Brussels sprouts: benefits and harms

Brussels sprouts - a widely spread vegetable crop in the world that does not grow in the wild. It was first cultivated and called Belgian landowners in the 16th century. The variety quickly became popular in France and Germany, and in the post-Soviet space it appeared in the middle of the 19th century, but due to the exacting climatic conditions it was not widespread. Today it is one of the most popular varieties of cabbage in the USA, Canada and Great Britain, and its main importer is Holland. How did she earn such recognition in the West, what is her benefit to the body, is it possible to cook a really interesting dish from Brussels sprouts?

What does Brussels sprouts look like

This cabbage is classified as two-year-old. In the first year, a plant stem is formed, whose length can reach 50 cm and a thickness of 1.5 cm. Small leaves on thin petioles appear on it, the average length of which is 20 cm. Heads eaten are located on the stem, their diameter varies in the range from 3 to 4 cm, with up to 50 units on each stem. In the second year of flowering, seeds are formed that are necessary for re-planting. For 1 g, there are more than 500 seeds that retain their properties for the next five years.

The most common variety of Brussels sprouts is considered to be Hercules. It is characterized by good productivity and increased resistance to frost.

Composition and calorie content

This type of cabbage is considered a real storehouse of vitamins, macro- and microelements. Most of it contains B vitamins (B1, B2, B6, B9), ascorbic acid - up to 104 mg per 100 g of dry product. It is also rich in phosphorus, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, copper, iodine, iron and essential amino acids.

With regard to caloric content, then per 100 g of product accounts for only 43 kcal. Proteins account for 4.8 g, carbohydrates - 8.0 g, and fats are completely absent. It is Brussels sprouts that are considered the record holder among other varieties for protein content. In Peking, it is only 1.2 g per 100 g, in ordinary white cabbage - 1.8, and in broccoli - 3 g. Such an amount of protein is difficult to find in any other vegetable. Therefore, this variety must be paid attention to athletes and people who are struggling with excess weight.

The biochemical composition of Brussels sprouts makes it not only an excellent food product, but also allows its use in medical practice.

What is useful Brussels sprouts

General benefit

By the amount of vitamin C, these small heads of cabbage surpass ordinary white cabbage several times. By the concentration of this vitamin, this vegetable can be safely equated with currants. Among its advantages are the following properties:

1. Strengthening immunity, stimulating the production of antibodies (due to the combination of ascorbic acid and vitamin B5).
2. Improvement of the cardiovascular system.
3. Strengthening the walls of blood vessels.
4. Prevention of cancer (glucosinolates, which also give Brussels sprouts a characteristic bitterness, are responsible for this function).
5. Accelerated wound healing.
6. Suspension of the aging process.
7. Maintaining vision (antioxidants prevent cataracts).
8. Prevention of neuronal damage and prevention of Alzheimer's disease (Vitamin K is responsible for this).
9. An increase in lung volume, minimizing the risk of viral and respiratory diseases.
10. Stimulation of the outflow of bile.
11. Stool normalization and elimination of constipation.
12. Beneficial effect on the pancreas.

Since Brussels sprouts ripen long enough (if it is directly planted in the ground, it will take up to 150 days), then it is considered an excellent source of vitamins in the autumn-winter period.

For women

In addition to all the above properties, Brussels sprouts are extremely important for the female body, as it stabilizes the state of the nervous system, strengthens hair and nails, and helps in the fight against skin diseases. Since this is a dietary product, it can be eaten by women seeking to lose weight.

For men

One of the unique properties of heads of brussels sprouts for men is to prevent cholesterol deposits on the walls of arteries. But to achieve the best effect, it is most useful to eat such cabbage without store sauces and mayonnaise. The organic combination of amino acids and glucose prevents the destruction of blood vessels and has an anti-inflammatory effect. The American Academy of Cardiology recommends consuming Brussels sprouts to all men at risk for heart disease.

Scientists have also proved that Brussels sprouts positively affect the number of sperm, increase their motility and vitality. Therefore, it must be added to the diet of a married couple planning a pregnancy.

