What is a cruciferous vegetable?
Jump to navigation Jump to search. Cabbage plants. Cruciferous vegetables are vegetables of the family Brassicaceae (also called Cruciferae) with many genera, species, and cultivars being raised for food production such as cauliflower, cabbage, kale, garden cress, bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and similar green leaf vegetables.
Is cucumber a fruit or a vegetable?
The crisp texture, mild taste of the inner flesh, and slightly bitter flavor of the skin lend themselves well to a wide variety of savory recipes. Cucumbers can occasionally pass for fruit when paired with other, sweeter fruits like berries or melon. Otherwise, they’re better off maintaining their kitchen-appointed designation as a vegetable.
How much fiber is in cruciferous vegetables?
Cruciferous vegetables supply a good amount of dietary fiber in each serving. In fact, a half cup of cooked Brussels sprouts, for example, contains two grams of fiber, knocking out up to nearly 10 percent of your daily fiber needs with just one serving. ( 5)
What are the common cruciferous vegetable diseases?
Cruciferous vegetable diseases can include: Anthracnose. Bacterial leaf spot. Black leaf spot. Black rot. Downy mildew. Peppery leaf spot. Root-knot.
What vegetables are considered cruciferous?
What are cruciferous vegetables?Arugula.Bok choy.Broccoli.Brussels sprouts.Cabbage.Cauliflower.Collard greens.
What is the healthiest cruciferous vegetable?
The ten best cruciferous vegetables according to various studies include:Broccoli: Broccoli is a must-have in your daily diet to build your body and boost your immune system. ... Brussels sprouts: ... Kale: ... Cauliflower: ... Cabbage: ... Bok choy: ... Radish: ... Turnip greens:More items...•
What type of vegetable is cucumber?
Cucumbers are a type of edible plant that belongs to the gourd family. It's widely cultivated and makes a nutritious addition to any diet. Cucumber is usually considered a vegetable because of how it's used in the culinary world. However, as it grows from flowers and contains seeds, it's botanically a fruit.
Is zucchini a cruciferous vegetable?
No, zucchini is a form of squash, not a cruciferous vegetable.
Who should not eat cruciferous vegetables?
If you have hypothyroidism, you may want to consider limiting your intake of cruciferous vegetables, says Rustveld. “If you have an underactive thyroid or iodine deficiency, you should avoid juicing cruciferous vegetables,” he adds, since juicing makes it easy to ingest large quantities of produce.
What is the number 1 healthiest food in the world?
1. SPINACH. This nutrient-dense green superfood is readily available - fresh, frozen or even canned. One of the healthiest foods on the planet, spinach is packed with energy while low in calories, and provides Vitamin A, Vitamin K, and essential folate.
What is cucumber considered?
The botanical classification: Cucumbers are fruit. With this definition in mind, cucumbers are classified as fruit because they contain tiny seeds in the middle and grow from the flower of the cucumber plant.
What is cucumber good for?
Nutrients. Cucumbers are packed with them. In just a single cup of cucumber slices, you'll get 14% to 19% of the vitamin K you need for the day. You'll also get vitamins B and C along with minerals like copper, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium.
How much cucumber should I eat a day?
It contains many important vitamins and minerals. Half a cup of sliced cucumber contains only 8 calories but 1.9 grams of carbohydrates, 0.3 grams of fibre, and 0.3 grams of proteins. It also contains magnesium, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin K, and manganese. “Eating just one cucumber a day can be great!
Is Sweet Potato a cruciferous vegetable?
To get the most out of your diet, enjoy a colorful variety of fruits and vegetables and fill half your plate with these healthy foods. One great combination of colorful cruciferous vegetables is green and orange (broccoli and sweet potato, Brussels sprouts and carrots, or cauliflower and carrots).
Is spinach a cruciferous?
Cruciferous vegetables include Swiss chard, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, watercress, radish, rapini, arugula, spinach, turnip, kale, and bok choy.
Why do cruciferous vegetables hurt my stomach?
Cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli and cabbage, have the same sugars that make beans gassy. Their high fiber can also make them hard to digest. It will be easier on your stomach if you cook them instead of eating raw.
What is the healthiest vegetable?
