You hear all about the benefits of spinach, kale, and broccoli. What about all the other vegetables out there? Well, doctors focus on benefits of tomatoes (although considered a fruit by some) and carrots, but they don’t always touch on one extremely popular vegetable from the cruciferous family: the cauliflower.
This is one of the cheapest and easiest vegetables to get. Cauliflowers can be eaten raw, steamed with lots of other vegetables, or baked with a cheese sauce. There are so many ways to use it that the whole family will love it.
But do you benefit from it? Is there any reason to add it to your diet?
There certainly are some major health benefits! Here’s your ultimate guide on how cauliflowers will benefit your health.
Help to Fight Against Cancer
It seems like everything you eat or will cause cancer. Even the sun causes cancer! Well, it’s time to change that way of thinking. There is something you can eat that will help not just to eliminate the chances of cancer but fight against it if you’ve got it.
I will point out that it helps. There’s no proof that it cures cancer, so you will want to include the vegetable into your daily life, along with your doctor’s recommended treatment plan.
Cauliflowers are full of antioxidants. These help to fight the free radicals in your body and protect your cells from oxidative stress damage. However, they’re not the only reason the vegetable helps to fight against cancer.
You will also get a large amount of sulforaphane. This is a sulfur compound that has been shown to kill the cancerous stem cells. It will help to slow down the development of a tumor and can eliminate the disease entirely. You get rid of the disease from the root of the problem healthily and naturally.
The sulforaphane has been linked to benefits for those with breast cancer. The current animal studies show that the cauliflower can reduce the size of tumors within the mammary cells. There are a small number of human studies that show breast cancer cells are killed through the addition of sulforaphane on a chemical level. Cauliflower is full of it naturally, so suggests positive outcomes.
The National Cancer Institute has also found that other compounds help to prevent the development of cancer. Isothiocyanates and indoles have shown benefits in fighting against stomach, liver, lung, colon, bladder, and breast cancers.
Eaten with a healthy and balanced diet, you can also protect the cells from other types of damage that can often lead to cancer.
Protect the Health of the Heart
The sulforaphane isn’t just good for fighting off cancer. This compound has also shown links to improving the health of the heart. It reduces blood pressure, making sure the circulation remains free-flowing and healthy.
Blood pressure is known as a silent killer. You won’t likely know you have a health problem until it’s too late. Those that do find out they have a problem usually suffer heart health problems first. High blood pressure leads to heart attack, cardiovascular disease, and stroke.
All cruciferous vegetables are full of high levels of sulforaphane, meaning they are all good for the heart. Scientists have found the that sulforaphane helps to improve the DNA methylation. This means that genes are expressedproperly, and the cells function as they should.
While this can help to prevent all types of diseases, these benefits are excellent for the heart health. Abnormal cell functions and problems with gene expression have been linked to lining damage within the arteries. When the artery linings become damaged, there’s a friction surface that the blood catches on. There is a risk for clotting and clogging the arteries, causing major issues for the heart.
Improve the Health of Your Brain
Another organ that gets help from cauliflowers is the brain. The sulforaphane helps with this, as it will help to support the cell structure. Abnormal cells in the brain can lead to problems like dementia and Alzheimer’s.
However, it’s also the B vitamin choline that cauliflowers have in abundance. While all B vitamins are necessary, this B vitamin is good for the brain health. It is especially beneficial during pregnancy.
Choline helps to improve memory and cognitive functions. During pregnancy, you likely suffer a fog over the brain known as “baby brain.” You forget where you put your keys, where you were going, and what day of the week you’re on! This is completely normal, but that doesn’t mean you must put up with it. You’ll get rid of that fog when you eat more cauliflower.
Your baby is also protected. Toxins damage the brain from the very first day, but choline will help to prevent that from happening. The brain tissues have a longer lifespan, rewarding you with better brain health.
The B vitamin also helps to prevent the cognitive decline in later life. It works with antioxidants to protect the cells from abnormal growths and damage. You can also protect your brain health from toxin damage later in life.
Cauliflowers Act as an Anti-Inflammatory
Do you feel the need to pop anti-inflammatory medications all the time? It’s time to look for a natural way to reduce the inflammation within your body.
Inflammation causes some issues. It can lead to digestive complaints, chronic pain, memory issues, and much more. In healthy circumstances, inflammation is good for you. It’s your body’s immune system kicking in to repair damage or fight off an infection. The problem is the immune system doesn’t always act when it needs to. It chooses to act when it perceives a threat, and not when there is a threat around.
Those who suffer from inflammation will find they have pressure on their nerves. This sends a painful message to the brain. Inflammation can also damage tissue and nerves, leading to organ damage and deterioration.
How do cauliflowers help? They are full of indole-3-carbinol, better known as I3C. This is a compound known for its anti-inflammatory properties. It helps to naturally get into your body and stop your immune system attacking healthy cells or things that aren’t a threat. It can also operate on a genetic level, changing the way your body reacts and sends out the inflammatory response.
The antioxidants can also prevent some of the damage experienced from inflammation. They can repair the cells and protect against free radical damage.
Your Digestive System Will Thank You
There’s no denying that your digestive system will benefit from more cauliflower. We say this about all vegetables, but cauliflowers have a lot going for them.