During pregnancy

Nutritionists strongly recommend adding this variety of cabbage to the daily diet of expectant mothers due to the high content of folic acid in it. She is responsible for the correct formation and development of the child’s nervous system, minimizes the risks of fetal malformations. Vitamin C, which acts as an antioxidant, helps women in a position to look great. Fiber is a natural laxative.

When breastfeeding

The diet of a nursing mother must necessarily consist of healthy vegetables. And Brussels sprouts are no exception. But its use is allowed only in stewed or boiled form (it is better to refuse fried dishes or raw vegetables). Brussels sprouts are important for young mothers precisely as a natural vitamin-mineral complex with a high degree of assimilation. But it is advisable to start eating it not earlier than the child turns 1 month old. Brussels sprouts will accelerate the recovery of the female body after childbirth and will stimulate milk production.

For kids

The uniqueness of Brussels sprouts lies in the easily digestible gland, which prevents the development of anemia. This is due to the presence of vitamin C in the product, which also strengthens children's immunity and helps in the fight against seasonal diseases.

Many doctors recommend using this particular type of cabbage as a first feeding. This is due to the fact that it rarely provokes the appearance of an allergic reaction, while it has tremendous benefits for the baby's health. But you need to start with 1-2 tablespoons of boiled heads, mashed in mashed potatoes.

When losing weight

In Brussels sprouts, a large amount of protein is noted in the complete absence of fats. This makes it a great replacement for classic side dishes. When switching to proper nutrition and wanting to get rid of extra pounds, it is better to eat such cabbage in a salad or boiled form.

Brussels sprouts in medicine

In 2010, official confirmation was published that Brussels sprouts contain indole-3-carbinol. The peculiarity of this substance is that it prevents the development of breast cancer and its relapse.The conducted experiments have proved that the use of this type of cabbage reduces malignant neoplasms by more than 60%. This type of cabbage can be effective in the fight against other varieties of oncology due to the isothiocyanates that make up the composition. The specificity of the latter is also in that they minimize the risk of a heart attack. Regular consumption of Brussels sprouts is indicated for cancer of the prostate gland, ovaries and colon.

Brussels sprouts contain a huge amount of potassium, so doctors recommend paying attention to it to everyone who has heart problems. If for some reason you don’t like its taste, you can also prepare a decoction of inflorescences. To do this, 200 g of heads of cabbage need to pour 0.5 liters of pure water, put on fire and cook for 10 minutes after boiling. Leave the cabbage in the water for half an hour to insist. The resulting product can be drunk 50-100 ml twice a day immediately before meals.

With diabetes

Recent studies prove that the combination of natural juice from heads of brussels sprouts and young bean shoots is effective in the fight against diabetes. Brussels sprouts are characterized by a minimum glycemic index (30), therefore it is allowed for use with such ailments, but only in boiled or baked form.

With pancreatitis

Brussels sprouts have a positive effect on the gastrointestinal mucosa, relieves irritation from the tissues of the stomach and intestines. Therefore, with pancreatitis, it is allowed for use, but only in remission. During an exacerbation, it is better to refuse it. For starters, it is better to boil the cabbage without any spices and grind it to a state of mashed potatoes. On the first day, you can eat no more than 2-3 tablespoons and look at the reaction of the body. If there is no pain, then an increase in its amount in the daily diet to 100 g is permissible.

With gastritis

With gastritis, you can eat almost all foods, but not raw. In the case of Brussels sprouts, this rule is also relevant, because it contains a lot of coarse fiber, which can greatly irritate the sensitive gastric mucosa. This can provoke a worsening of the course of the disease. The best way to use it is in boiled form without the addition of spices and acids (lemon and vinegar).

With gout

Due to the high content of purines in Brussels sprouts, it should not be eaten with gout. It can aggravate the course of the disease.

With cholecystitis

Cholecystitis is an inflammation of the gallbladder, which can develop with and without stones. When forming a diet, doctors recommend abandoning the excessive consumption of foods rich in vitamin C, which include Brussels sprouts. If a person is diagnosed with the presence of oxalates, it is better to exclude this type of cabbage from the menu.

