Cauliflower Benefits And Side Effects: Unlock The Myths!

Cauliflower benefits and side effects: According to recent studies, cauliflower offers the human body considerable protection against cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and rheumatoid arthritis.

See Also: Cabbage Health Benefits And Side Effects

Benefits Of Cauliflower

Here is what makes cauliflower so healthy

  • Cauliflower contains not only many healthy vitamins but also minerals that can be helpful in a diet. 
  • Cauliflower is low in carbohydrates and proteins. It is also virtually fat-free.
  • Cauliflower contains various B vitamins, vitamin C, and vitamin K, which plays a vital role in blood clotting. 
  • Cauliflower contains many minerals: calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium. The latter has a water-washing effect and is beneficial when you are on a diet.  
Cauliflower benefits and side effects - Health Benefits of Cauliflower
Cauliflower benefits and side effects – Health Benefits of Cauliflower. / Image by congerdesign from Pixabay

Advantages of cauliflower:

  • Cauliflower is also available in green or purple. For the inflorescence of the cauliflower to remain white, it must be hidden from sunlight during ripening by tying the bracts together or by cultivated bracts in an automatic manner.
  • But it is not only the white classic that we find on our markets. Green and even purple “florets” are getting offered again because it has been getting recognized that essential health-promoting ingredients can be additionally getting generated with them.
  • Fortunately, cauliflower has not disappeared from our plates. This inconspicuous vegetable is a small fountain of health – we would miss it. Do not hesitate to enjoy it today.
  • The many healthy ingredients in cauliflower can prevent some diseases.
  • The ingredients of cauliflower prevent heart disease, diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis.
  • The cabbage also helps with gastrointestinal diseases, for example, constipation. The flatulent effect it is said to have can be avoided by sprinkling it with oil and lemon juice.
Note

Sulforaphane and isothiocyanate make cauliflower a particularly healthy vegetable. These two substances inhibit the growth of tumor cells and can have a preventive effect against cancer. 

See Also: Is Cauliflower Low Carb?

Cauliflower contains many nutrients

Cauliflower is very rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

It contains the following vitamins: Vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin B6, vitamin E, folic acid, and pantothenic acid.

Cauliflower contains the following minerals: potassium, manganese, magnesium, and phosphorus.

These are all sorts of healthy nutrients, and that at just 24 kcal per 100 grams of fresh cauliflower. So if you only ate cauliflower, you would have an excellent source of vitamins and minerals without getting fat.

Cauliflower benefits and side effects - Cauliflower contains many nutrients
Cauliflower benefits and side effects – Cauliflower contains many nutrients. / Image by www_slon_pics from Pixabay

Why is that?

Minerals and vitamins do not provide calories, but you need them to live. One hundred grams of cauliflower consists of 92 grams of water, which also contains no calories. Otherwise, 100 grams of cauliflower still contain calories:

  • 3 grams of carbohydrates (of which 2 grams is sugar)
  • 2 grams of protein
  • 2.2 grams of dietary fiber

So, as you have learned by now, it contains few nutrients that provide calories. And what it contains is all very healthy. Especially the fiber has a powerful effect on the body.

The fact that cauliflower contains almost as many carbohydrates as fiber makes vegetables even healthier.

But these nutrients are not all. Cauliflower also contains very healthy antioxidants, which brings me straight to the next point.

See Also: Benefits Of Vegan Diet

Cauliflower contains a lot of antioxidants

Free radicals are unhealthy substances that are getting produced during different processes in the body. These free radicals react with healthy cells in the body and damage them in the process.

Here is where antioxidants come in. Antioxidants ensure that free radicals are getting neutralized in the body. They also ensure that our body’s defense system becomes more active.

In this way, our cells become even more resistant to even more dangerous toxins such as free radicals, infections, or other hazardous pathogens.

Cauliflower benefits and side effects - Cauliflower contains a lot of antioxidants
Cauliflower benefits and side effects – Cauliflower contains a lot of antioxidants. / Image by Matthias Böckel from Pixabay
Antioxidants ensure that:

Above all, they do not damage DNA by reacting with free radicals.

And also that our body’s defense system becomes more active, making DNA damage easier to detect.

