Cauliflower Health Benefits and Side Effects
In this era, almost everyone is involved in their daily activities and hardly find time for themselves. For this reason, most people may neglect their health. However, some may opt to go to the gym and join workout programs. It is good to workout, but not all people can go to the gym. Moreover, exercise programs cannot help you become totally healthy without eating a well-balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.
Organic foods like vegetables can do wonders for your health. Cauliflower is a vegetable that has more health benefits than green vegetables. They are popularly known for combating various diseases and other health-related issues.
The consumption of cauliflower is also useful for digestive support, body detoxification, bone strength, and memory formation.
Health benefits and nutritional facts of cauliflower
1) Cancer cure
Cauliflower may be a lifesaver for patients with cancer. Cancer is caused by the replication of cancer cells in the body, and by eating cauliflower, its development and spread may be prevented. Cauliflower belongs to a plant kingdom, which is known for cancer prevention and treatment. Cauliflower can basically stop the replication of the cancer cells to some extent and help the patients go through the disease. Although the vegetable cannot treat advanced cancer, it can surely help treat entry level cancer. It contains sulforaphane, which is a sulfur compound used to treat cancer cells. It works by slowing down the growth of tumors, thereby preventing further development of cancer.
2) High in vitamins and minerals
Cauliflower contains impressive amounts of vitamins and minerals. Adding it to your diet will definitely give nutritional value. It is rich in ascorbic acid or vitamin C, which is used when treating diseases like scurvy. Scurvy is a rare disease caused by a lack of vitamin C in one's diet.
Cauliflower also contains vitamin K, which helps in blood clotting. The body uses vitamin K to help the blood clot in cases of hemorrhage. This vegetable is also useful when it comes to digestive problems because it provides a sufficient amount of fiber to the body.
3) Treats heart problems
Studies have shown that the compound sulforaphane present in cauliflower can improve blood pressure levels as well as kidney function. The benefits of sulforaphane are believed to be related to DNA methylation, which is an important mechanism for controlling gene expression and normal functioning of cells, particularly in the inner lining of the arteries called the endothelium.
The amount of fiber provided by the cauliflower is used to open up the arteries and help increase the body's hemoglobin level. This mechanism enables the arteries to have a proper blood circulation, as well as regulating cholesterol levels. In this way, cauliflower can help maintain optimal heart health.
4) Improves brain health
Another essential nutrient present in cauliflower is choline, which is a vitamin B known for its significant role in normal brain development, liver function, nerve function, and metabolism. Taking choline may boost an individual’s cognitive function. Moreover, it reduces the rate of memory decline, inhibits brain toxins on early childhood, and provides further protection in later years.
5) Treats digestive problems
Cauliflower effectively lowers the risk of developing colon cancer. This vegetable is both high in fiber and water content, thereby relieving constipation while maintaining a healthy gut. Consuming sufficient fiber on a regular basis can help excrete the toxins in the body through the bile and stool.
A number of studies have shown that the regular consumption of dietary fiber can help regulate inflammation and the risk of inflammation-triggered conditions such as obesity, cancer, diabetes, and heart diseases. It also decreases the risk of developing hypertension, stroke, and other gastrointestinal diseases. High-fiber foods like cauliflower can also boost the immune system. Moreover, it can further improve insulin sensitivity and weight loss for those who are obese.
6) Body detoxification
Another benefit of eating cauliflower is that it helps in body detoxification. Detoxification means the removal of the toxic components from our body such as harmful bacteria and viruses, which invade the body through different ways.
There are a variety of ways in which cauliflower can help during the body’s detoxification process. Cauliflower contains antioxidants that help the first phase of detoxification process as well as sulfur nutrients, which are needed in the second phase of the detoxification process. Glucosinolates are sulfur-containing compounds that can activate the detoxification activity of enzymes.
7) Strengthens bones
Cauliflower is an excellent source of vitamin K, which is essential for a healthy skeletal structure. Vitamin K can effectively prevent bone conditions related to bone density, especially osteoporosis. Aside from promoting bone health, vitamin K also helps the body in blood clotting. However, the most significant function of vitamin K is to relieve inflammation in the body.
Living an unhealthy lifestyle with poor dietary consumption can lead to vitamin K deficiency. Other causes of low vitamin K levels in the body are chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBS), drugs that can lower cholesterol levels, and the long-term intake of antibiotics.
Fortunately, cauliflower sufficiently provides the essential vitamins and nutrients we need to eliminate health problems linked to unhealthy lifestyle and poor diet.
8) Hormonal balance
Including cauliflower in your regular diet can help regulate hormonal imbalances by decreasing the estrogen levels in the body. Consuming foods that are high in estrogen is harmful to your health since they tend to disrupt the normal balance of hormones in the body.
Most of the time, hormonal imbalances are quite common to people who live an unhealthy lifestyle with poor nutrition. High levels of estrogen in the blood are often linked to health conditions such as autoimmune diseases, ovarian cancer, hypothyroidism, and long-term fatigue. Moreover, processed foods that contain dairy, soy, yeast, meat, and refined sugar can cause elevated levels of estrogen in the body.
The side effects of cauliflower
1) Allergic response
Some people may develop an allergic response after eating cauliflower. Symptoms of a cauliflower allergy include skin itching, breathing problems, and swelling. Seek medical attention as soon as you notice any allergic reactions.
2) Hypothyroidism
The consumption of cauliflower and other cruciferous vegetables in large amounts, especially in people who have an existing iodine deficiency may not be good since it can cause hypothyroidism.
However, one study conducted in humans has shown that eating 5 ounces of cooked cruciferous vegetables on a daily basis for a period of four weeks presented no adverse effects on thyroid function. The daily recommended amount of cooked cruciferous vegetables is at 1-2 servings.
3) Gout and kidney stones
Gout is another side effect that people face after cauliflower consumption. Cauliflower basically contains purines. Purines are substances that are found in beef, organ meat, sardines, spinach, and cruciferous vegetables.
These purines are broken down in the body to form uric acid, which gets accumulated in the kidney and later forms kidney stones. Kidney stone problems are difficult to resolve and in some cases, might require surgery for the stone removal.
If you have a known gout problem or kidney stone, you must talk with your doctor before eating cruciferous vegetables.
4) Gas and bloating
Some people may experience digestive problems when cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower, cabbage, and cauliflower are eaten raw. The reason is that the carbohydrate content in these vegetables is not completely broken down in the digestive tract along with high amounts of sulfur and fiber. Thus, you have to make sure that you eat cooked cruciferous vegetables to avoid such digestive disturbances.
All these side effects are not that serious. Therefore, they cannot overpower the health benefits of the cauliflower. Cauliflower has great benefits that can change the health of a person. Because of its beneficial effects on health, more and more people are including cauliflower in their daily diet these days.