Harm and contraindications

Despite the enormous benefits that this variety of cabbage brings to the body, it can also harm. It has components that can disrupt the stable functioning of the thyroid gland, in particular, stimulate the development of hypothyroidism. Its goitrogens reduce the amount of hormones produced by the body. But there is information confirming that during heat treatment their part is destroyed.

Contraindications also include:

• increased acidity of the stomach;
• exacerbation of chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
• individual intolerance.

How to store brussels sprouts

There are several ways to harvest cabbage heads for the winter. The first is suitable for those who grow it on a personal plot. To do this, the stem along with heads of cabbage is hung on small hooks, after cutting all the leaves. This allows you to save all the properties of the product for a long time.But this approach is relevant only if you have your own basement. Some store such cabbage in cut form in boxes. But at the same time, air humidity should reach 90%, and the temperature should not exceed 0 ° C.

At home, Brussels sprouts should be put in the refrigerator. But raw heads of cabbage remain usable for only a few months. They can also be pickled, frozen or salted. Before freezing, each head of cabbage should be left for 10-15 minutes in cold water, and then placed in boiling water for 2 minutes. Next, it must be cooled, packaged in a container for storage (you can use a regular bag) and put in the freezer.

How to cook brussels sprouts deliciously

On the basis of this type of cabbage, you can cook a lot of salads, casseroles, first courses. It can be fried, baked or steamed. Brussels sprouts are considered one of the best side dishes for meat. But you need to keep in mind that if it is cooked for too long, then over time it will lose its original elasticity and will have an unpleasant, pungent smell.

How to cook

For the preparation of Brussels sprouts, it is better to use the largest pan that is. This is due to the fact that during boiling the heads of cabbage will swell a little and, therefore, increase in size. When using frozen cabbage, it does not need to be thawed. Fresh must first be washed, remove the upper leaves if they are damaged. Then cut off no more than 2 mm of the root base and make an incision in the form of a cross. This will speed up the boiling process.

Fresh Brussels sprouts should be boiled in slightly salted boiling water for at least 7 minutes, and frozen for no more than 12 immediately after the boil begins. To remove a specific smell, at the very end of the process, you can add a little lemon juice. A cooked head of cabbage is easily pierced with a knife or fork.

When using a slow cooker, the best mode for cooking Brussels sprouts is stewing.

Those who are just getting acquainted with these amazing products can use a simple recipe: add a little chopped or chopped garlic to the boiled cabbage and season with a low-fat sour cream. But in order to get the perfect taste, it is extremely important to properly weld it initially.

Brussels sprout soup recipe
This diet soup based on Brussels sprouts perfectly satisfies your hunger and does not affect the figure. To prepare it you will need:

• 3 liters of chicken stock;
• 150 g Brussels sprouts;
• 1 carrot;
• 3 medium potatoes;
• 1 onion;
• 1-2 cloves of garlic;
• salt, seasoning to taste.

Cooking process:

1. First of all, we cook chicken broth. To do this, put the chicken frame in a pan, fill it with water, bring to a boil, remove the foam, salt and continue cooking for another 15 minutes.
2. Finely chop the onions and carrots and add them in vegetable oil or immediately add to the meat. In the second case, the soup will be more useful.
3. Cook vegetables on low heat for another 7-10 minutes.
4. We take out the chicken frame, remove the meat from it and return it back to the broth.
5. We cut the stumps of inflorescences cross to cross, lower them into water and cook for no more than 10 minutes.
6. We remove the soup from the fire and let it brew.

Brussels sprout soup with meatballs
Another recipe for soup that kids will love. It will be a great alternative to green borscht during the winter cold.

Products:

• pure water - 2.5 l;
• potatoes - 4 pcs.;
• chicken fillet - 1 pc.;
• heads of Brussels sprouts (fresh or frozen) - 300 g;
• garlic - 3 cloves;
• carrots - 1 pc.;
• extra virgin olive oil - 3 tbsp;
• onions - 1 pc.;
• dried dill - 1 tsp;
• bay leaf - 2 leaves;
• fresh parsley - a small bunch;
• ground paprika, salt, pepper - to taste.

