by Matie Belle Lakish.
My outside thermometer shows the temperature at 10.8°F. The inside of my storm door is icy, and my car starts reluctantly. I walk in the garden, and the kale leaves break under my feet. The remaining Romanesco broccoli heads are frozen solid. Will they survive to grace my table?
Remarkably, they do. When I come back in the early evening, they are still mostly ice, but I cut them, steam them, and delight in the sweetness they have developed, with no apparent loss of texture or flavor. Brassicas, also known as cruciferous vegetables, are truly a blessing to those who dwell in the cold climates of the world.
But the blessings don’t end there. There is a lot of exciting new research on the brassica family of plants, most of which are useful as foodstuffs, that shows it to be very effective in preventing and curing cancers. A paragraph from Wikipedia illustrates some of the research that is being done.
“Brassica vegetables are highly regarded for their nutritional value. They provide high amounts of vitamin C and soluble fiber and contain nutrients with anticancer properties: 3,3’diindolylmethane sulforaphane and selenium. Boiling reduces the level of anticancer compounds, but steaming, microwaving, and stir-frying do not result in significant loss. Steaming these vegetables for three to four minutes is recommended to maximize sulforaphane.
Brassica vegetables are rich in indole-3-carbinol, a chemical which boosts DNA repair in cells in vitro and appears to block the growth of cancer cells in vitro. They are also a good source of carotenoids, with broccoli having especially high levels. Researchers at the University of California at Berkeley have recently discovered that 3,3’-diindolylmethane in Brassica vegetables is a potent modulator of the innate immune response system with potent antiviral, antibacterial and anticancer activity.”
Another interesting entry, found on Science News website, discusses research on cancer stem cells. “A compound and an enzyme that occur naturally in cruciferous vegetables—cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli and Brussels sprouts—may help prevent recurrence and spread of some cancers, according to associate professor Moul Dey of the South Dakota State University Department of Health and Nutritional Sciences. She has been doing research on phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC)”:
“The precursor compound and enzyme in cruciferous vegetables combine during the chewing process to produce PEITC within the body, Dey explained. Though PEITC is a good candidate to develop as a dietary supplement, studies have also shown that sufficient cancer-preventing levels of PEITC can be achieved through diet alone.
“When cancer is treated with chemotherapy or radiation, the tumor disappears but the cancer stem cells live on. ‘These cells are frequently resistant to conventional therapies,’ Dey said. Though cancer stem cells make up less than 5% of a tumor, they can regenerate the original tumor and migrate through the blood vessels spreading cancer to secondary locations. ‘These tiny cells are very difficult to detect in a tumor,’ Dey pointed out, adding that for a long time scientists did not even know they existed. ‘It’s like finding a needle in a haystack.’ When Dey and her team treated human cervical cancer stem cells with PEITC in a Petri dish, about 75% died within 24 hours.”
There is a significant advantage to eating your broccoli or cabbage raw, from the point of view of protecting the cancer-inhibiting chemicals, many of which are destroyed by extensive heating. However, there is a downside as well. Raw cruciferous vegetables contain chemicals called Goitrogins. These substances inhibit the absorption of iodine and suppress its action in the thyroid gland. These goitrogins are destroyed by heating, but this heating action also destroys the anti-cancer factors. Therefore, a balance must be achieved between the amounts of raw cruciferous vegetable we eat and the iodine we consume. I remember reading an article years ago that recommended sprinkling your cole slaw with kelp to help maintain this balance. Since just supplementing with iodine will help, but not prevent, the hypothyroidism, it is best to limit the drinking of significant amounts of raw kale juice, for instance. Apparently, lightly steaming the vegetables is a better choice.
These cruciferous, or brassica, vegetables come in numerous varieties, from turnips to canola. The more common garden vegetables that we can grow successfully for much of the year range from broccoli sprouts we can grow in the kitchen to several kinds of kales and collards, turnips and rutabagas, cauliflower and broccoli, cabbages and Brussels sprouts, as well as Chinese cabbages. Many of these will live over the winter in a minimally heated greenhouse, and I have kept kale alive under straw to revive again for early garden greens.
Plant your broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and kale seeds in pots late in February or early March for a head start in the garden. They are fairly frost resistant, and the young plants can be planted out by mid-May into the garden. They appreciate an enriched soil with plenty of humus and organic compost and do better with regular watering. The main pests are green cabbage worms and aphids. A spray with soap and garlic will usually discourage these pests.
When planning your garden, give the cruciferous veggies a significant place in your plan for a nutritious, homegrown, healing diet.