Cauliflower Nutrition
A Few Facts About Cauliflower Nutrition And Disease Prevention
Look at any table on cauliflower nutrition and it quickly become apparent that cauliflower is good for you. What isn't always evident is that there are ingredients within a head of cauliflower which are proven disease fighters, making cauliflower a very good choice to have in your diet.
Let's start with a few facts and figures on cauliflower nutrition which show that eating a little of the vegetable each day, or at least a few times during the week, can do you a world of good. One serving of raw cauliflower, about one cup, will supply you with 3/4 of your daily requirement for vitamin C. That alone is a powerful reason for keeping a fresh head in your refrigerator's vegetable compartment. Vitamin C is an antioxidant, and in combination with vitamin E and beta carotene, helps keep your immune system in top shape. Other vitamins found in cauliflower are vitamin K and vitamin B6. A cup will give you 20% and 11%, respectively, of your daily requirement for these vitamins.
A cup of cauliflower gives you 14% of your daily requirement for folate, which helps the bloodstream deliver nutrients throughout the body more efficiently. A deficiency in folate can result in a greater susceptibility for heart disease. Heart disease patients, and those who have had open heart surgery, are often directed to take folate supplements, usually in the form of folic acid pills. Cauliflower also provides many of the trace elements and minerals our body needs, including calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium and phosphorous. All of these play key roles in our body's health and ability to carry out basic functions. The list could go on, including zinc, copper, selenium, thiamine, niacin, and very importantly, dietary fiber. About the only downside - a cup of cauliflower contains approximately 2 1/2 grams of sugar. Given the fact that a head of cauliflower is almost 90% water it's amazing it can contain so many other elements!
A discussion of cauliflower nutrition should make mention of the fact that cauliflower is also known for containing nutrients that fight against several diseases. There are two main ingredients in cauliflower that are powerful disease fighters. These are sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinol, or 13C. Sulforaphane is formed when cauliflower is chopped or chewed. Sulforaphane encourages the production of detoxifying enzymes that inhibit chemically-induced cancers, and retard the proliferation of certain cancer cells. 13C works in concert with the sulforaphane by acting as an anti-estrogen. By lowering the estrogen count, 13C helps lower the chances of tumor growth.
This optimization of our cell's ability to disarm and clear free radicals and toxins, including potential carcinogens, may be why cauliflower appears to lower our risk of cancer more effectively than any other vegetables or fruits. Recent studies have shown that while those eating a proportionally high amount of vegetables had a notably lower risk of certain cancers, those eating more of the cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, kale and Brussels sprouts), did almost twice as well in terms of lowering cancer risk. While cauliflower, like many vegetables, is best eaten raw, if you do cook it, steam it. That way most of the nutrients, including the cancer fighting agents will not be lost.
Cauliflower is one of the cruciferous vegetables, which as mentioned, include cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, kale and Brussels sprouts. All provide similar supplies of nutrients, and all are known to help prevent cancer. So if you get a little tired of having too much cauliflower in your diet, you can switch to one of the others. You won't lose much, if anything, in the way of good nutrition.