Little did you know that eating cabbage and other green cruciferous vegetables would help with breast health, but a study recently presented at the American Association of Cancer Research found that women who eat large amounts of these specific vegetables have far better breast health than women who forgo them.
What are Cruciferous Vegetables?
Cruciferous vegetables include the cabbage family, such as red and white cabbage, Brussel sprouts and bok choy. Other types of vegetables in the cruciferous category include broccoli, cauliflower and leafy dark greens.
In the study, women in China were studied and it was found that women who ate the highest amount of these vegetables had the longest lives and far lower rates of breast cancer than other women. Additionally, it was found that women who had high consumption rates of cruciferous vegetables had higher survival rates than women who ate these vegetables rarely or not at all.
Benefits of Cruciferous Vegetables
Researchers point to the high levels of anti-cancer nutrients that are commonly found in cruciferous vegetables as the answer to why women who eat large amounts of these vegetables seem to fare better when it comes to mortality rates and breast cancer levels. In China, cruciferous vegetables are a staple of the diet, which explains why women eat them in such large amounts. However, researchers also discovered that the more cancer fighting nutrients consumed, the more protection there was against cancer. Not only do these nutrients fight existing cancer cells, but they also prevent cancer cells from forming in the first place.
The next time you go to the grocery store, stock up on Brussel sprouts, broccoli and leafy dark greens – your breasts will thank you and you might live longer because of it.
– The Alternative Daily
