Why this fuss about kale?Have you heard of the cruciferous vegetables & their anti-cancer effect?

Cruciferous vegetables are famously low in calories and high in nutrients. A cup of cooked broccoli, for example, contains only 55 calories and supplies healthy amounts of calcium, iron and potassium and more immune-boosting vitamin C than adults need in a day. In addition, this common vegetable has strong anti-cancer properties.

Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, kale, turnips, collards, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, radishes, and watercress contain sulphur-containing phytochemicals called Isothiocyanates that are responsible for the typical flavours of these vegetables.

Isothiocyanates exert anti-cancer properties by inhibiting cell proliferation and inducing apoptosis; they are also potent inducers of the liver's Phase II enzymes, involved in carcinogen detoxification.

Epidemiologic evidence supports a role for cruciferous vegetables in the prevention of cancer at different sites

A systematic review of all epidemiological literature through to December 2007 analysing the association between lung cancer and cruciferous vegetable intake, found a 17 to 22% lower risk of lung cancer in individuals with a high intake of cruciferous vegetables, compared to those with low intake.

In a large, prospective study of fruit and vegetable intake and prostate cancer risk, cruciferous vegetables, particularly broccoli and cauliflower, significantly reduced risk of aggressive prostate cancer.

Additional epidemiological evidence further points toward a protective role of cruciferous vegetables against gastric, colorectal, ovarian and bladder cancer.

Which are exactly the cruciferous vegetables?

Broccoli and its cousins:

Broccoli Broccoli sprouts Cauliflower Brussels sprouts Green cabbage Red cabbage

Leafy greens:

Dark, leafy greens also count in the crucifers family:

Collard greens Mustard greens KaleBok choy Swiss chard Watercress

Root vegetables

Some root vegetables also fall under the category of crucifers:

Turnips Rutabaga Radishes