Cruciferous vegetables.  What side of the fence do you sit on?

They have a hugely impressive list of health benefits, but they also have some notable side effects.

Some research shows that these vegetables can balance hormone levels and kill off cancer cells, while other research shows they can disrupt thyroid function and cause digestive issues.

So what the hell are cruciferous vegetables?

These veggies belong to the Brassicaceae family and are packed with nutrients, including high levels of vitamin A, C and K as well as a good dose of dietary fibre.

What makes them so special is they also contain Sulforaphane (an indirect antioxidant – see more about antioxidants here) , which is a sulfur-rich compound connected to many and various health benefits from positively affecting cancer, heart disease, diabetes and inflammation.

These veggies include:

Rocket | Bok Choy | Broccoli | Brussels Sprouts | Cabbage | Cauliflower | Kale | Radish | Turnip | Watercress

Some of the amazing benefits

• Support liver detoxification , helping the body eliminate toxins and excess hormones, such as estrogen

• Rich source of antioxidants, protecting the body from free radical damage (see more about that here).

• Rich source of supforaphanes (an indirect antioxidant), shown to have an anti-cancer effects against several forms of cancer

• High amount of fibre, helping to balance blood sugar levels and decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes

The other side of the fence

Despite the amazing health benefits of these vegetables, there may be some adverse side effects that need to be taken acknowledged.

• Digestion/Gas |  The fibre found in these vegetables is fermented in our large intestine, which unfortunately can cause excess gas and bloating. So for this reason, it’s best to increase your intake of these foods slowly and chew, chew, chew.

  
  
  

• Thyroid Health | When eaten raw, the digestion of cruciferous vegetables in the intestines releases goitrogens, which has been shown to increase the need for us to include more iodine in our diet, and in turn, cause damage to the thyroid gland.  However, research shows that it would take a large amount of cruciferous vegetables to cause any thyroid damage, and it’s likely only to be an issue if someone also has an iodine deficiency. If you do have thyroid issues, like me, you may like to only eat cruciferous vegetables when they’ve been cooked.

Me personally

Being someone with a thyroid condition – Hashimoto’s and a Thyroid Cancer diagnosis – I initially limited/avoided cruciferous vegetables.  I was scared away from them based on all the conflicting research out there.  However now, I eat them in abundance.  For me, the huge amount of benefits these veggies possess, especially in regards to healing cancer, far out ways the “potential” harm.  I do always cook them (well, apart from rocket of course), but then again, I don’t eat truck loads of rocket each day, and I don’t add them raw to my juices.  I keep them as foods to chew once cooked.

What side of the fence do you sit on?