Brussels sprouts attract attention with their miniature size. Heads of cabbage resemble a large chestnut or apricot. Thanks to its beneficial properties, the vegetable is gaining more and more popularity every day.
The benefits and harms of brussels sprouts
Structure
The birthplace of the vegetable is Belgium. It does not have a wild-growing variety - Brussels sprouts are the result of the work of agricultural technicians.
Thanks to the substances and microelements contained in the composition, Brussels sprouts are used even in traditional medicine. In a vegetable culture, natural sugars, fiber, protein and starch are present. These components take part in the main processes taking place in the body. In addition to the above components, the composition of the vegetable has a huge amount of vitamins that have a general strengthening effect on the body.
Brussels sprouts are rich in organic acids, beta-carotene, and contain thiamine, tocopherol, riboflavin and folic acid.
The following trace elements are part of Brussels sprouts: phosphorus, sodium, calcium, potassium and magnesium.
In small quantities, Brussels sprouts contain manganese, iron, fluorine, iodine, molybdenum, cobalt, and copper.
Beneficial features
Brussels sprouts have a number of useful properties.
- Folic acid, which is included in Brussels sprouts, reduces the risk of birth defects in unborn children.
- Brussels sprouts should be present in the diet of people with high blood cholesterol and problems with the cardiovascular system.
- Brussels sprouts should be added to the diet for people with impaired vision (vitamin A in the composition helps to deal with the problem). Due to the presence of zeaxanthin and lutein in the vegetable, it will be possible to prevent damage to the retina, which entails visual impairment.
- Brussels sprouts are indispensable for people with SARS, because beta-carotene is present in its composition. This substance leads to an increase in lung volume, which protects against asthma or emphysema.
- Thanks to the presence of vitamin K, Brussels sprouts also stimulate brain function. Doctors recommend using vegetable culture as a prophylaxis for neuronal damage, which entails Alzheimer's disease.
- Brussels sprouts are recommended for the prevention of breast cancer and other malignant neoplasms. Brussels sprouts should also be used to prevent ovarian and colon prostate cancer. In oncology, one cannot use folk remedies alone. They are taken in combination with medications.
- You can use a vegetable culture to normalize metabolic processes in the body. Fiber helps remove toxins from the body. Also, Brussels sprouts is an effective remedy for constipation and normalizes the digestive system.
- The presence of vitamin C and dietary fiber helps with heartburn, but you need to eat the vegetable raw or boiled.
- Brussels sprouts are a powerful anti-inflammatory agent. It protects the walls of blood vessels.
These are not all the beneficial properties of Brussels sprouts; there are also medicinal aspects.
Contraindications
Cabbage is harmful in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract
People who have no health problems can use Brussels sprouts.
It is harmful to people with high acidity of the stomach, it is not recommended for exacerbation of the gastrointestinal tract and for problems with the thyroid gland, with gout and gastritis.
Dishes from Brussels sprouts are contraindicated after a heart attack and to people suffering from Crohn's disease.
With allergies, you need to use vegetable culture with caution.
The nutritional value
The energy value possessed by Brussels sprouts is high, and calorie content is low: only 43 kcal per 100 g.
The calorie content of red, cauliflower and white cabbage is slightly lower: 31-32 kcal per 100 g of product.
The ratio of BZHU per 100 g: 8 g of carbohydrates and 4.8 g of protein, there is no fat, so the vegetable helps to replenish the calories spent by the body, without harming the human figure.
The nutritional value of the product lies in its taste. There are many ways to prepare a tasteful vegetable. Famous chefs, Jamie Oliver and Laserson, have tons of unusual recipes. Well, if you don’t want to spend 1-1.5 hours on cooking culinary masterpieces, you can steam the fresh vegetable a little, grind it, season with oil, pepper and salt, and then serve it in the form of a fresh salad.
Growing
Brussels sprouts are a whimsical garden crop, so it is not easy to grow in the country. It is not adapted to cold climates. Accordingly, it needs to be grown in greenhouses. In warm regions, it can be grown in seedlings. Seeds to plant in open ground are not recommended.
Young plants are planted when the soil warms up well. After the vegetable culture has bloomed, it is fed. If the plants look weak and unhealthy, they are checked for parasites and spots on the leaves that indicate the presence of diseases. Spray plantings with insecticides carefully, so as not to cause chemical burns to plants. During the ripening of the culture, as well as during the period when it blooms, use gentle insecticides.
During the ripening of the crop, they ensure that the crop is not attacked by harmful insects that can destroy the entire crop.
Harvesting is done after ripening. Typically, harvest dates are in September or October. The leaves of the plant by this time already begin to turn yellow and fall off. The exception is only early hybrids, some of which can be collected already in mid-August. Early varieties are grown under cover. Harvest before frost.
In order to get a good crop, the culture is watered in a timely manner, cultivation is carried out, weeds are removed.
Harvest Storage
In winter, store crops in a basement or other cool room. Heads of cabbage can be packed in cellophane. Vegetable culture is stored for about 60 days. To leave the crop for the winter, heads of cabbage can be wrapped in cellophane and frozen. This helps to increase the shelf life by 1-2 months. Break off the heads carefully so as not to cause mechanical damage to them.
If Brussels sprouts are improperly stored or improperly looked after, the fruits become bitter. To bitter cabbage acquired a delicate taste, it is boiled. So that the fruit does not bitter, it is seasoned with spices.
Recommended cultivars
Consider which varieties of Brussels sprouts are suitable for cultivation in our region.
High-yielding and relatively unpretentious are the varieties of Casio, Sapphire, Commander, Friendly family, Long Island, Rosella, Boxer.
Fans of exotic should pay attention to hybrids Grape bunch, Pomegranate bracelet, Sanda, Fun company.
The best varieties for growing in Siberia are Franklin F1, Dallik, Dolmik F1. Seeds should be purchased only in specialized stores.