The best-known antioxidants in cauliflower are:
  • Mustard oil glycosides
  • Isothiocyanates
  • Carotenoids
  • Flavonoid

Of course, you don’t have to remember the names, and we won’t either. But it is good to know that the first two, in particular, inhibit the growth of cancer cells.

The last two seem to have an anti-cancer effect and reduce the probability of age-related diseases like cardiovascular diseases.

Besides the antioxidants mentioned above, cauliflower also contains a lot of vitamin C, which also acts as an antioxidant. Vitamin C has a strong anti-inflammatory effect.

See Also: Benefits And Side Effects Of Chia Seeds

Cauliflower contains a lot of fiber

We had already mentioned that cauliflower contains relatively few calories, but a lot of fiber.

And if there is one macronutrient that you can never eat enough of, it is rich fiber.

Fibre has a positive effect on general health. Cauliflower contains 2.2 grams of fiber per 100 grams.

It may not sound like much, but you devour 300 grams of cauliflower, which means you will absorb about 7 grams of fiber.

And that is a significant portion of the average American’s daily fiber intake (23 grams).

This figure, however, perhaps only says something about the amount of fiber the American eats each day and not whether cauliflower contains a lot or a little fiber. Fiber comes in two different forms. 

Cauliflower benefits and side effects - Cauliflower contains a lot of fiber
Cauliflower benefits and side effects – Cauliflower contains a lot of fiber. / Image by Engin Akyurt from Pixabay

Soluble fiber and insoluble fiber:

Vegetables contain both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber. Soluble dietary fibers are also called fermentable fibers.

These fibers can be dissolved in water and further processed by the good intestinal bacteria in the body. These intestinal bacteria keep the intestinal flora healthy.

Our intestinal bacteria cannot process Non-soluble (non-fermentable) dietary fibers. However, these fibers absorb a lot of water in the small intestine.

It is leading to an increase in intestinal peristalsis (a contraction of the gut), and the volume of stool increases. It has a positive effect on the body.

That is why both forms of fiber should be taken in through the diet.

Note

Eating fiber-rich vegetables such as cauliflower reduces the likelihood of developing diseases like cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.

Fibre also makes you feel full for a long time, which means you won’t get hungry again so quickly. For this reason, eating fiber also has a positive effect on losing weight, but even more so.

See Also: Disadvantages Of Eating Mushroom

Cauliflower Helps to lose weight

Cauliflower contains only a few calories per 100 grams (24 kcal per 100 grams). One could also say that one can eat a lot of it without gaining weight.

Cauliflower contains quite a lot of fiber and has a positive effect on the intestinal flora because they promote digestion and increase the volume of the digestive pulp. As a result, you will get feel full for longer.

Soluble dietary fibers ensure that the blood sugar level does not rise so quickly and also less high. The nutritional fibers can delay the absorption of sugar.

Note

So if you eat cauliflower together with a carbohydrate-rich food such as potatoes, it will slow the absorption of carbohydrates.

Cauliflower benefits and side effects - Cauliflower Helps to lose weight
Cauliflower benefits and side effects – Cauliflower Helps to lose weight. / Image by Evita Ochel from Pixabay

Fiber ensures a more stable blood sugar level; a steady blood sugar level also means less insulin production. It also reduces the probability of weight gain.

One hundred grams of cauliflower consists of 92% water. You need a lot of moisture to lose weight. But there are only a few people who drink enough water.

With cauliflower, you consume a considerable portion of water without actually drinking anything.

All the properties mentioned above of cauliflower have a positive effect on weight loss, as studies have shown.

See Also: Vitamin D3 Benefits And Side Effects

Cauliflower is healthy for the brain

Cauliflower is rich in the nutrient choline. This substance is essential for brain development because it helps repair and supply the cell membranes in the brain.

Cauliflower contains 40 mg choline per 100 grams. Choline is also getting found in large quantities in breast milk; for example, the development of the baby’s brain proceeds well.

The body can also produce choline in small quantities, but not enough, so the rest must be taken in with food. Three hundred grams of cauliflower easily contains 120 mg of choline. Men and women should consume an average of 400 to 500 mg of choline daily.

Cauliflower is undoubtedly a good start.

As many people have a deficiency of this nutrient, it is undoubtedly advisable to eat cauliflower a little more often.

