Like all other types of sprouts, Brussels sprouts (Brassica oleracea var. gemmifera) They are derived from wild cabbage and are therefore They belong to the large cruciferous family. But while broccoli or green cabbage have only one head, A Brussels sprout plant carries up to 40 walnut-sized buds, which grow from the axils of the leaves. of the trunk approximately 70 cm high.
The first evidence of cultivation dates back to 1587 in what is now Belgium. At the beginning of the 19th century, Brussels sprouts finally reached France and from there to England and North America. Nowadays, The Netherlands, France and Great Britain are considered the main growing areas for Brussels sprouts.
The little cabbages They have many small stacked leaves that are green on the outside and yellowish white on the inside. There are also varieties of reddish Brussels sprouts that are characterized by a bright purple color and a sweeter flavor.
Brussels sprouts are a typical vegetable of the cold seasonswhich has the main season from November to January. They taste especially good, less bitter and sweeter, after having suffered a first frost.
When other vegetables go into «hibernation,» tender cabbages defy the weather and offer us a rich cocktail of nutrients so that we too can better survive the cold season.
Protect against carcinogenic substances
Researchers from the Medical University of Vienna, the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic and the University of Belgrade conducted a study with 8 participants who ate 300 g of cooked Brussels sprouts per day for 6 days. They concluded that Brussels sprouts They reduce the endogenous production of free radicals and reduce oxidative damage to DNA, which prevents the development of cancer cells.
They activate the immune system
Both sulforaphane and diindolinmethane (DIM) They are produced during the digestion of Brussels sprouts in the human body. The starting substances are so-called glucosinolates (mustard oil glycosides).
Of all types of cabbage, Brussels sprouts contain the highest amount of glucosinolates, which also give them their somewhat bitter flavor. Furthermore, glucosinolates have a very beneficial effect on the intestines and the immune system, as German scientists discovered in 2011.
The study by the Freiburg researchers, led by Professor Andreas Diefenbach, showed that glucosinolates activate the immune system improving the intestinal environment and stimulating the formation of new lymphatic follicles (Peyer’s patches), where white blood cells exert their defensive function. The better the intestinal health, the more effective the immune system.
Why don’t some people like Brussels sprouts?
Not everyone likes Brussels sprouts and, In particular, children tend to reject them. The reason is that they contain bitter substances and it is not advisable to force children to eat them. The most normal thing is that the appreciation for Brussels sprouts appears in adulthood.
On the other hand, the rejection of the bitter taste of cabbages may be due to the fact that some people have a special sensitivity to this flavor for genetic reasons. These people are called supertasters or supertasters.
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