cruciferous vegetables

InViteⓇ Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Amanda Williams, MPH

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One of my favorite sayings is, “Let food be thy medicine.” When we think about food-based nutrients and all of the different roles they play in terms of the modulation of metabolic pathways and detoxification, there is one class of foods that really provides a unique spectrum of these bioactive compounds. Today, I want to talk about cruciferous vegetables and the active components that are derived from them that do so much to support our health.† 

What are cruciferous vegetables?

Cruciferous vegetables include things like cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, arugula, kale, turnip and rutabaga. When they are prepared properly, these vegetables are very beneficial when it comes to active chemical constituents that are contained within them. If you’re eating them as a whole food, that’s a great thing because you’ll get the vitamins, minerals and fiber that are contained within them.† 

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If we look at the extract of some of the bioactive components that are derived from cruciferous vegetables, this is where things get really interesting. We can look specifically at indole-3-carbinol and diindolylmethane (DIM). Indole-3-carbinol and DIM are both bioactive components and natural metabolites that come from cruciferous vegetables. They have been studied extensively when it comes to their benefits for the human body.† 

The powerful benefits of indole-3-carbinol and DIM

Indole-3-carbinol and DIM are very impressive. They have been shown to help the body with hormone balance, inflammation and more.† 

When we look at how these nutrients are really working, we can look at them having antioxidant components, so they’re going to be fending off oxidative stress and free radicals. We now recognize that they’re also working to deactivate certain inflammatory pathways, including NF-kB and PPAR.† 

I want to talk about a study that shows the phytochemicals found in cruciferous vegetables and how they’re working when it comes to the body’s detoxification pathways. We know that having a proper antioxidant response is critical for our existence, especially in terms of the different phases of metabolic detoxification.† 

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In this study, researchers wanted to analyze how indole-3-carbinol and DIM were working throughout these three different phases of detoxification. They found that these nutrients were working through NRF2 activation. This is a transcription factor. They were able to see how those two chemical constituents are actually helping with the pathways associated with phases one and two of detoxification. This is really an impressive feat for nutrients that are coming from foods such as cruciferous vegetables.†  

In this episode, Amanda Williams, MPH discusses indole-3-carbinol and DIM, two powerful nutrients that come from cruciferous vegetables. She explains the important role these components play in detoxification, liver health and more and details studies that explain how they work within the body.†

Key Topics:

• Early research on indole-3-carbinol and DIM
• The different phases of detoxification
• The science behind indole-3-carbinol and DIM

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