1. Spinach. This leafy green tops the chart as one of the most nutrient-dense vegetables. That's because 1 cup (30 grams) of raw spinach provides 16% of the Daily Value (DV) for vitamin A plus 120% of the DV for vitamin K — all for just 7 calories ( 1 ).
Are cruciferous vegetables better raw or cooked?
Raw vegetables aren't for everybody They are full of antioxidants and they're a good source of vitamin C. But these vegetables are more likely to cause gas or bloating,” she says. Hall suggests eating cruciferous vegetables in soft, cooked form to eliminate the risk of stomach issues.
Can you eat too many cruciferous vegetables?
Cruciferous Vegetables But they're also high in soluble fiber, which contributes to excess gas production, as the Mayo Clinic notes. Eating too much of these vegetables, especially in quantities your body isn't accustomed to, can cause gastrointestinal discomfort.
How often should you eat cruciferous vegetables?
The USDA recommends you eat at least 1.5 to 2.5 cups of cruciferous vegetables per week. Studies link three servings of vegetables a day with slower aging and lower risk of disease, and you can add cruciferous varieties to your daily total with: One cup of raw leafy vegetables as one serving.
What are Cruciferous Vegetables?
Broadly, cruciferous vegetables belong to the Cruciferae family, which mostly contains the Brassica genus, but does include a few other genuses. In general, cruciferous vegetables are cool weather vegetables and have flowers that have four petals so that they resemble a cross.
Complete List of Cruciferous Vegetables
Below you will find a list of cruciferous vegetables. While you may not have heard the term cruciferous vegetable before, it’s likely that you have grown many of them in your garden. They include:
A healthy choice
Cucumbers are not a significant source of very many vitamins and minerals, as they’re mostly comprised of water ( 2 ).
Try new recipes
You probably already know that cucumbers make for an excellent, easy-to-prepare addition to traditional tossed or fruit salads — and many don’t even want to imagine a world without pickles. But the culinary uses for cucumbers don’t stop there.
Have a spa day
Cucumbers not only make for a crunchy snack but also work well in homemade cosmetic and beauty applications.
List of cruciferous vegetables
Extensive selective breeding has produced a large variety of cultivars, especially within the genus Brassica. One description of genetic factors involved in the breeding of Brassica species is the Triangle of U .
Research
Cruciferous vegetables contain glucosinolates, which are under research for their potential to affect cancer. Glucosinolates are hydrolyzed to isothiocyanates (ITCs) by myrosinase. ITCs are being investigated for their chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic effects.
Further reading
Wood R (1999). The new whole foods encyclopedia: a comprehensive resource for healthy eating. New York: Penguin/Arkana. ISBN 0-14-025032-8.
Arugula
Arugula has green elongated leaves with ridges. It’s also quite similar to baby leaf lettuce. It has a peppery and slightly spicy taste, sometimes bitter depending on its maturity.
Bok choy
Bok choy is a type of Chinese cabbage, but unlike your regular cabbage, it looks more similar to celery. It has dark green leaves bundled together at its chunky stalks. The dark green leaves have a spinach-like taste with a slight bitterness to them. The stalks however are more neutral and give off a crunchy and juicy texture.
Broccoli
Broccoli has a large dark green flower head and a hard thick light green stalk. It basically looks like a tree – err, that’s probably what you’ve been telling your little one. It has a grassy and earthy flavor with hints of bitterness.
Brussels Sprouts
Brussels sprouts look like baby cabbages, it’s usually about 1.5 to 4 cm with green dense-leaved heads – exactly like cabbages! They actually taste quite similar, too – brussels sprouts being a bit milder of course. It can taste somewhat sweet with a hint of nuttiness. It’s fairly bitter as well but can be masked when cooked properly.
Cabbage
Now the bigger version of brussels sprouts! Copy-paste, they’re basically the same – well the green ones at least. Because there are also other varieties like the red or purple ones and the white ones. Savoy cabbages are those with visibly curly leaves.
Cauliflower
Cauliflower being a close cousin to broccoli looks pretty similar, with the former having more closely-packed florets. The cauliflower we’re more familiar with are the white ones, but there are also some that come in purple, yellow, and orange. It tastes a little nutty and sweet but very mild which makes it a great ingredient for other dishes.
Collard Greens
Collards have dark green leaves with tough stems and unlike its close family cabbage which is densely leafed, collard greens are more loose-leaf. When raw, it tends to be bitter but the flavor mellows down once it’s cooked. The process of cooking even brings out a somewhat earthy taste to it.
