By Jennette Turner

Imagine a pill that costs less than a dollar, is available without a prescription and could cut your risk of cancer in half with no side effects. Everyone would be rushing to take it!

Well, it's not available in pill form yet... but the brassica family of vegetables- also called the cabbage family or cruciferous vegetables- fits this bill. These plants are among the most beneficial foods you can eat. They are nutritious, high in dietary fiber, low in calories, tasty, and contain potent anti-cancer compounds - all available without your doctor's signature!

The cabbage family contains the phytonutrients sulfuraphane and indoles, which give these vegetables tremendous cancer prevention properties. Indoles suppress the growth of tumors and inhibit cancer cell metastasis (the movement of cancerous cells from one part of the body to another), while sulfuraphane can increase the body's ability to detoxify carcinogenic substances. At Johns Hopkins, researchers found that animals given sulfuraphane had fewer tumors, and the tumors they did develop were smaller and grew more slowly than the control group.

Studies worldwide have shown that brassica vegetables help prevent a variety of cancers:

• The Netherlands Cohort Study on Diet and Cancer - a large-scale study with data collected from 100,000 people over six years - found that people who eat at least three servings of brassica vegetables per week (1 serving = 1 cup cooked) lower their risk of colorectal cancers by a whopping 49%. Yes, you can cut your risk of colon cancer (the second most common form of cancer in the U.S.) in half just by eating more broccoli and kale.
• A study done in Singapore found that regular consumption of brassica vegetables lowered lung cancer risk in non-smokers by 30% and in smokers by 69%!
• In Seattle, researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center found that men eating three or more servings of brassica vegetables per week lowered their risk of prostate cancer by 44%.
• Studies at the University of California at Berkeley found that indole-3-carbinol, one of the indoles present in cruciferous vegetables, can actually halt the growth of breast cancer cells.

As great as these vegetables are, there is one important rule to remember: they need to be cooked. They contain irritants that, when eaten raw, can cause bloating, gas and abdominal cramping. These irritants are neutralized by cooking or fermentation (as in the case of sauerkraut or kim-chee). Having raw broccoli or cauliflower with dip at a party once in a while is not a problem, though it might make you feel temporarily uncomfortable. However, regular consumption of raw brassica vegetables is not a good idea.

Brassica vegetables also contain goitrogenic compounds that interfere with the body's ability to use iodine. These compounds can depress the thyroid gland, the body's "master gland" that regulates energy levels, metabolism and endocrine functions. Again, these anti-nutrients are neutralized by cooking or fermentation.

A Few of Brassica's Biggest Stars:

Broccoli is perhaps the best-publicized member of the brassica family. Loaded with vitamin C, carotenoids, flavonoids and other antioxidants, it can help lower the risk for heart disease. Meta-analysis of several studies looking at coronary heart disease and diet found that people who regularly ate broccoli, apples and onions (all among the richest food sources of flavonoids) had a 20% lower risk of heart disease.

In addition, broccoli is a great source of folate (which prevents birth defects) and other B vitamins that support nervous system health and balanced moods. It's not hard to be low in B vitamins these days, as they are destroyed by diets high in refined flours, sugar, alcohol and caffeine, and they are rapidly drained in times of stress. So beat the blues with broccoli!

The most nutritious method of cooking broccoli is steaming. Steamed broccoli is delicious with butter (which also helps your body absorb its nutrients - bonus!) or with sauces. You can also sauté broccoli, roast it or boil it in soup. Cauliflower may be prepared the same way.

Kale and collard greens. Now here's where we really get in to the ubernutrients. These dark leafy greens contain between 800-1400% of the U.S. RDA for vitamin K, which your blood and bones need (think: vitamin Kale), and over 100% of the U.S. R.D.A. of beta-carotene and vitamin C. Vitamins K and C are both powerful antioxidants that prevent aging and disease.

These hardy greens are also fantastic sources of bone-building minerals such as calcium, energy-producing manganese, stress-fighting magnesium and blood-enhancing iron. They also contain plenty of the B complex vitamins, including folic acid and vitamin B6. Truly a nutritional gold mine - and yummy, too!

Kale and collards are usually best boiled - their tough fiber gets thoroughly broken down this way and the nutrients are more easily absorbed. Just boil the greens for a few minutes until they are bright dark green and tender. It's easy to add boiled greens to a stir-fry or chill them and add to a salad.

Red cabbage. While all cabbages (white, green, Savoy, Napa, Brussels sprouts, bok choy) are beneficial, providing protection from disease and a wealth of vitamins and minerals, red cabbage is also an abundant source of antioxidant polyphenols called anthocyanins that can help protect brain cells against Alzheimer's disease. Red cabbage can be steamed, sautéed or roasted.

Cauliflower and brassica root vegetables (which aren't as showy as their aboveground counterparts) don't have the same stellar nutritional profile as the brightly colored crucifers. However, their disease-preventing abilities should not be discounted. Integrating rutabagas, turnips and kohlrabi in your diet is easy - add them to mixed vegetables for roasting, mash them with potatoes or winter squash or toss them into soups. You'll be fighting disease in delicious new ways.

It 's a new year - why not resolve to have three to five servings of brassica vegetables per week? The health benefits can be enormous and it's a great way to increase variety, flavor and satisfaction in your meals.

MASHED RUTABAGA AND POTATOES

• 1 large rutabaga, scrubbed, trimmed, and chopped into small chunks
• 3 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped into larger chunks
• 2 c. chicken stock OR "unchicken" broth
• 3 T. butter salt and pepper to taste
• OPTION: 6-8 cloves garlic, minced OR 1-2 tsp. dried dill

1. Bring rutabagas and potatoes to boil in stock.
2. Cook until tender.
3. Add butter and mash with an electric mixer, hand blender or potato masher.

Serve with your favorite toppings: butter, sour cream, grated cheese, chives, etc. Leftover mashed rutabagas and potatoes go nicely with eggs for breakfast!

Makes 6 servings

KALE WITH HONEY-MUSTARD SAUCE

• 1 bunch kale, de-stemmed and chopped
• 4 T. honey
• 3 T. prepared mustard (yellow, Dijon or stone-ground)
• 2 T. water - more if needed, thin to desired consistency

1. Bring kale to boil in a large pot of salted water.
2. Cook until tender - about 3-5 minutes. Drain.
3. Mix sauce ingredients together until smooth. Adjust to taste and consistency. Serve over kale.

Makes 4 servings

SWEET AND SOUR RED CABBAGE

• 4 c. red cabbage, coarsely shredded
• 2 T. balsamic vinegar
• 2 T. sucanat
• 2 T. butter
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• OPTION: 1/4 lb. bacon

1. OPTIONAL first step: fry bacon. Set aside.
2. Sauté cabbage in butter OR bacon grease in pan, with salt until tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Mix vinegar and sucanat together (it will stay grainy - that's fine) and pour over cooking cabbage.
4. Continue cooking a few more minutes, stirring well, until excess liquid has evaporated. OPTION: chop cooked bacon and stir into cabbage.

Makes 4 servings

Vegetables in the Brassica family:
Bok choy, Kale, Broccoli, Kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts, Mizuna, Cabbages(red, green, Savoy, Napa), Mustard greens, Rutabaga, Turnip, Cauliflower, Watercress, Collards