Brassicas & Health
Brassicas? What are those? Simply put, they are plants in the mustard family; another name for them is cruciferous vegetables. There is ample diversity among this family of plants, and the part that we eat varies widely between them. They all share a dense nutrient profile making them nutritional powerhouses! Let’s explore this plant family and learn more about why they get super-star status among vegetables.
Let’s meet the family:
The Brassica family consists of about 37 different flowering plants that got their start in Europe and temperate Asia. (1) The most commonly recognized member is probably broccoli. They all have semi-thick waxy leaves (think kale and collard greens) and four-petaled flowers when allowed to bloom.
Some species are grown for their leaves, like cabbage, kale, collards, Brussels sprouts, and mustard greens. Others are grown for their roots, such as turnips, radishes, and kohlrabi. Still others have been cultivated for their flower buds: broccoli and cauliflower. Lastly, we use the seeds of mustards to create one of our favorite spicy condiments of the same name or to create a vegetable oil: canola/rape seed oil.
As you can see, this is a pretty important plant family due to the range of uses alone. Now, let’s take a closer look at what makes these plants so nutritionally valuable, shall we?
cabbage
The Nutritional Make-up of Brassicas:
One class of nutrient that makes brassicas special are glucosinolates. These are sulphur-containing compounds that have shown incredible cancer prevention action and are found abundantly in Brassica plants. (2) You may have heard of one: Sulforaphane which is particularly concentrated in sprouted broccoli seeds. The research has been so positive for this particular glucosinolate that many healthcare professionals feel comfortable recommending supplementation of sulforaphane for cancer prevention or to prevent cancer recurrence.
I personally would like to see more people encouraged to eat their Brassicas regularly rather than push supplements. Remember, supplements always miss out on the full benefits of what our foods have to offer. I have yet to see any studies looking at safety, longevity, or health outcomes that compare a well-rounded, whole-foods-plant-based diet and a diet dependent upon supplementation.
Brassicas are also rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Brussels sprouts
Comparing Different Brassica Vegetables:
Let’s take a look at some of the more common brassicas that are easily found in a grocery store.
As always, I am using my free cronometer account to access the NCCFND database for all of the nutritional information below. I encourage you to access this information to check my data and look into any other foods you are interested in learning more about.
For the information below, I’m using a one cup serving size for the vegetables and a 1 Tsp serving size for the seeds. Finally, as with previous nutrient breakdowns, the Daily Value percentages are based upon a woman of childbearing age.
Broccoli
Broccoli: (raw) 1 cup whole pieces, 24.14 Calories
Fiber: 1.85 g (7.4%)
Protein: 2g
Folate: 44.73 mg (11.2%)
Vitamin A: 442.35 IU (8.8%)
Vitamin C: 63.34 mg (105.6%)
Vitamin K: 72.42 mg (90.5%)
Calcium: 33.37mg (3.3%)
Iron: 0.52mg (2.9%)
Potassium: 224.37 mg (6.4%)
Kale: (raw) 1 cup chopped, 21.01 Calories
Fiber: 0.86 g (3.4%)
Protein: 0.61g
Folate: 12.82 mg (3.3%)
Vitamin A: 1010.84 IU (20.2%)
Vitamin C: 19.62 mg (32.7%)
Vitamin K: 81.84 mg (102.3%)
Calcium: 53.36 mg (5.3%)
Iron: 0.34mg (1.9%)
Potassium: 73.10 mg (2.1%)
Kohlrabi
Kohlrabi root: (raw) 1 cup slices, 36.45 Calories
Fiber: 4.86 g (19.4%)
Protein: 2.3 g
Folate: 21.6 mg (5.4%)
Vitamin A: 48.6 IU (1%)
Vitamin C: 83.7 mg (139.5%)
Vitamin K: 0.14 mg (0.2%)
Calcium: 32.4 mg (3.2%)
Iron: 0.54mg (3%)
Potassium: 472.52 mg (13.5%)
Brussels Sprouts: (raw) 1 cup cut pieces, 37.84 Calories
Fiber: 3.34 g (13.4%)
Protein: 2.97 g
Folate: 53.68 mg (13.4%)
Vitamin A: 663.49 IU (13.3%)
Vitamin C: 74.8 mg (124.7%)
Vitamin K: 155.75 mg (194.7%)
Calcium: 36.96 mg (3.7%)
Iron: 1.23 mg (6.8%)
Potassium: 342.31 mg (9.8%)
Were you surprised to see how much Vitamin C this family of vegetables contains? Did you notice how 1 cup of Brussels sprouts contains almost two days’ worth of vitamin K? Did you also notice how much nutrition was packed into very few calories?
This family of vegetables make a great addition to a meal, adding volume and nutrients to help you feel more satisfied and nourished! Add in the benefits of the glucosinolates, and you can see how this family of vegetables deserves a regular visit to your plate!
radishes
Applications:
For some, eating these vegetables is a delightful and delicious way to increase their nutrition. For others, these foods can be unpalatable. The challenge is to try different combinations of cooking styles and flavor profiles. While a big bowl of kale salad may not be appetizing, perhaps munching on kale chips would be pleasant. If you aren’t a big fan of broccoli, perhaps adding some broccoli sprouts to your chocolate/peanut butter flavored smoothie would be a better option for you. Turnip and Kohlrabi chips can also be just as satisfying as potato chips.
