Top Health Benefits of Cauliflower

A cruciferous vegetable, cauliflower is formed of a mass of tiny, tightly-packed flower heads and there are a lot of health benefits of cauliflower.

Most cauliflowers are white, but it’s possible to buy green and purple varieties, as well as the sweeter romanesco cauliflower, with its characteristic pointed florets.

Cauliflower is an extremely healthy vegetable that’s a significant source of nutrients.

It also contains unique plant compounds that may reduce the risk of several diseases, including heart disease and cancer.

It’s an easy vegetable to add to your diet – enjoy raw, steamed, puréed, mashed, grated or roasted.

Don’t discard the stem – it’s equally as nutritious. Pulse in a food processor and use as a base for vegetable soup or add to a slaw.

Cauliflower is very low in calories yet high in vitamins. In fact, cauliflower contains some of almost every vitamin and mineral that you need.

Some of the health benefits of cauliflower are,

Source of Antioxidants

Cauliflower is a great source of antioxidants, which protect your cells from harmful free radicals and inflammation.

It is particularly high in glucosinolates and isothiocyanates, two groups of antioxidants that have been shown to slow the growth of cancer cells.

It contains carotenoid and flavonoid antioxidants as well, which have anti-cancer effects and may reduce the risk of several other illnesses, including heart disease.

Cauliflower contains high amounts of vitamin C, which acts as an antioxidant.

It is well-known for its anti-inflammatory effects that may boost immune health and reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer.

Supports Weight Loss

Cauliflower has several properties that may help with weight loss.

First, it is low in calories with only 25 calories per cup, so you can eat a lot of it without gaining weight.

It can also serve as a low-calorie substitute for high-calorie foods, such as rice and flour.

Fiber supports weight management by boosting fullness, delaying the return of hunger, and helping to regulate blood sugar and insulin levels.

Rich in Sulforaphane

Cauliflower contains sulforaphane, an extensively studied antioxidant.

Sulforaphane appears to be most protective against colon and prostate cancer but has also been studied for its effects on many other cancers, such as breast, leukemia, pancreatic and melanoma.

It fights cancer in a number of ways including protecting cells from DNA damage as well as inactivating carcinogens.

Research shows that sulforaphane may also help reduce high blood pressure and keep arteries healthy — both major factors in preventing heart disease.

Good for the Heart

Cauliflower is a heart-friendly vegetable thanks to a plant compound called sulforaphane.

Acting as an antioxidant, sulforaphane reduces the inflammatory damage caused by oxidative stress, a process which plays a central role in the development of heart disease.

In this way it helps reduce blood pressure and atherosclerosis.

Cruciferous veggies contain natural substances that protect the bends and branches of blood vessels—areas most prone to inflammation, making it a potent protector of your heart.

This is likely why, among women, a higher intake of cruciferous vegetables has been associated with a lower risk of hardening of the arteries.

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