How Brussels Sprouts are Amazing For a Healthy Lifestyle
How Brussels Sprouts Help Promote a Healthy Lifestyle
Nutrient Content
Vitamins
Excellent Source of:
- Vitamin C – 125%
- Vitamin K – 195%
Good Source of:
- Vitamin A – 13%
- Folate – 13%
- Vitamin B6 – 10%
Also a Source of:
- Thiamin – 8%
- Riboflavin – 5%
- Vitamin E – 4%
- Thiamin – 4%
Minerals
Good Source of:
- Manganese – 15%
- Potassium- 10%
Also a Source of:
- Iron – 7%
- Phosphorus – 6%
- Magnesium – 5%
- Calcium – 4%
Other
Also a Source of:
- Fiber – 13%
- Antioxidants -Glucosinates, Lutein, Zeaxanthin
- Omega 3s
*Nutritional Info From ( 1 )
How Brussels Sprouts Prevent Chronic Disease
How Brussels Sprouts Prevent Cancer
Brussels sprouts are considered a cruciferous vegetable like leafy greens and cauliflower. Research has shown that consumption of cruciferous vegetables reduces your risk for several cancers, such as lung and colorectal cancers. ( 2 )
- Often times, cancer results and spreads due to exposure to dangerous chemicals in our cells that exert damage on our cell’s DNA. This is known as oxidative stress. One study found that those who regularly consumed brussels sprouts had reduced levels of oxidative stress. This study showed how brussels sprouts may protect against cancer. ( 3 )
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Brussels sprouts, like many other cruciferous vegetables, contain sulfur compounds known as glucosinolates. (
4
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- Glucosinolates are broken down in compounds like Indol-3-Carbinol (I3C) and sulforaphane (SFN). These compounds have been studied in the prevention of almost every cancer, including breast, blood, colon, lung, and prostate cancers. ( 5 ) Further studies are needed to understand these current results definitively. However, current studies are showing promising results.
How Brussels Sprouts Prevent Cardiovascular Disease
Vegetables are an excellent resource for preventing cardiovascular diseases and are recommended to be consumed daily to prevent major cardiovascular events like heart attack and stroke. ( 5 )
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Brussels sprouts have strong anti-inflammatory characteristics, which may help reduce cardiovascular disease risk. Chronic inflammation has been shown to increase cardiovascular disease risk. (
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- One study examined inflammation levels in patients and showed that lower inflammation levels led to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. ( 8 )
- The sulfur compounds previously mentioned also help to reduce LDL cholesterol levels. ( 9 ) When LDL cholesterol is absorbed into the bloodstream at high amounts, the cholesterol can get stuck to our blood vessel walls and block the flow of blood. Eventually, this can lead to a heart attack or stroke.
- One cup of brussels sprouts provides you with over 100% of your daily dose of vitamin K. Vitamin K helps to prevent blood clots, which keeps your blood flowing freely. ( 10 )
How Brussels Sprouts Prevent Diabetes
Brussels sprouts are an excellent resource for the management of blood sugar and prevention of diabetes. Brussels sprouts are a good source of fiber and low in sugar. This means that they help fill you up quicker, slow down digestion, and do not raise blood sugar levels. Diabetes is caused by chronic exposure to high blood sugar levels. Vegetables are a great resource to prevent diabetes for they are low glycemic or do not affect blood sugar levels dramatically.
- Whole vegetable consumption is associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. ( 11 )
Brussels Sprouts Promote a Number of Health Benefits
How Brussels Sprouts Promote Digestion
Brussels Sprouts contain fiber, which helps aid your digestion by promoting regular bowel movements. ( 12 )
The sulfur compound SFN has been shown to reduce inflammation associated with Crohn’s disease. More studies are needed to fully understand these implications. ( 13 ) This compound has also been shown to reduce the bad bacteria in your gut and improve bowel movements. ( 14)
How Brussels Sprouts Promote Immune Health
One cup of brussels sprouts provide you with more than your daily dose of vitamin C. Vitamin C supports a number of immune system functions to help our bodies fight off foreign pathogens. ( 15 )
How Brussels Sprouts Promote Vision
Brussel sprouts contain the antioxidants, lutein and zeaxanthin, which are crucial to protect our eyes from damage. The chemicals help to prevent age-related macular degeneration or loss of vision associated with old age. ( 15 )
How Brussels Sprouts Promote Healthy Aging
One sulfur compound in brussels sprouts that has been shown to have promising results for healthy aging of our skin is sulforaphane. Sulforaphane protects our skin from environmental exposure and has been shown to promote a number of mechanisms that deteriorate as we age. ( 16 ) Further research must be conducted to confirm these findings.
As mentioned previously, brussels sprouts are loaded in vitamin C. Vitamin C is a nutrient that is not very common in many vegetables. Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant in skin cells by preventing damage from free radicals like UV rays. Vitamin C also promotes collagen formation, which is essential to skin health. ( 17 )
How Brussels Sprouts Promote Bone Health
Brussels sprouts contain more than your daily dose of vitamin K in just one cup. Vitamin K is vital for bone regulation and density. Consuming sufficient levels of vitamin K can help to protect against osteoporosis and fractures. ( 18 )
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