A significant part of a balanced diet is vegetables, but not all veggies contain the same nutritious punch. Cruciferous vegetables usually stand out among plant foods as they are associated with many health benefits - most importantly a reduced cancer risk.
Cruciferous vegetables including cabbage, bok choy, turnips, rutabaga, mustard, kohlrabi, collard greens, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and broccoli. Watercress, wasabi, radish, horseradish, and arugula are also members of the same family.
Cruciferous veggies have a heavy, particular smell because of the sulfur-containing compounds known as glucosinolates, and a sweet, often bitter, taste that many people find repulsive. When cutting or chewing cruciferous vegetables, glucosinolates come into contact with a plant enzyme called myrosinase; their degradation is accelerated, resulting in the development of certain compounds that may potentially fight cancer.
Increased breakdown and the development of cancer-preventing compounds may facilitate the removal of carcinogens before they have the chance to destroy DNA and avoid the process of turning normal cells into cancer cells. Scientists are interested in the potential effect on health and cancer prevention that can result in high intakes of cruciferous veggies, due to the potential benefits of this process.
What's good is that intake of cruciferous vegetables has only produced positive results in many research studies. As a matter of fact, of the 87 case-control studies on the subject, 67% of them found some kind of benefit between cancer risk and consuming cruciferous veggies.
Animal studies, on the other hand, have shown that very high intakes of cruciferous vegetables can induce hypothyroidism (inadequate thyroid hormone). The deterioration of certain glucosinolates can produce a compound called goitrin that interferes with the development of thyroid hormones, though cooking vegetables suppresses goitrin.
The degradation of other glucosinolates produces substances that are competing with iodine for thyroid gland uptake. Inadequate thyroid iodine may lead to hypothyroidism, a common disorder in which enough thyroid hormone is missing in the body. The great news is that in regular rates of cruciferous veggie consumption in humans, this problem does not occur, ensuring you have the clear run to enjoy cruciferous vegetables without the possibility of developing hypothyroidism.
Further work is needed to understand the link and possible benefits of the intake of cruciferous veggies and the risk of cancer. Cruciferous vegetables, however, are healthful, nutritious vegetables providing health benefits that are not limited to a possible benefit from cancer risk reduction.
Cruciferous vegetables also contain a number of other beneficial compounds for healthy eyes, including carotenoids, folate to help protect our DNA, vitamin K for bone strength, and vitamin C for a high performing immune system and skin, bones, and teeth.
