Pictured: kale, a leafy green, cruciferous vegetable.
Cruciferous vegetables can help protect health in significant ways.
These veggies are named after their four petals resembling a cross, or ‘crucifer.’ There are also ‘headless’ crucifers which do not fit this description. Conventional cruciferous vegetables include broccoli, broccoli rabe, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, turnips and cabbage. Headless crucifers include kale and collard greens.
Several other cruciferous veggies exist but are too spicy for dogs. These include horseradish and arugula.
Cruciferous vegetables may help fight cancer, which is now a common condition in dogs. Several studies support the use of cruciferous vegetables to combat cancer, including one from the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, which found cruciferous vegetables contain several compounds that can help prevent cancer by removing carcinogens and suppressing tumor growth.
While they’re at it being superheroes, these veggies can also protect your dog’s heart, according to many studies like the one from the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Their findings conclude with a recommendation of consuming cruciferous vegetables to promote cardiovascular health and overall longevity.
One warning about crucifers. They can have goitrogenic effects, which means they can interact with thyroid function. However, never fear! Cooking appears to destroy the compound responsible for this effect. So feel free to include cooked broccoli, cauliflower, kale and collards in your dogs’ diets. You will be doing them a favor, hopefully protecting their hearts and sparing them, and you, from the sadness of cancer.
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