Sometimes we need to get a bit creative when we introduce new foods into our eating strategies; this is okay. Go at your own pace, try small amounts of different foods, and over time, you may be surprised by how your taste buds and patterns of cravings change. I never would have imagined craving bitter greens ten years ago, but here we are with me drooling over my veggies like a kid in a candy store - that’s a long way from sugary Jif peanut butter and Smucker’s grape jelly on white bread followed by Little Debbie snack cakes that I loved in my teens and early 20s!
brassica family flowers
Some tips:
Broccoli:
First, try farm-fresh broccoli; the stuff you find at the grocery store cannot match up. Then, figure out if you prefer raw or cooked, and then try well done vs lightly steamed. Everyone has their preference and it makes a big difference. When cooking it, don’t add too much water to the pot, be sure to add seasoning of your choice, and add a bit of fat like olive oil or ghee to really bring out the flavors. Well cooked broccoli is delightful whereas unseasoned, over-boiled broccoli is hard to stomach.
Also, don’t forget the stems. When you have really fresh broccoli, those stems can be super sweet and delicious. I like to peel them and eat them mixed in with the lightly steamed florets - I cook them separately to avoid mushy flower buds or raw stems.
Don’t forget broccoli soup!
Brussels Sprouts:
Try chopping these up fine, tossing with a bit of salt and oil, and baking them in the oven. This lends them a crispiness that is hands-down much better than soggy sprouts!
If you eat meat, Brussels sprouts with crispy bacon is almost always a hit - but everything must be crispy and not soggy!
Cauliflower
Cauliflower:
Try roasting a whole head and smothering it with a favorite sauce - YUM!
The cut up florets are also great roasted - Buffalo cauliflower anyone?
Mashed cauliflower is another personal favorite.
Some people swear by cauliflower rice, but I’m not a fan.
Cauliflower can also be used as a base for a pizza crust, but this is a bit of a messy process and really only works well if you incorporate quite a bit of cheese and egg.
Kale:
If you are making a kale salad you have two options for making it taste divine. First, you can cut it into tiny ribbons (chiffonade), second, you can tear the leaves and then massage them with oil, lemon juice or vinegar, and a bit of salt for a good three minutes. This makes all the difference in the world, turning hard to chew leaves into a flavorful delight.
Kale chips, try out some recipes and get to baking these if and when you have an abundance of kale. They are melt-in-your-mouth tasty and are a great vehicle for your favorite spice blends.
Collards:
First, if you haven’t had collards as part of a Southern comfort food meal, try to fix this pronto!
Second, if you are looking for a flour-free wrap to stuff other delicious food into, collards are hands-down my favorite.
Mustard greens:
These are spicy! Do not start by eating them by themselves or you may never try them again. Mix mustard greens in with other more mundane greens like spinach, kale, or lettuces as part of a salad mix. As you get used to their flavor, you can increase the ratio until you are eating mustard greens like a pro. It took me quite a while to figure these out, but being a part of a CSA that grows many different varieties finally helped me learn to love these spicy greens.
All those funny roots:
Turnips, Kohlrabi, Rutabagas, Radishes, Daikon…
Cut into cubes, toss in oil and seasoning, and roast in your oven as you would potatoes for a delightful root bake.
Cut thinly into chips, toss with oil and seasoning and bake like you would potato chips.
Cube and add to soups and stews as you would potatoes or other root veggies.
You can cook and mash these roots just as you would potatoes too; they are less starchy, so the texture will be different. You can also mix them with potatoes for a mixed mash.
The hot ones:
Don’t forget, horseradish and wasabi are also Brassica roots! They make great condiments, but I don’t recommend chewing on them or tossing them in your root veggie bake!
Seeds/Sprouts:
Don’t forget to season your chutneys and pickles with mustard seeds, and if you haven’t made your own mustard at home, you really should give this easy recipe a try!
Finally, the seeds of brassicas make tasty and nutritionally supercharged sprouts. Broccoli sprouts, spicy radish sprouts, and sweet cabbage sprouts are all great options.
I hope this list gives you some ideas to move forward with and helps you deepen or begin your relationship with this plant family. Were there any surprises for you? Do you have a mouth-watering recipe to share? I would love to hear about them in the comments below!
Next week:
Next week we turn our attention to the discussion of specific nutrients. This will take us through the remainder of the year. We will begin with one I hinted to in last week’s Fruit & Health article: choline.
References:
Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2015, July 17). Brassica. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/plant/brassica
Glucosinolates: Bioavailability and Importance to Health Ian. T. Johnson International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research 2002 72:1, 26-31
Sanlier, N, Guler Saban, M (2018) “The Benefits of Brassica Vegetables on Human Health. J. Human Health Res 1:104
