What’s New and Beneficial about Brussels sprouts?

To get the best cholesterol-lowering benefits possible from Brussels sprouts, it’s best to steam them. The fiber components bind together better with the bile in your digestive system if they’re steamed. They can be eaten raw, but you won’t get the full benefits to your cholesterol.

These tasty little vegetables can also protect your DNA by improving DNA stability when consumed daily. It’s Brussels sprouts ability to block certain enzymes that helps them protect DNA.

When it comes to the cancer protective substance, glucosinolate, no other vegetable has such a high content. Four glucosinolates, in a special combination, give Brussels sprouts their anti-cancer benefits.

We have three systems that must remain balanced to reduce our risk of cancer: our antioxidant, our detox, and our inflammation systems. Brussels sprouts help keep these systems in balance and are good protection against many cancers, including cancers of the breast, lungs, ovaries, bladder, colon, and prostate.

Cruciferous vegetables, which include Brussels sprouts, help our cardiovascular systems in many ways. Most recently, research has focused on the anti-inflammatory properties of cruciferous vegetables and how they not only prevent inflammation, but they may also reverse damage to blood vessels.

Brussels sprouts also play a role in our digestive health. The high fiber content and sulforaphane, a substance found in Brussels sprouts, boosts the health of our digestive system and prevents the overgrowth of bacteria on the lining of our stomach and in our stomach.

You can’t eat too many Brussels sprouts and other cruciferous vegetables – their health benefits are amazing. If you overcook them, they will release a sulfur-type smell. The best way to cook them is to cut them into quarters, let them rest for about five minutes, then steam them for about five minutes.

Brussels sprouts look like miniature cabbages, which is no surprise since they’re related, and are available all year long. The peak season, however, is after summer through the early part of spring.

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