Cauliflower

See also : Cruciferous Vegetables

Cauliflower is just the same as cabbage, kale, collards and broccoli; cauliflower is a type of cruciferous vegetable. But cauliflower is more than a cabbage, it is complicated. It is made of a compact head, just like the cabbage, but its head is made of undeveloped buds of flowers gathered in one large stalk. If one stalk of flower is removed, it looks like a tiny tree. Cauliflower is covered with green leaves, which keeps the head fresh and probably resulted to its white coloring. However, cauliflower also comes in purple and light green colors.

Cauliflower has its roots from the wild cabbage. It transformed into what it looks like today, clean and creamy white curds with unseparated clusters of flowers buds, which is very popular in Turkey, Italy and France, and cultivated all over the world. There are several ways to prepare cauliflower. The traditional way is by steaming or boiling. But sautéing the cauliflower has more benefits as it retains much of the flavor and nutrients of the vegetables. Speaking about nutrients, cauliflower does not just enhance how the food presentation looks like; it also has superior health benefits.

Special Precautions of Cauliflower

• Cauliflower must be taken lightly for those who have problems with purine synthesis, particularly those who have familial tendencies to develop gout or related diseases. This is because cauliflower has high amounts of purine.
• If one has problems with purine, eating too much of cauliflower may cause accumulation of purines which can result to not only gout but also kidney stones and perhaps, kidney damage later on.
• Cruciferous Vegetables are excellent accumulators of heavy metals, including thallium. Cruciferous vegetables include: kale, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts, collard and mustard greens. While considering kale’s explosion in popularity, Hrecent reports made the link between cruciferous vegetables and possible thallium toxicity.

The benefits of Cauliflower are

• It boosts the immune system : Cauliflower is very rich in vitamins and minerals that can help boost the body’s immune system. Just 107 grams of raw cauliflower can already provide the body with 85.9 percent of the daily value for vitamin C and 20.7 percent of vitamin K needs. Cauliflower is also very rich in B vitamins that can help strengthen the immune system. For minerals, cauliflower is a very good source of potassium, manganese, molybdenum, phosphorus, magnesium and iron. It also provides the body with choline, tryptophan, fiber and protein for only 26 calories. With these vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin C, the body is well protected from any foreign invaders that may challenge the integrity of the immune system.
• It helps fight against cancer : Cauliflower has three characteristics that make it an effective vegetable for fighting cancer. First, cauliflower supports the detoxification system of the body. Our body has a natural detoxification system. However, we sometimes subject our body into increasing toxins that disables our natural detoxification system to process effectively. By eating cauliflowers, which is rich in phytonutrient glucosinolates – glucoraphanin, gluconasturtiian and glucobrassicin, toxins that contribute to the development of cancer are eliminated. Second, cauliflower is an effective antioxidant. The number one antioxidant nutrient found in cauliflower is vitamin C. In fact, just a cup of raw cauliflower can already provide the body with 86 percent of daily vitamin C. Vitamin C functions as a scavenger by eating away the free radicals that may result to cancer. Additionally, cauliflower is also in other vitamins and minerals that also functions as antioxidants. Lastly, cauliflower is rich in nutrients that fight inflammation. Vitamin K, which a cup of cauliflower can provide 21 percent of its required daily allowance, is one of the nutrients that prevent chronic inflammation. Converted glucobrassicin also acts as a potent anti-inflammatory agent. By eating cauliflower regularly, the body is prevented from being exposed to too much toxins and too much inflammations, processes that contribute to the development of cancer.
• It promotes a healthy heart : One of the contributors of healthy heart is a healthy vascular system. If blood vessels, especially the arteries, are not injured, the heart will be able to function properly. If, for instance, a part of the blood vessel system is damaged, as in the case of arteriosclerosis, delivery of blood will be difficult. This condition will affect the heart’s ability to pump effectively. But with cauliflower, which contains glucoraphanin that can be converted into isothiocyanate sulforaphane, inflammation of the cardiovascular system is prevented, as well as repair of damaged blood vessels is enhanced.
• It lowers high cholesterol levels : A cup of any preparation of cauliflower has zero cholesterol. Unless if the cauliflower is creamed, fried or made into cream soup, one can be assured that cauliflower does not contain any cholesterol, especially LDL cholesterol, which can be found in foods high in saturated fats. But cauliflower is rich in dietary fiber. The dietary fiber found in cauliflower can help in the reduction of the absorption of cholesterol. The cauliflower fibers also bind with bile acids. As soon as it binds, the bile acids are removed from the body’s circulation and will not be returned to the liver for storage. This therefore means that cholesterol in the body is lowered. Cauliflower, therefore, is effective for those who have high cholesterol levels in the body.
• It promotes a healthy colon : Not only are the intestines protected by the nutrients from cauliflower, the stomach lining also gets direct benefits. According to several studies, the phytonutrient glucoraphanin, which can be converted to isothiocyanate sulforaphane, has the properties to protect the stomach lining from Helicobacter pylori. H. pylori have been implicated in stomach ulcers. This microorganism can burrow into the stomach lining, and it has a strong defense shell that cannot be destroyed by the stomach acids enabling it to cling powerfully into the gastric lining. With the sulforaphane, stomach lining is strengthened, preventing H. pylori from colonizing the tissues. For the intestines, or colon, since cauliflower is rich in fiber, 8.5 percent required daily value for every cup; cauliflower is an effective contributor for digestive support system.
• anti-inflammatory properties : The anti-inflammatory benefits of cauliflower are currently under thorough research. There are potential anti-inflammatory benefits in cauliflower that will benefit those who are suffering from irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s disease, Metabolic Syndrome, ulcerative colitis, diabetes mellitus, obesity and rheumatoid arthritis. The anti-inflammatory properties impression of cauliflower comes from the activity of glucobrassicin, which when converted to isothiocyanate (ITC) or indole-3-carbinol (I3C), can prevent the body from starting inflammatory responses. Since the chemical compounds can work at the gene level, cauliflower is an effective vegetable to fight inflammation.
• promote weight loss : Cauliflower’s fiber content makes it an ideal vegetable for shedding off weight. A cup of raw cauliflower provides 8.6 percent of the daily value of fiber at only 26.75 calories. With its fiber content, regular bowel movement is supported. It also helps maintaining cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Cauliflower does not contain any fat, which is beneficial to those who want to lose weight. But with low fat, it is rich in vitamins and minerals that are excellent for healthy body.
• Detox : because it is a cruciferous vegetable (a family that includes broccoli, cabbage and bok choy) that is high in phytochemicals called glucosinolates. These chemicals are broken down in the intestines to isothiocynates and indole-3-carbinol, compounds which regulate the body’s detoxification enzymes and protect against cancer.