One of the main benefits is the dietary fiber. The digestive system needs dietary fiber to keep it working. Fiber doesn’t just push waste through your digestive system but also helps to keep your intestines working as they should. Even when you don’t eat fiber in a meal, the amount you’ve had in the previous meal will be enough to keep your digestive system working until your next amount of fiber.
However, the sulforaphane in cauliflower is also a contributing factor for cauliflowers benefiting the digestive system. The compound helps to prevent too much bad bacteria growth in the intestines. Bad bacteria grow naturally, so you need to do something to help get rid of it. Too much bad bacteria will cause inflammation and digestive complaints.
The sulforaphane will prevent the bacterium from clinging to the lining of your digestive tract. The bacteria can’t overgrow.
While you can get good bacteria from yogurt, cauliflower is an excellent, low-calorie alternative. It’s especially beneficial if you have a dairy allergy.
Help to Protect Your Skeletal Structure
While cauliflower doesn’t have protein to help the muscles, it is full of another nutrient that your skeletal system needs: Vitamin K. This is often an overlooked vitamin that you likely don’t even consider unless you have a diagnosed deficiency or you’re pregnant.
Vitamin K is one of those fat-soluble vitamins, which means the intestines will absorb it through with the fat. It helps to support the skeletal structure, preventing osteoporosis and other bone conditions that lead to fragile and breakable bones later in life. Osteoporosis is one of the most common conditions in women after menopause.
At the same time, vitamin K helps to keep the blood clotting healthily. While you don’t want the blood to clot too much, it needs to do it some of the time. When you are wounded, blood clotting helps to stop blood loss and prevent other serious problems.
There are also some inflammation benefits when you get enough vitamin K. We’ve already looked at how inflammation can affect the health.
One of the main reasons for vitamin K deficiency is overuse of antibiotics or due to digestive problems. The body can’t absorb all the fat, meaning it can’t get the necessary amounts of the vitamins. Not only do you need to eat more cauliflowers, but you’ll need to look at the reasons for the lack of absorption.
Cauliflowers Give the Immune System the Boost
Not only do you get support against inflammation, but your immune system will also get some support. There are a couple of reasons for this.
The first is linked to the digestive health. Around 80% of your immune system is in your digestive tract. When your digestion is off, or your intestines don’t work as they should, your immune system plays up. You are more likely to suffer from chronic digestive issues, such as irritable bowel syndrome.
Fiber that you get from the cauliflower keeps your digestive system working. The benefits against the bacteria build-up also help to reduce the hindrance on your immune system located here.
At the same time, cauliflowers are full of vitamin C and antioxidants. The vitamin C may surprise you, as this vitamin is usually linked to red, orange, and yellow fruits and vegetables. You get a good amount of it from your cruciferous vegetables, especially cauliflower. This is a vitamin your body can’t store or create, so it relies on you consuming it daily.
Vitamin C and antioxidants work with your immune system to fight against infections and illnesses. They help to curb something like the common cold and recover from more serious infections in a shorter space of time. Rather than reaching for the sugar-laden orange juice, opt for some raw cauliflower florets to snack on.
You Get Help to Detoxify Your Body
Are you looking for food that will help with the detoxification process? Then look no further than cauliflowers.
This vegetable is full of glucosinolates, which are also called Phase II enzymes. They work with the liver, triggering its detoxification process. Your body gets rid of more toxins in a shorter space of time, especially the free radicals that cause cellular damage.
The glucosinolate will also help to prevent leaky gut syndrome and other similar digestive problems. These types of disorders lead to toxins leaking into the rest of the body, rather than being removed from the waste. The toxins damage various organs and parts of the body, leading to inflammation and other health problems.
Of course, the fiber and cellophanehelp to keep the digestive tract working as it should. A good working digestive system would help to keep the toxins from escaping and building up.
You’ll Lose More Weight with Cauliflower
All the health benefits above can be gained from other foods. We’ve already looked at how yogurt can help to reduce the number of bacteria in your gut, but cheese, milk, and lean meats can all help to support other health elements.
The problem with many other food options is the calorie, carbs, and fats. You end up with the risk of over-consuming on calories, preventing a calorie deficit from occurring. That means you end up slowing down or preventing your weight loss.
Cauliflowers aren’t just beneficial for the health but also for your weight loss efforts. They can be eaten in multiple ways, making them perfect for main dishes, side dishes, and snacks. While being high in nutrients, they are low in calories to help create a calorie deficit.
And you have large amounts of fiber. This nutrient isn’t just good for the digestive system. It takes longer for the body to break down the fiber. This means you feel fuller for longer, so you don’t consume as much throughout the day. Not only are you eating lower calorie foods, but you’re consuming less off it to make that calorie deficit easier and sustainable.
Make a Switch to Cauliflower Daily
It’s time to stock up on cauliflower in your house. Get it in your weekly shopping trip and use it in each of your meals. You will not regret it.
This is one of the cheapest and most widely available vegetables around. It supports your heart, brain, and digestive health. Your immune system gets extra support, as it aids with the detoxifying of the body. On top of that, you get blood clotting and cancer killing benefits. And let’s not forget about the ways it can help you lose weight.
What’s your excuse for not adding cauliflower to your diet?