Cruciferous Vegetables as Antiangiogenesis Agents
What is an inexpensive and simple way to fight cancer? Have you heard of the word angiogenesis ?
Health Benefits of Cruciferous Vegetables
According to the National Cancer Institute, cruciferous vegetables have more than just cancer fighting benefits. These vegetables also help prevent and address inflammation, boost your immune system, and strengthen your cells.
Top 10 Cruciferous Vegetables List
It is so amazing what God has given us to heal ourselves when we have the right nutrition!
Conclusion
God has designed food for us to enjoy and also to heal us from many ailments naturally.
Did You Know?
Apart from being high in vitamins and minerals, cruciferous vegetables display cancer fighting and immune-boosting properties.
Cruciferous Vegetables List
Being a good source of fiber, cruciferous vegetables promote healthy bowel movement.
Non-Cruciferous Vegetables
As thyroid problems and intake of cruciferous vegetables are related, quite a few thyroid patients would want to know about non cruciferous vegetables. These vegetables are also considered to be excellent sources of minerals and vitamins and more importantly, they do not damage the thyroid function.
Bok Choy
This leafy vegetable is known to increase your protein and fiber intake, helping to stimulate digestive processes, while also ensuring normal growth, development, and repair of the body. [1]
Rutabaga
Thanks to the high levels of beta-carotene and potassium in this vegetable, it has a reputation for mitigating symptoms of hypertension and improving vision health, along with reducing oxidative stress and chronic inflammation. [2]
Collard Greens
These unassuming greens are able to balance cholesterol levels and improve the health of the skin, thanks to its high levels of vitamin E. [3]
Brussels Sprouts
Capable of boosting bone health and strengthening the immune system, brussels sprouts are rich in vitamin K and vitamin C, along with a number of other nutrients.
Cabbage
With a great amount of vitamin K, dietary fiber, potassium, choline, and phosphorous, cabbage is well known to protect the skin, hair, and eyes. [4]
Watercress
This cruciferous vegetable is extremely rich in antioxidants, such as lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-carotene, making it a great natural way to prevent chronic diseases.
Cauliflower
This popular vegetable is able to boost digestion and aid in weight loss, thanks to its high levels of vitamin C and dietary fiber, coupled with a low level of calories. [5]
Broccoli and Its Cousins
You may already be reaping the benefits of some common cruciferous vegetables:
Thyroid Questions
Because cruciferous vegetables contain goitrogens – substances that can block the body’s use of iodine – you may worry that these veggies can affect thyroid health. Dr. Mark Hyman suggests you would have to eat massive amounts of cruciferous vegetables every day -- 10 cups of raw Brussels sprouts, for example -- to trigger thyroid problems.
What Are Cruciferous Vegetables?
Cruciferous vegetables are vegetables that belong to the Brassicaceae family of plants. These plants get their name from the New Latin word “ Cruciferae ,” which means cross-bearing, due to the cross-like shape of their flowers.
Side Effects
Despite the many health benefits of cruciferous vegetables, there may be some adverse side effects to consider as well.
Vs. Non-Cruciferous Vegetables
Cruciferous vegetables belong to the Brassicaceae family of plants and are loaded with tons of health-promoting properties. In particular, these veggies stand out because they have many sulfur-containing compounds, including sulforaphane, glucosinolates and indole-3-carbinol.
How to Use
As one of the most dominant food crops worldwide, cruciferous vegetables are easily accessible no matter where you are located. They can be found at farmers markets or in the produce aisle of grocery stores. Frozen varieties are also available for some vegetables, such as Brussels sprouts or broccoli.
Recipes
There are limitless ways to incorporate these super nutritious vegetables into your diet, from salads to stir-fries to casseroles and more. Here are a few cruciferous vegetable recipes to get you started:
History
Cruciferous vegetables have been a dietary staple around the world for thousands of years. In fact, scientists have even discovered preserved seeds from the Brassicaceae family in China dating back to somewhere between 4000 and 5000 B.C.
Precautions
Although generally safe for most people, some people may be allergic to specific types of cruciferous vegetables. If you experience any food allergy symptoms like swelling or hives after consumption, discontinue use immediately and talk to your doctor.
