Cauliflower is attractive as a dietary medicinal product. How it is useful for the human body, as well as what vitamins are included in cauliflower and who should not eat it, read below.

Description and chemical composition

Cauliflower is an annual culture of the Cruciferous family. The rhizome of the fibrous type is located in close proximity to the surface of the soil. On the stem of a cylindrical shape there are several petioles holding the leaves.

The color palette of leaves can vary from light green to blue-green. The heads are rounded or flat-rounded, consist of many densely arranged inflorescences from 3 to 15 cm long. The stump is large, has a rigid dense structure.

Did you know? Mention of cauliflower is found in the writings of the famous healer Avicenna, who lived in the XI century.

This vegetable is characterized by a rich chemical composition: the iodine content in 100 g of cabbage varies in the range of 3-14 mcg, which is 10 part of the daily norm. The main nutritional value of this product is long carbohydrates. The BJU index is reduced and in percentage terms it looks like this: 1: 0.1: 1.7.In addition to iodine, the composition of the product includes the following macro and micro elements:

• calcium - 26 mg;
• potassium - 210 mg;
• magnesium - 17 mg;
• sodium - 10 mg;
• phosphorus - 51 mg;
• iron - 1.4 mg;
• Manganese - 0.156 mg;
• copper - 42 mcg;
• selenium - 0.6 mcg;
• fluorine - 1 mcg;
• zinc - 0.28 mg.

Properties of Cauliflower

Based on what vitamins and minerals are contained in vegetable culture and how much protein is needed in it to normalize the functionality of the body, it can be an excellent addition to the diet of people seeking to lose weight and improve their health.

Benefit

• The usefulness of the product for human health:
• improving intestinal performance by gently cleansing it of toxins and normalizing stool;
• reduction of negative effects on the mucous membranes of the stomach alkalis, which is the prevention of the development of cancerous tumors and gastritis;
• acceleration of regeneration processes at the cellular level;
• protection against bacteria due to the presence of essential acids and antioxidants;
• improvement of the state of the vascular walls, which positively affects the work of the heart muscle.

The healing properties of cabbage are due to the rapid digestibility of the protein, which is contained in its composition in the form of easily degradable elements. The product is approved for use even in childhood - it is one of the first components of complementary foods for babies.

For women

• The beneficial effects of cabbage on the female body:
• gently weakens, relieving constipation, which will especially come in handy after childbirth;
• supports the body in tone, being an active fat burner;
• regulates the hormonal background;
• improves the condition of the dermis, eliminating acne by removing toxins and cholesterol compounds.

Did you know? The name of the vegetable crop is not due to the color scheme, but to the presence of a large number of colors that make up the heads.

For men

• The beneficial effects of the product on the body of men:
• maintains normal electrolytic balance, preserving strength and energy even at high physical exertion;
• prevents the occurrence of cancerous tumors in the prostate;
• beneficial effect on the condition of the scalp, preventing baldness at an early age.

For children

Moms try to carefully monitor what their children eat and check if this food is healthy. When choosing a diet for a child, it is important to consider whether there is protein in a particular product and whether it causes gas formation in the digestive tract - unlike white cabbage, cauliflower is not such a product.

B vitamins are the main building material of nerve and immune cells, muscle fibers: during the period of active growth, the described vegetable will become an indispensable source of these elements.

The broth cooked on cauliflower is first of all introduced into the diet of children under one year of age, since the product rarely causes adverse reactions. The content of antioxidants, in particular ascorbic acid, has a beneficial effect on the formation of the immune system, increasing the body's ability to fight infections and viruses.

• The benefits of cabbage for the child's body:
• ensuring normal bowel function;
• mild sedative effect;
• improving brain activity and protecting the nervous system from the negative effects of stress;
• enriches the body with calcium and iodine;
• strengthens bone tissue;
• improves memory.

Did you know? Cauliflower is not only a valuable food product, but also used in some countries in landscape design — as a decorative element.

With diarrhea and frequent disorders of the digestive tract, cauliflower is contraindicated in children.

Harm and contraindications

Like any product, this vegetable has its contraindications to consumption.

• When choosing a diet, you need to know which diseases cauliflower is contraindicated:
• with inversion of the intestines;
• with a stomach ulcer, accompanied by colitis;
• after removal of the gallbladder;
• with pathologies of the urinary system;
• with diarrhea;
• with enteritis;
• with exacerbation of pancreatitis;
• with thyroid dysfunction;
• with gout and a number of skin diseases.

Freshly squeezed juice and consumption of raw cabbage can provoke an exacerbation of gastritis. It is also worth abandoning the use of this product at night. Due to the fiber, which the stems of the plant contain in large quantities, the digestion process slows down at night, which causes discomfort in the digestive tract, worsens sleep.

