Cruciferous Veggies

[clouddancerss]

Hi,
I love eating raw broccoli and cauliflower, but have heard it's best not to do that, because the body can't digest it, is this true? I can't afford to get a Vitamix right now, what can i do? these veggies are so healthy!

[levamssg]

Oh No! I'd never heard that! I like to munch on those too! I put them in salads, in wraps, dip 'em in salsa .... yummy.

Why would the body not be able to digest it? -- they are just veges. Sorry I'm no help on this question ... Hopefully someone will chime in with some insight to this question.

[juliebove]

They can cause you to have gas if you eat a lot of them, cooked, raw, Vitamixed or otherwise. It's also not a good idea to eat a lot of them if you have a thyroid problem because they can make it worse. But if they seem to cause no problems for *you*, then keep eating them!

[tinystrawberry]

I used to eat broccoli and cauliflower all the time (before I was raw) and had no problems. Since starting raw I've been concentrating on trying new raw foods, but I will be eating these in my salads soon after my fast is over :)

i wouldn't worry about it, unless you start having problems, but i doubt you will.

[spicyfull]

Never have heard of that before. And would never believe it. Broccoli is one of
the best cancer fighting vegetables along with Cabbage. Some people will tell you anything to make you stumble. As someone said before it can cause gas. Have a great RAW JOURNEY...................

[sport]

Broccoli is one of
the best cancer fighting vegetables ......
I think that sprouted brocolli seeds are even better and they sprout very easily.

[exurb]

these are some of the best cancer figthing veggies, one of the most studied so there is lots of data on how good they are for you. On the prevention side, and also on the already diagnosed cancer side - an Australian study followed 609 women with ovarian cancer, the ones with the best survival ate the most veggies especially cruciferous ones. Another study showed the sulforaphane in broccoli stopping the proliferation of breast cancer cells, even in the later stages.

Broccoli is also rich in folate, lutein, vitamins C and K, it fights cancer, boosts immune sustem, lowers incidence of cataracts, supports cardiovascular health, decreases inflammation, fights birth defects, and helps us make the primary antioxidant glutathione. The folate also helps remove homocysteine (which is linked to cardiovascular disease and dementia), some of us raw foodists are concerned with getting elevated homocysteine due to low B-12, so it's also good for that.

The Womens Health Study also found broccoli (and apples) to be associated with reductions in risk of cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular events.

The people I know of with issues with eating the stuff are people on blood thinners who have to be careful with how much Vitamin K, and SOME people who have thyroid issues.

BTW Broccoli sprouts have many-fold times some of the beneficial compounds in broccoli, so they are a great way to get that anti-cancer effect also.

I've been told by an MD to eat 1/2 cup at least to 1 full cup. One of the studies that showed cancer reduction showed the effect at 1/4 cup a day, but that's EVERY day, so I'm making an effort to always throw a little red cabbage or broccoli sprouts or whatever on my salads always.

[rawnpawgirl]

Wow, thanks for all that insight, Exurb!! I am going to run out to the store and get some broc sprouts. I get them now, but not frequently enough, apparently! (plus I like them better than raw broccoli.)

[Eveleaf]

I love adding broccoli sprouts to my salads, but raw broccoli by itself can be a bit hard to take, since it is so bitter. So I found a great recipe for broccoli salad that even my SAD family adores!

Salad:
2 heads of raw broccoli, sliced thin
2 green onions, sliced thin
1/2 cup raw slivered or sliced almonds
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/4 raw dates, sliced small

Dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 agave nectar
2 dates

Blend up the ingredients of the dressing until smooth and creamy, pour over the broccoli salad, serve immediately. This should serve 4 but BEWARE! It's so good if you're not careful you'll end up eating the whole thing yourself!

[Rawkinlocs]

Some people also like to marinate these veggies in olive oil, etc. and either allow to marinate for a while or put into the dehydrator (in a ziploc bag or something) to "soften them down" a bit...kinda like steamed. I've never done this with broccoli or cauliflower as I've never liked either, but I HAVE done this with cabbage (and other veggies to make a "stir fry" of sorts) and it's quite good.

[Brianna]

As long as digesting them causes you no discomfort, I see no problem with eating them raw. I eat them raw all the time with no problem.