Cruciferous Vegetables

Cruciferous Vegetables

Who has ever heard of "Cruciferous Vegetables"? I certainly haven't before writing this article. I might've just been one of the few people who has remained clueless about this family of very special vegetables, until I did some Googling that is. I fired up my PC, typed in my keywords "Cruciferous Vegetables" and, lo and behold, its the cabbage or mustard family of vegetables. Whodathunkit Cruciferous Vegetables, I eat 'em everyday. Here are some of the common cultivars or varieties of these Cruciferous Vegetables or Vegetables of the family Brassicaceae, you might've just had a bite or two of these wonderful veggies yourself: horseradish, land cress, ethiopian mustard, kale, collard greens, Chinese broccoli (kai-lan), cabbage, brussels sprout, kohlrabi, broccoli, broccoflower, broccoli romanesco, cauliflower, wild broccoli, bok choy, komatsuna, mizuna,Rapini (broccoli rabe), flowering cabbage, chinese cabbage, napa cabbage, turnip root; greens, rutabaga, siberian kale, canola/rapeseed, wrapped heart mustard cabbage, mustard seeds, brown; greens, mustard seeds (white), mustard seeds (black), tatsoi, arugula (rocket), garden cress, watercress, radish, daikon, and wasabi, just to name a few - haha. Just what is it though that makes these veggies so amazing, aside from the vitamins, minerals, and fiber, they contain powerful cancer fighting substances called glucosinolates. Sulforaphane, a glucosinolate compound found in Cruciferous Vegetables, is characterized differently by many people to be a sharp, spicy or bitter taste. Sulforaphane is just one of the phytochemicals found in Cruciferous Vegetables. Indole-3-Carbinol is also another compound found in abundance in Cruciferous Vegetables. Whatever they contain, they are delicious and without me knowing it, I was actually doing my body some good by eating Cruciferous Vegetables. Try them yourself, if you haven't yet that is.