Cauliflower benefits and side effects - Cauliflower is healthy for the brain
Cauliflower benefits and side effects – Cauliflower is healthy for the brain. / Image by Albrecht Fietz from Pixabay
What function does choline have in the body?

Choline plays a vital role in maintaining our brains. Sufficient choline has a positive effect on a baby’s neural and cognitive development in the first three months of pregnancy.

Choline is also involved in the production of neurotransmitters, for example, even in the production of acetylcholine.

This neurotransmitter is getting needed for the functioning of the nervous system and the liver’s transport of lipids.

Besides choline, cauliflower also contains a lot of vitamin E, which is also an essential antioxidant for the brain.

A study showed that foods rich in vitamin E, such as cauliflower, can reduce the long-term risk of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

Check also foods rich in hyaluronic acid.

Cauliflower is right for your heart and blood vessels

Besides being good for the brain, cauliflower is also good for the heart and blood vessels.

It is not due to the choline but to the sulforaphane.

Cardiovascular disease is a growing problem in the western world. The main reasons for this are poor diet and too little exercise.

A healthier diet and exercise regime would work wonders. And cauliflower is undoubtedly part of such a healthier diet.

Cauliflower benefits and side effects - Cauliflower is right for your heart and blood vessels
Cauliflower benefits and side effects – Cauliflower is right for your heart and blood vessels. / Image by Albrecht Fietz from Pixabay

It is not necessarily because its nutritional value is so good, and it can be getting used to combat obesity and the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Still, above all, cauliflower contains a significant amount of the antioxidant sulforaphane. This antioxidant has a positive effect on the heart and blood vessels.

See Also: Coconut Oil Benefits And Side Effects

Cauliflower reduces the risk of cancer

Unfortunately, there are incredibly many different diseases in the world. The condition that causes the most deaths in our country is undoubtedly cancer.

Almost everyone knows someone who has fallen victim to this terrible disease. And although genetic predisposition plays a significant role here, a good part is certainly nutritional.

For example, being overweight can undoubtedly increase the risk of cancer.

On the other hand, many healthy foods reduce the likelihood of cancer. And you’re certainly guessing, and the same goes for our cauliflower.

And the antioxidant sulforaphane also plays a role here.

Cauliflower benefits and side effects - Cauliflower reduces the risk of cancer
Cauliflower benefits and side effects – Cauliflower reduces the risk of cancer. / Image by Wolfgang Eckert from Pixabay
Sulforaphane helps against cancer in three different ways:
  • Sulforaphane delays the process by which waste products accumulate in the cells. It gives the body’s repair system more time to do its job.
  • It promotes the death of cancer cells.
  • And it suppresses cancer formation by inhibiting the enzymes that help cancer growth.

The benefits mentioned above seem to play a particularly important role in the fight against colon and prostate cancer.

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Cauliflower is a perfect substitute for carbohydrates

The last advantage has nothing to do with health but fits very well into a low carbohydrate diet.

It has been getting found that cauliflower is the perfect substitute for individual carbohydrate sources.

A low carbohydrate diet is quite tricky for many people to follow. The reason for this is that the average person’s diet consists of about 60% carbohydrates.

After all, we usually eat bread for breakfast and dinner, and we typically eat potatoes or pasta as the central part of lunch.

All these foods are full of carbohydrates and are difficult to replace. At least that is what most people think. Cauliflower is a very versatile vegetable that is very good at replacing carbs.

And as you now know, cauliflower contains very few carbohydrates per 100 grams. It makes it the ideal low-carbohydrate substitute for potatoes, pasta, and rice.

Cauliflower benefits and side effects - Cauliflower is a perfect substitute for carbohydrates
Cauliflower benefits and side effects – Cauliflower is a perfect substitute for carbohydrates. / Image by Mabel Amber from Pixabay

Cauliflower As Substitute

It can be grated and sautéed or cooked and used as a rice substitute.

You can also grind cauliflower finely and then make a dough out of it so that it can be getting used as a pizza base, for example, cauliflower puree instead of mashed potatoes.

Just add some crème Fraiche and cheese to the cooked cauliflower and then mash everything. Then you get a delicious cauliflower puree.

If you combine steamed cauliflower with eggs, you get perfect low-carb tortillas.