From the indicated amount of ingredients, 6 servings of soup will be obtained. The total cooking time is 45 minutes.

1. Pour clean water into a large pot, cover with a lid and set it on a high fire. While the water boils, we prepare all the vegetables and meat.
2. We wash the fillet under running water, dry it, remove the film from the meat and cut into small pieces.After grinding it to the state of mincemeat through a meat grinder or blender. Add a few cloves of garlic, paprika, black pepper and fresh parsley to the meat. From the resulting meat, we form small balls, the diameter of which should not be more than 2 cm.
3. After boiling water, add meatballs to it and cook them for 7-10 minutes, reduce the fire to a minimum.
4. When using frozen Brussels sprouts, take it out of the refrigerator about an hour before making the soup and leave it to defrost. Freshly pre-washed and, possibly, remove the upper leaves if they are damaged. Large heads of cabbage are cut in half. We also cut the stump to speed up the preparation of inflorescences. Add the cabbage to the water and boil for 7 minutes over low heat.
5. Cut the potatoes into small bars, onions into small cubes, grind the carrots. Add vegetables to the broth after the meatballs or pre-fry them in olive oil. You can fry half the carrots and onions, and add half to the water immediately.
6. Following the vegetables, put in the water a bay leaf, a few peas of allspice, salt.
7. Remove the soup from the heat and let it brew for 10 minutes. When serving, sprinkle soup with fresh herbs.

How to fry

Brussels sprouts can also be fried. Fresh fruits must first be boiled according to the above recipe, and frozen fruits can immediately be laid in a pan. Put on low heat, add a little butter and fry for several minutes. Salt, pepper, sprinkle with lemon juice and continue to fry over medium heat for another 7-10 minutes.

But housewives need to keep in mind that when burned in a pan, Brussels sprouts emit an unpleasant odor. This is due to the presence of sulfur in its composition.

Recipe for Baked Brussels Sprouts with Cheese
This is a great option for a snack or a full second course. To prepare it, you need to take:

• 250 g Brussels sprouts;
• 50 ml of milk;
• 30 g butter;
• 1 tsp flour;
• 50 g of hard cheese;
• 1 pinch of salt.

Cooking process:

1. The first thing to do is boil the cabbage. Pour a liter of water into the pan, and lower the heads of cabbage into boiling water. Cook them no longer than 10 minutes. Frozen cabbage may take longer to cook (up to 15 minutes).
2. While the cabbage is cooked, we prepare the remaining ingredients: grind the cheese on a coarse grater.
3. Fry the flour in a dry frying pan for no longer than 1 minute, pour milk into it and stir, boiling for 5 minutes. The sauce should be thick. After we remove it from the fire and add oil to it.
4. We discard the boiled cabbage into a colander and let the excess water drain.
5. Then dry the heads and fry in a pan for 7 minutes. For this, you can use both butter and olive oil.
6. We put the ready cabbage in a container, fill with sauce, put all the cheese on top and put it in the oven for 10-12 minutes, provided it is heated to 180 ° C.

Brussels sprouts with nuts and mushrooms
This is an exquisite, but at the same time simple recipe for making Brussels sprouts, which can become part of the festive menu. Have to take:

• 300-400 g of Brussels sprouts;
• 300 g of champignons;
• 40 g of nuts (any, at its discretion);
• 3 tbsp olive oil;
• 2 tsp liquid honey;
• 3 tbsp soy sauce;
• 3 tbsp lemon juice;
• 2-3 sprigs of fresh parsley;
• salt, pepper to taste.

In this recipe, it is better to use fresh Brussels sprouts, but in the absence of such, frozen is also suitable:

1. Fry Brussels sprouts with a little olive oil. Previously, it is desirable to cut it in half.
2. We clean the mushrooms and cut into small plates. Add them to the cabbage, reduce the heat to a minimum and simmer for 5-7 minutes.
3. For dressing, take a small bowl and mix in it soy sauce, ground black pepper, honey and lemon juice. Add soy sauce last and a little bit, because depending on the manufacturer it can be very salty. It is very important not to oversalt the finished dish.
4. We fill the dressing in a pan, mix thoroughly and simmer for a few more minutes so that the vegetables absorb all the tastes.
5. We chop the nuts, but not crumbs, and add them to the rest of the ingredients at the very end. They also need a little fry.
6. We taste the dish and add salt, pepper or some lemon juice if desired.
7. Before serving, cut parsley and sprinkle Brussels sprouts with it.

