If you’re trying to up your veggie consumption, it helps to stock your crisper with vegetables with versatility; ones that can be integrated into a wide variety of meals. One great example of this is cauliflower. On its own, cauliflower has a mild, subtly sweet and nutty flavor. This works well with a wide range of flavors.
It’s why you’ll find cauliflower-based products all over the grocery store, such as cauliflower-crust pizza, cauliflower rice and even pretzels made from cauliflower flour. While foods like these may sound nutritious, the registered dietitians we talked to say that’s not always the case. “Cauliflower rice is just chopped cauliflower, so it’s a smart swap. But many cauliflower-based crusts and snacks are highly processed and don’t offer the same nutrition,” saysRené Ficek, RDN, a registered dietitian nutritionist and the owner of Seattle Sutton’s Healthy Eating.
Life Time registered dietitianMichelle Wong, RD, also says that some cauliflower-based products are healthy while others aren’t. “The best way to determine what may be a great source is to check the ingredients. Items like cauliflower rice just tend to be cauliflower finely chopped to look like rice, but items like cauliflower crust pizza could have a lot of other ingredients that may not be as healthy,” she says, echoing Ficek.
That said, incorporating the veggie into your own home-cooked meals can benefit health in many ways, including both short-term and long-term.
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How Eating Cauliflower Every Day Can Impact Short-Term Health
One of the nutrients that cauliflower brings to the table is fiber. One cup of cauliflower has about two grams of fiber, which is about 7% of the recommended daily requirements. If you aren’t used to getting enough fiber (which most Americans don’t) and you start eating big portions of cauliflower, Wong says you may notice some uncomfortable changes in your digestion at first.
“Integrating cauliflower could have some uncomfortable side effects in the short-term due to the fiber and sulfur-containing compounds,” she says, adding that this can include indigestion, bloating, gas or constipation. To avoid this, she recommends upping fiber intake slowly and making sure you’re drinking plenty of water, which helps move food through the digestive system.
Related: ‘I Ate Pasta Every Day for a Week—Here’s What Happened’
While these symptoms may be uncomfortable initially, Wong says slowly upping cauliflower intake (and fiber intake in general) is absolutely worth it because of the long-term impacts it has on health. The symptoms should only last during the adjustment period, not forever!
Another change you may notice soon after you start eating cauliflower regularly, according to the dietitians we talked to, is fewer ups and downs in energy and mood. Ficek explains that this is because eating cauliflower helps keep blood sugar levels steady.
Related: Here’s What Happens to Your Body if You Eat Apples Every Day
4 Ways Eating Cauliflower Regularly Can Impact Long-Term Health
Integrating cauliflower into your diet can support long-term health in major ways. Here are four big ones, according to the registered dietitians we talked to.
1. It supports gut health
As Wong explained earlier, while there can be a bit of an uncomfortable adjustment period when upping your cauliflower intake, it’s worth it long term. “Over time, cauliflower’s fiber, antioxidants and sulfur compounds support gut health,” Ficek says.
Registered dietitian Lee Cotton, RDN, also says that regularly eating cauliflower supports gut health long-term. This is because the prebiotic fiber in cauliflower ups the good bacteria in the gut. When the gut is thriving with good bacteria, the entire body benefits, including the immune system.
Related: You Are What You Eat! Nutritionists Say These Are the Best 18 Foods for Gut Health
2. It lowers inflammation
Like other vegetables, Cotton points out that cauliflower is high in antioxidants. This, she says, helps protect the body from high levels of chronic inflammation. When inflammation is kept at bay, it lowers the risk of many chronic diseases and cancers.
“[The sulfur-containing compounds in cauliflower] act as precursors to powerful antioxidants like glutathione, which reduce oxidative stress on the body and can have positive effects for those at risk for or are currently suffering from cancer, heart disease, asthma and neurodegenerative issues,” Wong says, adding to this.
3. It supports liver health
Want to do your liver a favor? Increasing your cauliflower intake is a great way to do it. Wong says that the sulfur-containing compounds in cauliflower can support the liver’s normal detoxification system by helping eliminate toxins.
4. It helps improve heart health
Cotton and Ficek both say that eating cauliflower regularly supports heart health, lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease. Ficek explains that this is due to the antioxidants in cauliflower, which lower inflammation. When inflammation is decreased, it reduces the risk of heart disease, Ficek explains.
The fiber in cauliflower also makes it a heart-healthy food. Scientific research shows that a high-fiber diet (which can include cauliflower), lowers the risk of heart disease by keeping LDL cholesterol and blood pressure from rising.
As you can see, there are many benefits to integrating cauliflower into your diet. Whether you’re consuming it roasted and seasoned with your favorite spices, including it in your soups, blending it up to make low-carb mashed potatoes, or another inventive way, eating it will benefit your body both now and long-term.
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Sources:
- René Ficek, RDN, registered dietitian nutritionist and the owner of Seattle Sutton’s Healthy Eating
- Michelle Wong, RD, Life Time registered dietitian
- Lee Cotton, RDN, registered dietitian nutritionist
