Popularity contest
I've mentioned before that my husband is a relatively picky eater. And topping his list of hated foods is broccoli. I've never pushed him that hard on the issue, though, because he'll happily eat salad, green beans, snow peas, asparagus, and a few other vegetables. Plus, he's an avid fruit eater. So we both have always assumed that keeping broccoli and its cruciferous cousins like cauliflower out of the mix wasn't really causing any harm. But it turns out that, without them, he may not be getting the cancer prevention benefits that have always been associated with produce. According to a recent study published in the journal Food Chemistry, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, Brussels sprouts (two more no-no's on my husband's food preference list), and other dark greens have the highest anti-cancer potential found in produce. Garlic also ranked high (though I doubt my husband would be able to eat enough of it to make up for what he's not getting from the other sources -- nor would I want him to). The cancer-fighting abilities of these vegetables have been known for quite some time, so these particular findings aren't exactly earth-shattering. But what was interesting was that the researchers found that a few other vegetables -- namely potato, carrot, tomato, and lettuce -- were essentially useless when it comes to protecting against cancer. And yet, these four items make up 60 percent of the total vegetable intake of most Americans. Unfortunately, that's just not going to cut it. While I doubt this news is going to change the taste buds of the die-hard broccoli haters out there, there are ways to sneak some of these foods into your diet without having to sit down to a plate full of florets. For instance, add some cooked cauliflower in with your potatoes before you mash them. Or stir chopped spinach or kale into your spaghetti sauce. Granted, the health benefits of these vegetables are strongest when they're eaten raw, but something is better than nothing, and if you're getting even a little protection from cancer out of it, it's certainly worth a try. Source:
"Unpopular veggies vital for cancer protection: Study," NutraIngredients (www.nutraingredients.com), 10/7/08 |
