Brussels sprouts

Brussels sprouts are buds that grow in the axils of the leaves of a plant, the Brassica oleracea var Gemmifera, that belongs to the family of cabbages. The plant is very similar to black kale and loves, like the black kale, the cold climates. Brussels sprouts, typical of the winter period, are very rich in folic acid, have antioxidant properties thanks to the content of beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin and, like all the cabbages, have a protective effect against certain types of cancer, mostly of the oral cavity, esophagus, kidneys, prostate, breast and colon, as evidenced by the study published in 2012 in the Annals of Oncology magazine by a team of the Epidemiology Department of the Institute of Drug Research Mari Negri, Milan. Brussels sprouts have mineral salts such as iron, magnesium, selenium, potassium, zinc, manganese and phosphorus, and vitamins such as Vitamin A, C, group B and K. Thanks to the fiber these vegetables are also useful to regularize the bowel function, to counteract constipation and to keep under control the cholesterol levels. In addition to these properties, Brussels sprouts are also diuretics and this characteristic is helpful if you suffer from water retention. As for the cooking, steaming for no longer than ten minutes is the better choice, this process indeed, as explained in the book The Smart Food Diet written by Eliana Liotta, preserves the properties of these vegetables, first of all the anticancer action.