10 Health Benefits of Brussels Sprouts

(BeWellBuzz) When it comes to nutrition, size often doesn’t matter! The goodness and bounty of nature usually comes packed in all forms, sizes and tastes. All you need is the knack to trace nutrition and utilize it for your maximum benefit.

Brassica oleracea or the miniscule, humble Brussels Sprouts are very small, oval shaped vegetables made up of layers of leaves that surround a stem. With an ability to strengthen your immune system, fight infections as well as dreaded diseases like cancer and heart disease, this tiny vegetable surely deserves a place in your regular diet, with some of its most beneficial properties being:

1. The ability to fight cancer.
2. The ability to strengthen your immune system.
3. The ability to promote good heart and liver health.
4. The ability to ward off defects in unborn babies.
5. The ability to repair DNA chains.

Let’s dig deeper into each of the above mentioned benefits..

The Nutrients

Before we list out the amazing health benefits of Brussels Sprouts, let’s take a quick look at the whole lot of nutrients this vegetable from the cabbage family carries. Some of the most important nutrients include:

• Proteins
• Carbohydrates
• Fiber
• Sodium
• Vitamin K, C, E and A
• Folic Acid
• Potassium
• Manganese
• Carotenoids

10 ways Brussels Sprouts promotes good health

Here, we’ve listed the 10 most effective ways in which brussels sprouts promotes good health.

1. Like most of the other cruciferous vegetables, brussels sprouts help in detoxification and maintain a healthier digestive system.
2. It helps strengthen your immune system, further helping you to ward off infections and illnesses.
3. Owing to the high content of fiber, brussels sprouts help in controlling the bad cholesterol from building up, thus preventing the blockage of arteries, the key cause of heart diseases.
4. The high content of folate or vitamin B9 can help prevent serious neural tube defects in the fetus in the early weeks of pregnancy.
5. The vegetable helps in fighting cancer due to its high content of the phytochemical, indole as well as vitamin C.
6. High levels of antioxidants help in fighting cancer since they carry compounds like isothiocyanates which help in preventing cancer.
7. Being rich in glucosinolates, this tiny vegetable can help boost the health of your liver by strengthening its ability to deal with toxic substances.
8. It helps promote good cell growth due to being rich in folic acid.
9. It helps protect the human body from age-related diseases like Alzheimer’s and osteoarthritis.
10. It helps in reducing the frequency of migraine headaches.

How to use

Experts suggest not washing or trimming the sprouts before storing them. You can simply remove the yellow or wilted outer leaves before storing your brussels sprouts.

You can simply steam or roast them and add it to your salads, pasta or just like a side dish.

Even if you have not been a fan of brussels sprouts, I think you will love this recipe. It not only has great flavor, but it only takes minutes to prepare. Enjoy!

Prep and Cook Time: 15 minutes. Serves 2.

Ingredients:

1 lb Brussels sprouts
3 TBS extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp lemon juice
2 medium cloves garlic, chopped or pressed
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Optional: 1 TBS dijon mustard, 1 TBS minced parsley

Directions:

1. Fill the bottom of the steamer with 2 inches of water.
2. While steam is building up in steamer, cut Brussels sprouts into quarters or chop into smaller pieces and let sit for at least 5 minutes to bring out their hidden health benefits.
3. Chop or press garlic and let sit for at least 5 minutes to bring out their health-promoting properties.
4. Steam Brussels sprouts for 5 minutes.
5. Transfer to a bowl. Toss Brussels sprouts, while they are still hot, with the rest of the ingredients and enjoy.

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References

http://www.healthaliciousness.com/vegetables/brussels-sprouts.php

http://www.gardeningchannel.com/the-health-benefits-of-brussels-sprouts/

http://kylenorton.healthblogs.org/2011/12/28/the-world-most-healthy-foods-vegetables-brussels-sprouts-brassica-oleracea-health-benefits-and-side-effects/

http://home.howstuffworks.com/brussels-sprouts3.htm

http://www.whyfoods.com/vegetables-eating-benefits-brussels-sprouts.php

http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/health-benefits-eating-brussels-sprouts-4461.html

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=recipe&dbid=244