Eating Your Vegetables can Literally Save Your Life

Friday, March 20, 2015
Cruciferous vegetables, like brussels sprouts, in your diet at least once a week will lower your risk of most cancers

We know that vegetables can be really good for us. Now there is research that quantifies the veggie benefit to fight cancer. It is impressive news and so important to share. Please feel free to share too.

Researchers in Italy and Switzerland compiled data from several previous studies on various cancers, including those of the mouth, esophagus, stomach, colon and rectum, liver, pancreas, breast, ovary, prostate, and kidney. They found that individuals who included cruciferous vegetables in their diets at least once weekly had a lower risk of most cancers than people who never or rarely ate these veggies. The effects were greatest for kidney cancer (32 percent lower risk), esophageal cancer (28 percent), and colorectal, breast, and oral cancers (17 percent).

Eat Broccoli, Prevent Cancer?

The research supports earlier findings about the importance of diet in cancer prevention. In one study from the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, N.Y., scientists found that eating broccoli or cabbage just three times a month could reduce an individual's risk of bladder cancer by as much as 40 percent. And in a study presented at the 2012 meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, women who increased their cruciferous vegetable intake within the first three years after a breast cancer diagnosis lowered their risk for mortality by up to 62 percent and their risk for recurrence by up to 35 percent.

Cruciferous vegetables — so named for the shape of their flowers, whose petals resemble a cross — include broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, bok choy, kale, and brussels sprouts, among others. These foods are rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber, which is thought to help protect against colon cancer. They also contain compounds called indoles and isothiocyanates that may help reduce inflammation and ward off DNA damage, both risk factors for disease.

One more reason to add more vegetables to your diet. Below are tasty recipes for cruciferous varieties.

Quick and Easy Salisbury Steak with Broccoli and Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
Kitchen Sink Salads with State of Slim Leftovers
Tandoori Salmon with Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes and Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Delish-- Tangy Marinated Coleslaw
My Daughter's Crockpot Recipe-Pork with Apricots, Dried Plums, and Sauerkraut
Mediterranean Diet-- Greek-Style Kale Salad
Mediterranean Diet-- Kale Chips 
Citrus Curried Couscous with Brussels Sprouts.


Enjoy! And Live Vibrant!


Source for the research: The Week

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