What are cruciferous vegetables, and are they important in cancer prevention?
Cruciferous vegetables belong to the cabbage family and include broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and kale. These vegetables contain certain chemicals thought to reduce the risk for colorectal cancer. The best evidence suggests that consuming a wide variety of vegetables, including cruciferous and other vegetables, reduces cancer risk. Is there a difference in nutritional values among fresh, frozen, and canned vegetables and fruits? Yes, but they can all be good choices. Fresh foods are usually considered to have the most nutritional value. But frozen foods can often be more nutritious than fresh foods because they are often picked ripe and quickly frozen (whereas fresh foods may lose some of their nutrients in the time between harvesting and consumption). Canning is more likely to reduce the heat-sensitive and water-soluble nutrients because of the high heat used when processing. Be aware that some fruits are packed in heavy syrup, and some canned vegetables are high in sodium
