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Cabbage, mistreated for centuries, finally takes its revenge: a valid food defense against oxidative stress in our body

The habitual intake of vegetables belonging to the Brassicaceae family leads to a high level of cellular defenses. The Nrf2 factor interacts with DNA that produces phase II enzymes, capable of neutralizing cellular damage caused by oxidative stress that can cause carcinogenesis

Cabbage, mistreated for centuries, finally takes its revenge: a valid food defense against oxidative stress in our body

Cabbages…not just for snacks. An ode to a humble vegetable that has been mistreated in clichés, from the proverb “reheated cabbage, a defrocked priest and a returned servant lead a poisoned life”, to the many popular sayings: “minding your own business”, “not understanding a thing”, “not doing a thing”, “not being worth a thing”, “carrying the cabbage in your hand and the capon underneath”, which imply the low regard that has characterized this vegetable throughout history, considered for centuries a peasant’s food due to the strong smell it gives off when cooked and mocked for its vague euphemistic assonance with the popular term used for the male genital organ, which has made it the protagonist of many licentious statements. But Let's examine it from a nutritional perspective and we will realize that not only should it be re-evaluated but it also reveals unexpected properties.

The Nrf2 factor interacts with DNA which produces phase II enzymes, capable of neutralizing cellular damage caused by oxidative stress.

Starting from glucosinolates, a large family of sulfur compounds present in the different varieties of commonly consumed cabbage; seventeen have been identified and among them the best known is glucoraphanin, alongside others much less known such as glucoerucin, glucobrassicin, sinigrin and progoitrin. Sulfur is common to all these compounds and characterizes the typical smell of kitchens during the cooking of these vegetables. Inside the cells of these vegetables there is an enzyme (myrosinase) that is activated in the case of cooking or damage to the plant tissues such as when they are cut during the preparation of dishes or during chewing. Once myrosinase comes into contact with glucosinolates, it gives rise to a very numerous series of compounds; among them sulforaphane is the best known isothiocyanate deriving from the demolition of glucosinolates present in the large family of cabbages. 

Studies have confirmed that these compounds are not eliminated through feces or urine, but are absorbed through the intestine and enter the circulation. Sulforaphane has been identified as a valid activator of a process that has been very well analyzed at the level of human cells. In fact, in the cell cytoplasm, in normal conditions and in the absence of oxidative stress, a transcription factor called Nrf2 is present in very small quantities; in the same conditions, a protein called Keap1 is present.

The habitual intake of vegetables belonging to the Brassicaceae family leads to a high level of cellular defenses

The intake of cabbage and the release of sulforaphane determines the increase in the concentration of the Nrf2 factor so much so that it binds to the Keap1 protein and translocates into the nucleus, directly targeting a specific area of ​​the DNA. The factor is thus able to interact with the DNA which produces a large quantity of enzymes, so-called phase II, capable of neutralizing the cellular damage caused by oxidative stress.

Among the most harmful effects of oxidative stress is carcinogenesis, which is why the habitual intake of vegetables belonging to the Brassicaceae family leads to a high level of cellular defenses. While it is not correct to say that Brassicaceae produce pharmaceutical effects, it is nevertheless essential to communicate with our DNA through proper nutrition.

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