In this way, you reduce the number of carbohydrates and increase your vegetable intake, which makes it even healthier.

And to make it even more apparent to you just how low-carbohydrate cauliflower is, here are some comparisons.

Cauliflower low-carbohydrate comparisons:
  • cauliflower (100 grams) contains 3 grams of carbohydrates
  • white rice (100 grams) contains 78 grams of carbohydrates
  • non-whole grain pasta (100 grams) contains 67 grams of carbohydrates
  • potatoes (100 grams) without skin (cooked) contain 20 grams of carbohydrates

See Also: List Of Foods High In Antioxidants

Side Effects of Cauliflower

Cauliflower benefits and side effects - Side Effects of Cauliflower
Cauliflower benefits and side effects – Side Effects of Cauliflower. / Image by Jordan Holiday from Pixabay

Cabbage dishes with after effects – What helps against unpleasant flatulence? The cabbage is very healthy. However, many people suffer from uncomfortable flatulence after eating red cabbage, Chinese cabbage, cauliflower & Co.

The addition of caraway or fennel can relieve flatulence.

Cabbage vegetables such as cauliflower, red cabbage, white cabbage, Brussels sprouts, Chinese cabbage, kohlrabi, and other varieties contain a lot of fiber, vitamin C and substances that can prevent the development of cancer.

Nevertheless, eating cabbage has one disadvantage: many people suffer from flatulence after eating it.

Fibers contained in cabbage are responsible for this flatulence. The human intestine cannot digest these. The bacteria in our intestines decompose these fibers and intestinal gases are getting produced.

The person concerned notices this by having a bloated stomach that makes abnormal sounds. Abdominal pain is the result. These only get better when the gases are getting re-released.

See Also: Hibiscus Tea Benefits and Side Effects

Prevent flatulence from cabbage

Some measures can prevent flatulence or alleviate already existing flatulence.

Surprisingly, hardly any intestinal gases are getting produced if the cabbage is placed in the freezer for a day or two and only then used for cooking.

Another way to make cabbage more digestible is to add fennel or caraway as a spice during cooking. Grated ginger can also prevent later flatulence during the cooking process.

If these spices do not go well with the dish or you do not like the taste, you can also put them in a coffee or tea filter and just put them in the cooking pot.

Vegetables do not take on the taste of the spices, and flatulence is still getting reduced.

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Alleviate flatulence

If you still suffer from flatulence, you can drink fennel-cumin-anise tea. It is available in pharmacies and from many tea manufacturers as loose tea or tea bags.

Even if the flatulence is very painful, you should overcome it and get some exercise.

Physical exercise also sets the intestines in motion, and the intestinal gases can be released more quickly.

Besides, warmth also relieves the stomach aches. A hot water bottle on the stomach makes the flatulence more bearable.

Those who can tolerate the taste can also chew on a ginger root to relieve the colicky stomach pains.

It is also helpful to lie on your stomach. In this position, too, the intestinal gases are released more quickly, similar to when you are moving.

See Also: The Harms of Fast Food

Preparation of cauliflower

To make the cauliflower easy to digest, you should steam, boil, or bake it. Most of the ingredients are getting preserved when steaming the cauliflower.

Steamed cauliflower Cut the cauliflower into florets. You can also fill a pot with salted water about 2 centimeters high and bring it to the boil. In a steamer, the cauliflower takes about 20 minutes to be ready to eat.

Cooked cauliflower To cook the cauliflower, you do not need a steamer tray, but only a pot of salted water in which you cook the cut cauliflower until it is firm to the bite.

Cauliflower benefits and side effects - Preparation of cauliflower
Cauliflower benefits and side effects – Preparation of cauliflower. / Image by misskursovie2013 from Pixabay

Baked cauliflower If you want to make it particularly light, simply place the cauliflower florets in an oven dish. Salt the florets and sprinkle them with oil. The cauliflower takes about an hour to bake in the oven at 175 degrees.

Note

You can puree the cauliflower with broth to make a soup, refine a casserole with potatoes and Gouda or simply enjoy it pure with spices. A cauliflower salad, for which you should use cooked or steamed cauliflower, is also a good idea.

See Also: What Can You Eat On A Keto Diet?

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Last Updated on 02/04/2022 by Buzz This Viral