Cruciferous Characteristics

• Cruciferous vegetables are classified in the family called Cruciferae or Brassica. These plants have flowers with four equal-sized petals in the shape of a cross. The family is often referred to informally as the cabbage or mustard family. They are cool-season plants, and all above-ground parts are edible, although certain parts can taste bitter.

Eat Your Veggies

• One of the things that make cruciferous vegetables good for you is that they contain glucosinolates, sulfur-containing compounds that give them a pungent aroma and spicy or bitter taste. When chewed or chopped, an enzyme breaks glucosinolates into compounds. It is these compounds -- indoles and isothiocyanates -- that provide the detoxifying and oxidating health benefits.

In the Raw

• When you consume cruciferous vegetables raw, their enzymes are likely to be more efficient at breaking down glucosinolates and making healthy compounds available to the body. However, consuming raw cruciferous veggies if you have a thyroid problem can suppress your thyroid’s hormone production, resulting in fatigue and slowed metabolism. Cruciferous vegetables contain chemicals that can adversely affect thyroid hormone synthesis. If your thyroid is normal, consume them raw or steam them a little to obtain the best health benefits.

Ready-To-Cook

• When you want to serve the veggies hot, don’t overcook them. The Linus Pauling Institute reports that boiling them for nine to 15 minutes results in 20 to 60 percent decrease in the total glucosinolate content, so keep cooking times to less than nine minutes for the best results. Overcooking can also produce a sulfur odor. To maximize the nutritional benefits, quick steaming is the best method. Sprinkle the vegetables with your favorite seasonings and steam them for about eight minutes. They should soften a little but retain some crunch.