Vegetables for Health 6 - Brussels Sprouts
By George Blays
The Brussels sprout is a
cabbage grown for its small edible buds which actually look like little
cabbages. It is a winter crop, growing well in cool weather, and even in light
frost.
The vegetable is named after Brussels, the
capital city of Belgium, where it was first recorded a long time ago during the
13th century.
The main mineral in these sprouts is
potassium, and the main vitamin is surprisingly vitamin C. However, other
minerals are present in the plant. These are manganese, copper, and phosphorus.
The leaves of this highly nutritious vegetable
provide plenty of health-giving dietary fibre, so the sprouts are good for the
digestive system.
Unfortunately, Brussels sprouts are disliked
by many people owing to a repulsive odour - which only arises when the sprouts
are over-cooked. To preserve all the goodness and the true flavour of Brussels
sprouts, it is therefore crucial NOT to over-cook them.
A sulphur-containing compound called glucosinolate is
responsible for the bad odour of these sprouts when they are over-cooked. But
the compound is also behind the health-giving benefits of Brussels sprouts.
This vegetable is ideal for dieting because it
is very low in calories. It is one of the lowest glycemic-rated vegetables and
it should be included in every weight reduction programme. A portion of the
sprouts, for example, contain only around fifty calories.
A portion of also contains over twice the
recommended daily amount of vitamin K1. This is a fat-soluble vitamin that has
an important role in blood clotting, as well as being essential for strong
bones and for the prevention of heart disease,
Brussels sprouts are sources of the compounds kaempferol, isorhamnetin, caffeic
acid, and ferulic acid. The vegetable is also a source of the
rare sulphurous compound named 'D3T', which is an abbreviation for
3H-1,2-dithiole-3-thione. This compound has anti-cancer properties.
This vegetable is an excellent detoxifying
food. It helps to ensure that any body toxins are broken down and excreted.
Cancer is obviously a feared illness, but
eating Brussels sprouts is actually a simple way of lowering the risk of
getting this disease. The body uses the glucosinolates from
Brussels sprouts to make compounds called isothiocyanates. It is
these chemicals that apparently activate anti-cancer enzyme systems in the
body.
In fact, this vegetable contains plenty of
flavonoid anti-cancer compounds called antioxidants. These
compounds include thiocyanates, indoles, lutein, zeaxanthin, sulforaphane and
the aforementioned isothiocyanates. Studies suggest that these can give
protection against prostate and colon cancers.
In fact, in a study on men who ate Brussels
sprouts each day for five weeks, it was discovered that they then had almost a
third less DNA damage. That is how powerful these vegetables are for keeping us
healthy.
Lastly, Brussels sprouts are very good for
heart health because of their anti-inflammatory properties.
George Blays writes a weekly newsletter on
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George also writes a blog on health, fat loss,
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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/George_Blays/2299554
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