Suppression
Brassicas
Category: Food
Type
Voluntary
Introduction and description
Brassicas are a type or class of vegetables, the correct family name being Brassicaceae. The family takes its alternate name - Cruciferae, New Latin for "cross-bearing" - from the shape of their flowers, whose four petals resemble a cross. They include plants like:
- Horseradish
- Cress
- Mustard greens
- Kale
- Collard greens
- Broccoli
- Cabbage – including speciality cabbages like bok choy and chinese cabbage
- Brussels sprouts
- Kohlrabi
- Cauliflower
The links take you to a description of each plant and a lot more detail of their medicinal value and how you can use them.
All these plants are delicious, and are as a consequence used extensively in cooking. They have been cultivated for centuries and are often the staple of allotments and vegetable gardens. According to Wikipedia “ Cruciferous vegetables are one of the dominant food crops worldwide. Widely considered to be healthy foods, they are high in vitamin C and soluble fiber and contain multiple nutrients and phytochemicals”.
And there are many healing properties that brassicas possess.
Background
Brassicaceae contain a number of hepato-protective agents. Alliaceous and cruciferous vegetable consumption induces glutathione S-transferases, uridine diphosphate-glucuronosyl transferases, and quinone reductases all of which participate in detoxification of carcinogens such as aflatoxin.
Iso-thio-cyanates are an important factor in the action of some brassicas such as wasabi against Helicobacter Pylori, so they have an antibiotic capability. Sulforaphane demonstrates anti-inflammatory effects on Helicobacter pylori-infected gastric mucosae in mice and human subjects.
It is worth adding that Chemicals contained in cruciferous vegetables 'induce the expression of the liver enzyme CYP1A2'. Theophylline and Xanthine are metabolized by CYP1A2. Consequently consumption of cruciferous vegetable may decrease the effects of this chemical. This may not sound a very positive statement, but put very very simply if you wish to gorge on chocolate you need to eat your greens, because cocoa beans contain theophylline.
Method
Lightly boil, stir fry in butter or olive oil, steam or eat raw in salads.
How it works
All these have healing capabilities and the mechanisms are explained in the observations from PubMed.
Advantages
Delicious
Cheap
Easily grown and hardy
Available worldwide
Disadvantages
All brassicas taste much sweeter and nicer when they are freshly picked and although supermarkets do their best, shop bought brassicas somehow do not taste as good as freshly gathered ones.
They do make you fart, but as the old adage goes:
"brassicas are good for the heart, the more you eat the more you fart, the more you fart the better you feel, brassicas for every meal".
Related observations
Healing observations
- ACE inhibitors and coughing 005790
- Broccoli Nutrients from USDA database 007164
- Brussel sprouts Nutrients 007162
- Cabbage nutrients from USDA database 007160
- Cancer and various foods 006256
- Cauliflower Nutrients from USDA database 007161
- Chris Astill Smith & James - 'Diagnostic Session' 012314
- Croll, Oswald - Preface of Signatures – 08 016026
- Dr Duke's list of antiparasitic plants 010310
- Dr Duke's list of cystine containing plants to boost the immune system 012486
- Dr Duke's list of plants containing acetylcholine 013007
- Dr Duke's list of Plants containing ARGININE 017958
- Dr Duke's list of Plants containing GLYCINE 017955
- Dr Duke's list of Plants containing HISTIDINE 019061
- Dr Duke's list of plants to counteract heavy metals 010312
- Dr Duke's list of plants with a diuretic activity 012389
- Dr Duke's list of Plants with Anti-aggregate activity 017520
- Dr Duke's list of Plants with Antianorexic activity 018410
- Dr Duke's list of Plants with Antibph activity 018354
- Dr Duke's list of Plants with Anticervicaldysplasic activity 018364
- Dr Duke's list of Plants with Anticoeliac activity 018431
- Dr Duke's list of plants with hemopoietic effects - 2 All plants with activity 012485
- Dr Duke's list of plants with vasodilatory activity 012388
- Eating your greens for warts 006958
- Fatigue in cancer survivors 006835
- Fruit, veg and esophagus cancer 005362
- Fruit, vegetables and potassium 005569
- Glaucoma, fruit and vegetables 007245
- Goodheart, George - On the Acid-Alkaline balance 011173
- Kale Nutrient value from USDA 007035
- Kohlrabi Nutrients from USDA database 007163
- Korean study on foods to have and avoid in children 006291
- Medical paper on plants and health 006480
- Mediterranean style diet and erectile dysfunction 005744
- Nicotine, coffee, cannabis and dopamine 005772
- Omega-3 and omega-6 content of medicinal foods for depressed patients: implications from the Iranian Traditional Medicine 017018
- Plants to help resist disease 005576
- Polyphenols and heart disease 005617
- Rheumatoid arthritis and food 005581
- Root vegetables and affordable nutrition 005537
- Sulphur, dermatitis, acne, dandruff and warts 005565
- TED talk - Dr Richard Weller: Could the sun be good for your heart 017316
- The Polymeal: a more natural, safer, and probably tastier (than the Polypill) strategy to reduce cardiovascular disease by more than 75% 020830
- Traditional Iranian medicinal foods for depressed patients 011994
- Vegetables and diabetes 010383
- Vitamin A and cancer 007246