of this vegetable contains at least 73% of the recommended intake of vitamin C. This also helps reduce inflammation as well as boost immunity.
3. Decreases Risk for Heart Disease & Brain Disorders
Cauliflower health benefits continue with the power to prevent other diseases, such as heart disease and various brain disorders. Did you know that experts now see a correlation between high inflammation levels and heart disease, stroke, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and Parkinsons’s diseases? This is where this vegetable can help. It’s anti-inflammatory capabilities can help control cholesterol levels. The vitamins K and C, various antioxidants, and omega-3 fatty acids present in cauliflower all help to keep plague from building up in your blood vessels. (3)
4. Provides Vitamin K
The westernized diet, which is unfortunately very poor, often leads to a deficiency in many vitamins and minerals. This includes vitamin K, which helps keep your skeletal structure healthy. It also helps with blood clotting. Furthermore, vitamin K positively affects inflammation in the body. Cauliflower contains this important vitamin—be sure to include plenty of it in your diet.
5. Improves Digestion and Detoxification
Cauliflower health benefits also include improving digestion. This involves helping the liver properly remove toxins from the body. The sulfur compounds in cauliflower helps support proper nutrient absorption, as well.
Furthermore, cauliflower contains sulforaphane, which also helps the detox process. It also helps digestion by preventing bad bacteria from overwhelming the digestive system, and allows good bacteria to flourish.
6. Aids in Weight Loss
High fiber, low calories. That’s another one of the fantastic cauliflower health benefits; it’s a great choice for diets meant for weight loss. The fiber keeps you full but the low calories, low sugar, and zero grams of fat will keep you from packing on the pounds.
7. Helps Balance Hormones
Foods high in antioxidants, such as cauliflower, can help balance hormones. In particular, cauliflower health benefits include the ability to reduce unhealthy levels of estrogen. Foods high in estrogen can be harmful to your health as they can disrupt the balance of hormones in your body.
Foods high in estrogen include soy, meat, dairy and yeast. Too much estrogen in the body can lead to hypothyroidism, autoimmune disease, chronic fatigue, and even ovarian cancer. Therefore, to avoid these dangerous complications, be sure to include plenty cauliflower in your diet.
8. Preserves Eye Health
Cauliflower health benefits includes protecting your eyes, too. This veggie contains sulforaphane, which can help shield your eyes from oxidative stress. This oxidative stress can lead to a variety of problems. For example, it can cause blindness, cataracts, as well as macular degeneration. Be sure to include plenty cauliflower in your diet to help prevent these eye-related diseases.
Start cooking with cauliflower today!
Try this fantastic purple cauliflower and parsley pesto recipe. Perfect for your next party!