Pasta with chicken and brussels sprouts
This recipe is worth a try for all those who are sure that the taste of Brussels sprouts is not to his liking. In combination with good cheese and the right spices, it acquires amazing taste shades. At the same time, you can use fresh or frozen cabbage for cooking.

Product List:

• paste "shells" - 200 g;
• chicken fillet - about 600 g;
• butter - 2 tbsp;
• olive oil - 3 tbsp .;
• Brussels sprouts - 350 g;
• grated Parmesan cheese - one third of a 200-gram glass;
• salt - 1 tsp;
• pepper - to taste;
• lemon juice - 1 tbsp;
• chicken stock - 250 ml;
• red onion - half the head;
• garlic - 2 cloves;
• fresh chopped parsley - a small bunch.

Cooking process:

1. In a pan, heat the butter and olive oil. If there is no olive oil, any vegetable is suitable.
2. Meanwhile, we wash the fillet, remove the film from it, dry it on a paper towel. Fry in oil until golden brown (5-6 minutes on each side), be sure to salt it a little and pepper.
3. We shift to a plate and let the meat cool. After we cut it into small pieces.
4. Add finely chopped onion to the pan and fry it in butter. Add to it red pepper, finely chopped garlic and halved cabbage.
5. Fill everything with broth, cover with a lid, remove the fire to a minimum and simmer for 5-7 minutes.
6. We add chicken fillet, lemon juice, parmesan shavings, salt and pepper to the vegetables. We leave it for a few minutes, so that the cheese begins to melt, and remove from the heat.
7. In a separate pan, boil pasta according to the recipe indicated on the package. After draining the water, put them in a colander and add to our cabbage. Mix.
8. Sprinkle the finished dish with finely chopped parsley and serve. This is a great dinner dish that even kids will enjoy.

Why Brussels sprouts are bitter

You need to understand that Brussels sprouts are bitter in their own right, like many of its relatives from the cruciferous family (turnip or radish). But the degree of bitterness may depend on the following factors:

1. Improper cultivation and subsequent care of the plant, including poor-quality irrigation.
2. Too high nitrate concentration.
3. Violation of storage rules or repeated thawing and reverse freezing of inflorescences.
4. The appearance of diseases during transportation.
5. The age of the fruit.

When buying Brussels sprouts at a market or supermarket, you need to carefully examine them. The stump should not be yellow, the leaves should be bright green. Rot, strange points on the surface of the cabbage - this is an excuse to refuse to buy it.

You can remove bitterness from cabbage by adding half a teaspoon of sugar and one teaspoon of vinegar per 1 liter of water during cooking. If there is no time to boil the vegetable, then when frying, the bitterness can be masked with brighter spices: garlic, oregano, smoked paprika.

Is it possible to eat raw brussels sprouts

Brussels sprouts can be eaten raw, for example, adding it to salads, but you need to be prepared for the fact that it is bitter. Therefore, many prefer to give it at least some processing to make the taste less expressive. But if you wish, you can not even boil it, adding it to the dish in its raw form is safe for health (in the absence of appropriate contraindications).

Interesting facts about Brussels sprouts

Brussels sprouts are an amazing product that has no analogues among other varieties of vegetables. The following are curious facts that may upset the traditional view of her:

1. The peak of growth of this type of cabbage falls from the end of September to February, so it is an ideal source of vitamins in the cold.
2. In the UK, Brussels sprouts are one of the key vegetables on the children's menu.
3. Systematic use can prevent the development of certain types of cancer.
4. In Brussels sprouts, all beneficial substances are retained even when frozen and subsequently thawed.

Brussels sprouts photo