Boosting Your Nutrition and Protect Your Health with Brussels Sprouts

Lately I'veave been craving Brussels sprouts.  The odd part is I’ve never really liked Brussels sprouts.

It all started one evening when my husband was out and I decided to surprise him with one of his favorite vegetables – Brussels sprouts.

A friend had said her favorite way to make them was roasted.  I’d never eaten or made roasted Brussels sprouts but I figured I’d give it a try.  The recipe I made is HERE

I took one of the Brussels sprouts out to see if it was done.  I bit into it thinking I would take a bite then spit it out because as I said before, I have never liked Brussels sprouts.  I took a bit and really liked it.

I ended up eating half of them before Scott even came home

Since then I’ve made the recipe several times.  I would go so far as to say I’ve been craving them.  Given my new found fascination with Brussels sprouts I decided to do some research to determine exactly what my body is telling me it needs.

What I discovered is that Brussels sprouts are an incredibly nutritious vegetable that offer protection from cardiovascular diseases as well as colon and prostate cancers.

So here’s the scoop about the nutritional benefits of Brussels sprouts.

• Exceptionally rich in protein, dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
• Good source of vitamin A,  a potent antioxidant and mucous membrane re-builder which offers protection against lung and oral cavity cancers.
• Good source of  B-complex
• Excellent source of vitamin C.
• An excellent source of vitamin-K, essential for bone health and protecting your brain from neuronal damage.

• Rich in minerals like copper, calcium, potassium, iron, manganese and phosphorus.
• High in a fiber which binds with bile acids in your digestive tract to allow them to be more easily excreted and thus  lower cholesterol.
• Improves the stability of DNA inside your white blood cells by blocking the activity of sulphotransferase enzymes.
• Contains more glucosinolate content than any other cruciferous vegetable.  Glucosinolates are important cancer-protective phytonutrients.

• Abundant source of flavonoid anti-oxidants like thiocyanates, indoles, lutein, zeaxanthin, sulforaphane and isothiocyanates. These phytochemicals have been shown to offer protection from prostate, colon, prostate and endometrial cancers.
• Good source of  Di-indolyl-methane (DIM), a metabolite of indole-3-carbinol has been found to be an effective immune modulator, anti-bacterial and anti-viral and keeps estrogen metabolites in the right ratio.
• Contain a glucoside called sinigrin which helps protect from colon cancers by destroying pre-cancerous cells.
• A good source of zeaxanthin, an important carotenoid that’s selectively absorbed into the macula in the eyes and helps prevent retinal damage, “age related macular degeneration disease” (ARMD), in the elderly.

Wow.  No wonder I started craving Brussels Sprouts.  They are loaded with vitamins, minerals and cancer protective chemicals.  I’m not clear what exactly my body has been craving, but I do know that I plan to continue to honor the craving.

Give Brussels sprouts another chance.  I did and for that I am very grateful.

Love, Health and Joy,

Dr. Ritamarie