Brussels Sprouts

When you want to protect yourself from harmful diseases, you have to live a healthy lifestyle. There are a lot of ways for you to do this, and one would be eating the right kinds of foods. There are a lot of food sources which are rich in essential nutrients that your body needs. Among these are Brussels sprouts, which are related to the cabbage, the reason why it looks like the small version of the latter. These grow all throughout the year.

But you can get the best bunch when from fall to early spring.

When you include this in your diet, you will be able to obtain phytonutrients, which you need to strengthen the function of your immune system. This way, you will be able to keep yourself protected from harmful diseases, like cancer. Researchers have discovered that Brussels sprouts contain sulforaphane, which is an effective glucosinolate phytonutrient. This helps the enzymes which are responsible for detoxification purposes. By changing gene expression, possible carcinogenic toxins inside your body are eliminated.

The other benefit of this vegetable is DNA damage reduction. When you have at least ten ounces of this each day, you will be able to lessen twenty-eight percent of the damage that might affect your DNA. In turn, you will be able to lessen the possibility of developing cancer.

On the other hand, it also helps with colon cancer prevention. The reason for this would be the sulforaphane, which stimulates your liver to release enzymes that detoxify chemicals which cause cancer. A study has suggested that this nutrient also helps prevent breast cancer cells from spreading further, even when the condition is at its late stage.

This certain food source helps lessen the growth of pre-cancer cells to your colon by 41% to 52%. On the other hand, the possibility that your liver’s cancer cells will diminish is 27% to 67 percent. Pre-cancerous lesions, to your liver, are reduced to 85% to 91%.

Another study suggested that you will be able to find vitamin C in Brussels sprouts. When you take consume this in high doses, you will be affected with osteoarthritis, which is a sign of aging. On the other hand, there are also some studies which suggest that rheumatoid arthritis prevention is possible when the amount that you eat is adequate.

Other than fighting off diseases, you will be able to obtain a healthy skin when you include this vegetable in your diet. This is due to its high vitamin C content. However, you also have to remember that you have to take this in by small portions.

When you are in the market, choosing among the long aisle of this vegetable, you have to know which is fresh and which is not. You will know that it is of good quality when it is compact and firm. Plus, its color should be vivid or deep green. The leaves should not be yellow, wilted, or has a soft or puffy texture. When you notice a hole on the leaves, this implies that the vegetable has aphids.

Submitted on January 16, 2014