Boiled cabbage, eaten before bedtime, greatly strengthens.

With caution, this product should be administered to children 3-6 months. First you need to find out if the new food causes gas in the intestines. For the first time, the child is given no more than 1 tsp. cabbage puree in the morning, throughout the day, monitor the behavior and condition of the child. If all is well, daily increase the daily norm by 1 tsp.Puric acids that contain cauliflower are dangerous for people suffering from gout and other skin diseases. 100 g of the product contains 15% purine acids of the allowable daily allowance.

Calorie content and vitamin composition

The energy value of raw cabbage per 100 g is 30 kcal.

Of these 30 kilocalories of BZhU are:

• proteins - 2.5 g;
• fats - 0.3 g;
• carbohydrates - 5.4 g.

The composition of the product includes the following vitamins:

• folic acid;
• pantothenic acid;
• riboflavin;
• niacin;
• vitamin C;
• thiamine;
• cyanocobalamin;
• alpha tocopherol;
• ergocalciferol;
• a nicotinic acid;
• phylloquinone;
• biotin;
• beta carotene;
• choline;
• methyl methionine sulfonium;
• pyridoxine.

Basic rules for choosing cauliflower

What benefits the body will receive from the consumption of cabbage depends on the correct choice of products. The ideal option is to grow this vegetable yourself.But if this is not possible, follow the following rules:

1. Pay attention to the leaves - they must have a dense structure and uniform color.
2. If there are no leaves, it is better to refuse to buy such a vegetable - this means that the seller intentionally deleted the leaves in order to hide traces of damage to the product and sell it as soon as possible.
3. Inspect the inflorescences - there should not be dark spots on their surface.
4. Feel the vegetable - the head should be tight and heavy. Products that have been lying on the counter for a long time lose moisture, so it seems easy.

Properly selected products, when stored in a refrigerator in a designated compartment for vegetables, remain usable for 7-10 days.

Consumption rates

The rate of consumption of cabbage per day is 100 g with daily use of the product. For children aged 7-8 months, the norm is 50 g per day no more than 3 times a week.

Important! Exceeding consumption standards leads to hypervitaminosis, which is fraught with the development of allergies and impaired gastrointestinal function.

Features of use

The form in which cauliflower will be most useful depends on the purpose of its use, as well as the characteristics of the body of the person who uses it. For example, in case of gastrointestinal diseases, first of all, it is necessary to calculate how much calcium and how much fiber the finished product will contain, since its fresh use is contraindicated in the presence of ulcers on the mucous membranes due to the fixing effect.Also, before you start using the product, you should figure out what is edible and what part of it is best to use in a particular case. All parts of the plant are consumed, except for protective leaves. They are first removed, then the cabbage is washed and the stalk is cut off. After that, the head is disassembled into inflorescences.

The stump can also be eaten, but provided that the person has no problems with the gastrointestinal tract. It is this part of the cabbage that is the toughest and hard to digest, even in boiled form.

When breastfeeding

Is it possible for a woman to eat cabbage while breastfeeding, the pediatrician decides, considering the individual characteristics of the development of the child and mother. Usually this product does not cause negative manifestations on the part of the body of a woman and a child, therefore it is recommended for use in boiled, steamed and stewed form. The main thing is to clearly calculate how many grams per day to add to your diet.

With gout

In the presence of a disease such as gout, it is better to abandon the use of the vegetable in question completely.

For weight loss

Consider whether it is possible to get fat from eating the described product: it depends on how to cook it and what time of day to eat. In a diet aimed at losing weight, it is best to use the vegetable in boiled, fresh, stewed form or as part of light soups.Do not use products fried in oil. You should also be careful with evening snacks: the last meal should take place no later than 2 hours before bedtime.

Important! The product must not be cooked in aluminum utensils. During the reaction of chemical compounds contained in its composition, toxic substances are released with this metal, which can cause poisoning.

For heartburn

With an increase in acidity, products should be consumed only in boiled or stewed form. From the use of fresh vegetables should be abandoned at the time of exacerbation.

With diabetes

In type 1 and type 2 diabetes, the vegetable in question forms the basis of the diet. Its use does not affect the level of glucose compounds in the blood. The product is used fresh, in the composition of the first courses, as an independent dish and side dish, replacing foods with a high starch content, for example, mashed potatoes.

The advantages of the vegetable are its neutral effect on sugar levels and the ability to burn excess calories, which positively affects the cardiovascular system.Cauliflower is a valuable supplier of vitamins and minerals necessary to support the life of the human body at different stages of development. Methods of use and dosage are determined in accordance with the individual characteristics of the body - on average, its consumption should not exceed 100 g per day.