Cauliflower is actually a type of cabbage, but one in which the flowers never get beyond the bud phase. Like the other brassica family members, such as broccoli and Brussels sprouts, it seems to be especially protective against cancer and heart disease

It is packed with vitamins, minerals and powerful anti-carcinogenic compounds including the phytochemical sulforaphane, which not only stimulates the body’s own defences against disease, but also directly blocks tumours. In a recent study, it disrupted the growth of breast cancer cells in later stages. It is thought that brassicas reduce the risk of cancer by protecting DNA from being damaged, and research into the effects of eating cruciferous vegetables found a significant reduction in DNA cell damage in 20 healthy volunteers who had eaten 113g of cruciferous sprouts a day for two weeks.

 

Cauliflower’s main vitamin is C, with 100g – which is about a sixth of a medium-sized cauliflower head. Vitamin C’s primary role is in the production of collagen, which helps to form teeth, bones, skin and cartilage, but it is also a powerful antioxidant. Not only does it play an important role in wound healing, immunity, and the nervous system, it also helps to protect against cancer, as well as shielding ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol from the free radical damage that can lead to cardiovascular disease

 

B vitamins are well represented, with 100g of cauliflower providing excellent quantities of folate (essential for preventing spina bifida in the developing foetus but can also help reduce the risk of heart disease, vitamin B6 (gives you energy by helping the body to produce proteins and to metabolise) and vitamin B5 (essential for the proper function of the adrenal glands).

 

Eating good amounts of cauliflower could be a good way of protecting against inflammatory conditions such as arthritis. It’s an excellent source of omega-3 essential fatty acids, which are used by the body to produce anti-inflammatory prostaglandins – these can reduce the risk of strokes and heart attacks and also protect against arthritis and rheumatism. And remember those huge vitamin C levels? Epidemiological research suggests that diets rich in vitamin C can protect against a type of rheumatoid arthritis, with those who ate the smallest amounts three times more likely to develop it than those who ate the most.

Tofu, also known as soya bean curd, has also been called a cheese as it is made by grinding cooked soya beans and the resulting ‘milk’ is then curdled with a coagulant.

It is thought that tofu originated in China about 2000 years ago and was introduced into Japan in the 8th century. Tofu is often described as a perfect food as it is high in good quality protein, low in saturated fats, cholesterol free, easy to digest and carries with it a number of health benefits.

Tofu provides 14.4% of the daily value for these especially beneficial fats in just 4 ounces. Research into the health benefits of tofu, like soya in general, has shown that it can reduce the risk of heart disease because it lowers LDL (‘bad’) cholesterol. Tofu is also rich in phytoestrogens and research has shown that women who eat a diet rich in phytoestrogens have less hot flushes and night sweats.

Research has also looked at breast cancer risk in those cultures that eat a lot of soya products. We know that for Western women, 133 per 100,000 will be affected by breast cancer compared to 39 per 100,000 in Asian countries. And a large study in 2006, in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute showed that a diet high in soya was associated with a 14% reduction in risk of breast cancer. Further research showed that both tofu and miso showed clear protective effects.

The texture of tofu varies from soft to firm to extra-firm. Soft tofu has a smooth texture and is more suited for salad dressings, sauces and desserts, while firm and extra-firm tofu are best for baking, stir-frying and grilling. For more recipes on cooking with tofu and soya see my book ‘Healthy Eating Through the Menopause’ available from www.naturalhealthpractice.com.

Red cabbage is a member of the cruciferous family which also includes kale, broccoli and Brussel Sprouts. The cabbage that we eat today was developed from wild cabbage and was brought to Europe around 600BC and had been grown in Ancient Greek and Roman civilizations that had used cabbage for medicinal purposes.

Red cabbage is a rich source of calcium and also flavonoids. The flavonoids are responsible for the red colour and give the red cabbage its antioxidant benefits.
The antioxidant properties of red cabbage are six to eight times higher than the white variety.

A study published in Food Science and Technology looked at the possible protective effects of red cabbage on Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is associated with an increase in a protein called beta-amyloid which causes brain cell damage. It is thought that the antioxidant polyphenols (particularly the anthocyanins) that are high in red cabbage can protect brain cells against the damage caused by amyloid-beta protein.

Also as a member of the cruciferous family of vegetable, red cabbage contains phytochemicals called indole-3-carbinoles (I3C) which are thought to play a role in reducing the risk of breast cancer. I3C seems to control oestrogen as it stops the carcinogenic forms of oestrogen from being absorbed in the body, while at the same time encouraging their elimination. One study in the Journal of the American Medicine Association showed that women eating just 1.5 cups of cruciferous vegetables per day have a 25% decreased risk of breast cancer.