6 health benefits of consuming cauliflower

Cauliflower is a very commonly used vegetable that has a very unique flavor as well. Read on to know how consuming this cruciferous vegetable helps us to stay healthy!

Cauliflower has many plant compounds, which offer various health benefits. Here are 6 reasons, based on scientific evidence that will encourage you to include cauliflower as part of a healthy diet.

High nutritional content. Cauliflower has a very impressive set of nutrient profile. It is very low in calories and high in vitamins and fiber. Each 1 cup serving (128g) of raw cauliflower provides mere 25 calories, 3g fiber, 77% of RDI of vitamin C, 20% of RDI of vitamin K, 14% of RDI of folate, 11% of RDI of vitamin B6, and 9% of RDI of potassium.

High in fiber. Almost 10% of the daily fiber intake is met by consuming 1 cup serving of cauliflower and fiber is a very important nutrient to maintain digestive health by preventing constipation, diverticulitis, and IBD (inflammatory bowel disease). High fiber intake is also associated with a lower risk of obesity, cancer, heart problems, and type 2 diabetes.

Offers antioxidants. Cauliflower protects the cells from oxidative damage of the free radicals and inflammation. Much like other cruciferous vegetables, cauliflower offers a high amount of glucosinolates and isothiocyanates, which have been proven to slow down the growth of cancerous cells, especially the colon, breast, lung, and prostate cancer. Cauliflower also contains vitamin C, carotenoids and flavonoids, which boosts immunity and protects the body against inflammation, cancer, and heart disease.

Assists in weight loss. As it is very low in energy, you can consume cauliflower as part of a low-calorie diet and substitute it for rice, pasta, and flour.  It is also very high in moisture as 92% of cauliflower weight is water weight. You can use cauliflower as cauliflower rice, cauliflower pizza crust, cauliflower hummus, cauliflower mash, cauliflower tortilla, and cauliflower mac and cheese as well.

High choline content. It has a very high amount of choline as each cup serving of cauliflower provides 45mg of choline. Choline maintains the integrity of cell membranes, assists in brain development and neurotransmission, and prevents accumulation of cholesterol. All of this lowers the risk of liver disease, heart problem, dementia, and Alzheimer’s.

High sulforaphane content. Cauliflower contains sulforaphane that actively suppresses the development of cancer cells, particularly colon, prostate, breast, pancreatic, leukemia, and melanoma. Sulforaphane is also beneficial to manage high blood pressure and diabetes.