Cabbage Phytochemicals

Phytochemicals may be the best thing since sliced tomatoes. Most fruits and vegetables contain these chemical substances (‘phyto’ means plant); they’re give plants their colour and flavour. They also serve as part of a plant’s defence system against disease, sunlight and oxidation from air and pollutants. Best of all, once they’re in our bodies, phytochemicals defend us.

It has been found that phytochemicals increase our resistance to disease and boost immunity. But what is baffling researchers is why phytochemicals seem to lose their disease-fighting powers when they are isolated from the ‘host’ plant. Maybe it’s their interaction that gives them power. Or maybe squashing a serving of cabbage into a pill results in some phytochemical destruction. Regardless, it has become clear that whole foods contain the protective power; photochemical pills do not.

Cabbage contains a long list of phytochemicals. Among the most beneficial are the indoles. These show promise as cancer-fighters because they block the conversion of the sex hormones into a more potent cancer-causing form. Cabbage can be consumed raw in sandwiches or in vegetable salads. They can also be used in vegetable soups since indoles are not damaged by cooking. @@footer:footer@@