Oh cauliflower, we’re seeing it pop up ALL over as a healthier alternative, aren’t we? Cauliflower mashed potatoes, cauliflower pizza crust, cauliflower alfredo sauce and cauliflower breadsticks—-just a few of the ways cauliflower is used in place of heavier foods. But is it really all that healthy?! Today I thought we’d take a look at what’s really in it and then decide. 
8 Top Health Benefits of Cauliflower
Because of its beneficial effects on numerous aspects of health, cauliflower can easily be described as a superfood. Ten of its most impressive benefits follow:
1. Fight Cancer
Cauliflower contains sulforaphane, a sulfur compound that has also been shown to kill cancer stem cells, thereby slowing tumor growth. Some researchers believe eliminating cancer stem cells may be key to controlling cancer.
For instance, research has shown that combining cauliflower with curcumin (the active compound in the spice turmeric) may help prevent and treat prostate cancer.1
A study published in Carcinogenesis also found sulforaphane may reduce the incidence and rate of chemically induced mammary tumors in animals.2 It also inhibits the growth of cultured human breast cancer cells, leading to cell death.
Other compounds in cauliflower also show anti-cancer effects. According to the National Cancer Institute:3
“Indoles and isothiocyanates have been found to inhibit the development of cancer in several organs in rats and mice, including the bladder, breast, colon, liver, lung, and stomach.”
2. Boost Heart Health
Sulforaphane in cauliflower and other coniferous vegetables has been found to significantly improve blood pressure and kidney function. Scientists believe sulforaphane’s benefits are related to improved DNA methylation, which is crucial for normal cellular function and proper gene expression, especially in the easily damaged inner lining of the arteries known as the endothelium.
3. It’s Anti-Inflammatory
You need some level of inflammation in your body to stay healthy. However, it’s also possible, and increasingly common, for the inflammatory response to get out of hand.
If your immune system mistakenly triggers an inflammatory response when no threat is present, it can lead to significant inflammation-related damage to the body, a condition linked to cancer and other diseases, depending on which organs the inflammation is impacting.
Cauliflower contains a wealth of anti-inflammatory nutrients to help keep inflammation in check, including indole-3-carbinol or I3C, an anti-inflammatory compound that may operate at the genetic level to help prevent the inflammatory responses at its foundational level.5
4. It’s Rich in Vitamins and Minerals
Most Americans are seriously lacking in nutrients their body needs to function. Eating cauliflower regularly is a simple way to get these much-needed nutrients into your body. For instance, one serving of cauliflower contains 77 percent of the recommended daily value of vitamin C. It’s also a good source of vitamin K, protein, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, magnesium, phosphorus, fiber, vitamin B6, folate, pantothenic acid, potassium, and manganese.
5. Boost Your Brain Health
Cauliflower is a good source of choline, a B vitamin known for its role in brain development. Choline intake during pregnancy “super-charged” the brain activity of animals in utero, indicating that it may boost cognitive function, and improve learning and memory. It may even diminish age-related memory decline and your brain’s vulnerability to toxins during childhood, as well as conferring protection later in life.6
6. Detoxification Support
Cauliflower helps your body’s ability to detoxify in multiple ways. It contains antioxidants that support Phase 1 detoxification along with sulfur-containing nutrients important for Phase 2 detox activities. The glucosinolates in cauliflower also activate detoxification enzymes.7
7. Digestive Benefits
Cauliflower is an important source of dietary fiber for digestive health. But that’s not all. According to the World’s Healthiest Foods:8
“Researchers have determined that the sulforaphane made from a glucosinolate in cauliflower (glucoraphanin) can help protect the lining of your stomach. Sulforaphane provides you with this health benefit by preventing bacterial overgrowth of Helicobacter pylori in your stomach or too much clinging by this bacterium to your stomach wall.”
8. Antioxidants and Phytonutrients Galore
Eating cauliflower is like winning the antioxidant and phytonutrient lottery. It’s packed with vitamin C, beta-carotene, kaempferol, quercetin, rutin, cinnamic acid, and much more. Antioxidants are nature’s way of providing your cells with adequate defense against attack by reactive oxygen species (ROS).
As long as you have these important micronutrients, your body will be able to resist aging caused by your everyday exposure to pollutants, chronic stress, and more. If you don’t have an adequate supply of antioxidants to help squelch free radicals, then you can be at risk of oxidative stress, which leads to accelerated tissue and organ damage.
So, looking at the facts above….yes, we SHOULD continue using cauliflower. This is way more than just a trend. Cauliflower really is SUPER HEALTHY! Here are the nutrition facts. Note that this is for 100 grams, which equals about 1 cup of cauliflower.
Recently I tried Cauliflower Breadsticks and oh my goodness, you guys! I’m so pleasantly surprised how easy and delicious these are. That is, if you have a food processor, which I’m hoping you do.
The thing that makes this recipe awesome is how you simply stick the cauliflower florets into the food processor and then blend them until they turn into a rice-consistency. Then you either dump the cauliflower into another bowl and stir the remaining ingredients in, or if you’re like me (and you’re not wanting to dirty another dish), you’ll carefully stir the other ingredients in, right there in the food processor. Either way—super simple and these come out delicious!
- 1 head cauliflower, riced
- 1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese
- 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 tablespoon freshly minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon freshly chopped basil
- 1/2 tablespoon freshly chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3/4 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese
- Preheat oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- To rice the cauliflower, core it and break it into florets. Then pulse until it reaches the texture of rice.
- In a large bowl, mix the riced cauliflower, shredded Mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg, fresh garlic, fresh basil, fresh parsley, salt, and black pepper until combined and holds together.
- Place the mixture onto the parchment lined baking sheet and spread out into a rectangle about 9x7" and 1/4" thick.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and top with 3/4 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese and return to oven to continue baking until the cheese is melted and starting to brown. Cool about 10 minutes and cut into 'breadsticks'.
- Garnish with fresh herbs and Parmesan cheese.
- Serve with your favorite Red Sauce and enjoy!
Next time you’re looking for a healthier bread alternative, be sure to give these a try. And please- come back and let me know how they turned out!