Broccoli, cabbage, leafy greens, cauliflower—your mother insisted they were good for you while you defiantly pushed them around your plate. Perhaps you didn’t believe they were all that good for you. If they’re so great, why don’t they taste better?
Turns out your mother was right. These cruciferous vegetable have a profound influence on cellular health. In fact, a study by Vanderbilt University’s Ingram Center showed that a diet full of cruciferous vegetables significantly protects and supports breast cellular health.
Maintaining Balance
We already knew quite a bit about how cabbage and cauliflower contribute to good health, and this study adds another layer of evidence. But what is it about cruciferous vegetables that make our cells so happy? In a word, it’s indoles.
Indoles are organic compounds that have a positive impact on cellular health. One in particular, diindolylmethane (DIM) has been shown to support the immune system and help keep hormones in balance, particularly estrogen. In the body, estrogen gets broken down into a variety of metabolites, some of which promote cellular health. Unfortunately, others can cause problems. DIM has been shown to help the body produce beneficial estrogen metabolites with anti-oxidative effects.
Of course, certain estrogen metabolites, which have been associated with chemical exposure and other causes, have been shown to derail cellular health. The beauty of DIM is that it has been proven to increase the good kind of hormone metabolites, and decrease the kind that can challenge health.
Breast, prostate and other areas of hormone-related cellular health depend on this delicate balance. DIM as well as broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables offer critical support in maintaining healthy levels of hormones, while providing additional benefits for cellular health and protection.
Read more: http://www.justnaturallyhealthy.com/articles/13-who-knew-all-the-things-broccoli-could-do
