25. CAULIFLOWER

CAULIFLOWER 

Cauliflower (cooked)
Nutrition in 100 gm
Energy: 23 kcal
Carbohydrates	4.11 gm
Sugar	1.41 gm
Dietary fibre	2.7 gm
Fat	0.45 gm
Proteins	1.84 gm
Water	93 gm
Vitamin A	12 µ gm
Vit B1 (Thiamin)	0.042 mg
Vit B2 (Riboflavin)	0.052 mg
Vit B3 (Niacin)	0.41 mg
Pantothenic acid (Vit B5)	0.508 mg
Vit B6	0.173 mg
Vit B9 (Folate)	44 µ gm
Vitamin C (Absorbic acid)	44.3 mg
Vitamin E	0.07 µ gm
Calcium	16 mg
Iron	0.33 mg
Magnesium	9 mg
Phosphorus	32 mg
Potassium	142 mg
Zinc	0.18 mg
Sodium	242 mg
Copper	0.027 mg
Manganese	0.138 mg
Selenium	0.5 µ gm

Cauliflower is eaten raw in salad or cooked in curry. Like cabbage, cauliflower also tastes horrible if cooked. Green and purple coloured cauliflowers are also grown.

Raw cauliflower has potassium, iron and zinc which reduces if cooked. It is also rich in vitamin A and C. Raw cauliflower contains natural chemicals like dithiolthiones and glucosinolates. It is low in calories and high in dietary fibre, folate, water, vitamin C and other nutrition.

Benefits:

1. Cancer: When cauliflower is chewed or cut, an anti-cancer compound called sulforaphane is released. Hence cauliflower reduces the risk of cancers especially prostrate cancer.

2. Tumors: cauliflower has indole-3-carbinol, which works as anti-estrogen and slows the growth of tumors in breast and prostrate.

3. Liver: Cauliflower has substances that improve liver’s ability to detoxify carcinogenic substances.