Female Factors

The key nutrients in brassicas are … Vitamin C, K, A, B9 (folate) as well as being rich sources of potassium and phosphorus and contains smaller amounts of calcium, magnesium iron and zinc.

Also brassicas are a good source of FIBRE which is important for the digestive system and will help you have regular bowel movements which is important for many reasons but will help with the elimination of excess hormones.

The compounds most beneficial to female health are Sulforophane which is metabolised from the glucosinolate family and also Indole-3-carbinol from the Indole group.

These compounds support hormonal balance, help to support optimal detoxification processes and they also play a role in oestrogen metabolism and therefore minimise symptoms related to female health and the menopause phase of life.

TIPS for getting the best nutrient value from Brassica vegetables

1. Buy Whole Vegetables – the nutrient value of the glucosinolates, are more likely to be intact before processing so buying whole is advantageous. An enzyme called myrosinase contained within the plant, is activated by chopping or chewing the vegetable, and that process enables the formation of sulforophane. However the bioavailability of the nutrients is time limited, so if you buy prepared brassica vegetables it’s likely that enzymatic process will already have happened and you may miss out on the benefits. Our suggestion is to buy whole heads of broccoli and cauliflower rather than the prepared florets and whole kale leaves on stalks rather than shredded.
2. Fresh over Frozen – the Scottish study mentioned earlier suggested that freezing brassica vegetables immediately after harvesting was an optimal way for maintaining the “at harvest” level of the health-beneficial glucosinolates, as well as for quality e.g. appearance, taste, texture etc. However, they also noted that this approach would involve some type of heat treatment such as blanching, which may lead to deactivating myrosinase and a reduction in sulphorophane. It’s good to be aware of this especially if you are looking for a therapeutic value from brassica vegetables.
3. Avoiding Packaged Vegetables – they will have been exposed to the packaging, storage and transportation chain and the associated changes in temperature, humidity etc all of which may affect quality of nutrient value. Ideally shop at the market, a farm shop, local greengrocer, or farm delivery box and buy loose and unpackaged.
4. Refrigerator Storage – there have been studies demonstrating that glucosinolate content declined more rapidly in broccoli stored at 20°C compared with broccoli stored at <4°C  – over a 5-7 day period. So the advice is store brassicas in your fridge not at room temperature.
5. Make steaming your cooking method of choice – microwaving, pressure cooking and boiling are all associated with significant losses of glucosinolates alongside loss of other nutrients. So choosing to steam brassica vegetables will help you maximise nutrient value. I sometime hear people say steaming is boring and tasteless but you can add seasoning and dressings after steaming to make them more flavoursome.
6. Mix up your brassicas don’t just choose the same ones over and over – the range of brassica vegetables is wide and so as you would imagine the nutrient make up of each variety is slightly different – so you can maximise the full range of nutrients by eating a variety across the day and the week.

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Disclaimer:

The suggestions we make during this episode are for guidance and advice only, and are not a substitute for medical advice or treatment. If you have any concerns regarding your health, please contact your healthcare professional for advice as soon as possible.