Cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cress, broccoli, horseradish, kale, kohlrabi, mustard, radish, rutabaga, and turnip and collard greens contain chemicals that help the body detoxify cancer-causing agents.

BRAVO FOR BROCCOLI

Broccoli is packed with anti-cancer antioxidants: vitamin C, beta carotene, lutein, glutathione and quercetin. It also tops all other foods for chromium content. Almost nobody gets enough chromium, a trace mineral that regulates insulin and helps to normalize blood sugar.

20 WAYS TO PEP UP YOUR COLESLAW

Stir in diced apples or pears, chopped peanuts or walnuts, sliced dates, almond slivers, raisins, crushed pineapple, fennel seeds, grapes, chopped green or red bell peppers, caraway seeds, shredded carrots or turnips, sliced scallions, red pepper flakes, chopped parsley, sunflower seeds or water chestnuts.

What's in a name?

They're called cruciferous vegetables because their flowers have four petals in the shape of a cross.

More is not better

Overdosing on anything -- even cabbage -- is not a good idea and might backfire. A couple of servings of cruciferous vegetables a day is OK. A whole head of cabbage a day is excessive, and unnecessary to get benefits. Eat a variety of crucifers, not just one.

When in Rome

The ancient Romans revered cabbage as an anti-cancer medicine.

The Health Briefing

-- Cancer fighters: The people who eat the most cabbage and other cruciferous vegetables have less cancer -- especially colon, stomach and breast cancer -- than other people. One famous study at the State University of New York at Buffalo found that men who ate cabbage once a week had 66 percent less colon cancer than men who never ate it. Only a couple of tablespoons of cooked cabbage a day reduced the risk of stomach cancer in China's Heilong-jiang province. Lung cancer patients who ate the most fruits and vegetables, especially broccoli, survived a year and a half longer than those who skimped on produce, according to University of Hawaii research.

How they may prevent breast cancer:

Scientists have discovered two ways that cruciferous vegetables may work to block breast cancer.

Cabbage chemicals called indoles induce the body to burn off a form of estrogen that promotes breast cancer, according to research by H. Leon Bradlow at the Strang Cornell Cancer Research Laboratory in New York City. Getting rid of this estrogen, he says, lowers women's risk of breast cancer. These indoles also are in broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. In tests, eating the indoles in one-fifth of a head of cabbage revved up estrogen removal in 85 percent of women; eating any amount of cruciferous vegetables, Bradlow says, may help inhibit breast cancer.

Another chemical in cruciferous vegetables stimulates enzymes in the body to destroy cancer-causing agents. Paul Talalay at Johns Hopkins University discovered a potent anti-cancer chemical in broccoli, called sulphoraphane. It's quite dramatic, he says. In laboratory rats, the broccoli chemical slashed the breast cancer rate by two-thirds.

Further, feeding collard greens and cabbage to animals injected with tumor cells blocked the spread of cancers, according to investigators at the University of Nebraska.

How to get more benefit

-- At the supermarket: Choose tight, heavy heads of cabbage with few loose outer leaves. Exception: savoy cabbage, which is lighter and less compact, more like a head of lettuce. Avoid precut cabbage halves and quarters; cabbage starts to lose vitamin C as soon as it's cut. Buy Brussels sprouts that are small, firm and dark green, not yellow. Look for the freshest (dark bluish-green) broccoli; the deeper the color, the more antioxidants and anti-cancer compounds. Signs that broccoli is no longer fresh: limp or brown stalks, yellowing florets.

Frozen crucifers retain most of their anti-cancer agents. Canned ones, including sauerkraut, do not.

-- In the kitchen: Keep fresh crucifers refrigerated, preferably in a perforated plastic bag. To minimize the loss of vitamin C, use the vegetables as quickly as possible after cutting or shredding them. Store cabbage halves or chunks tightly in plastic wrap.

For the most anti-cancer activity, eat crucifers raw or lightly cooked, still crunchy. Try a zap in the microwave, or a stir-fry in a bit of canola oil or broth. Avoid fatty sauces, sour cream, cheese and meat drippings.

-- In a restaurant: Steamed broccoli and cauliflower are good bets. Stir-frys in Asian restaurants often include broccoli and various types of cabbage, including bok choy. Cole-slaw is a staple in most restaurants. Choose slaw dressed with vinegar rather than cream or mayonnaise.

Orange-Date Slaw

¹/4 large head of cabbage, thinly sliced (about 4 cups)

¹/4 cup chopped red onion

2 Tbs. frozen orange juice concentrate

2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar

1 Tb. extra virgin olive oil

¹/4 cup chopped dates

3 heaping Tbs. chopped fresh mint

¹/4 cup chopped walnuts

Black pepper, to taste

In a large bowl, mix together the cabbage and onion. In a small bowl, combine the orange juice concentrate, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Add to the cabbage and toss. Refrigerate until serving time, then stir in the dates and mint. Sprinkle walnuts on top. Serves 4.

Per 1¹/4 -cup serving: 145 calories, 3g protein, 18g carbohydrates, 3g fiber, 8.3g fat (1g saturated), 14.3mg sodium.

Broccoli-Cauliflower Roast

2 cups broccoli florets, 1 to 2 inches in diameter

2 cups cauliflower florets, 1 to 2 inches in diameter

5 garlic cloves, peeled and halved (optional)

2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 tsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Toss the broccoli, cauliflower and optional garlic with olive oil. Spread on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 450-degree oven for 20 minutes, or until browned and tender-crunchy. Stir once or twice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese before serving. Serves 4.

Per 1-cup serving: 92 calories, 3g protein, 2.3g fiber, 6g carbohydrates, 7.2g fat (1g saturated), 37mg sodium.

Quick Peanut Cabbage

2 cups cabbage, sliced thin

1 Tb. chunky peanut butter

1 Tb. frozen orange or apple juice concentrate

1 Tb. balsamic vinegar

¹/8 tsp. hot pepper flakes

Put all the ingredients in a bowl. Cover and microwave on high for 4 minutes, or until the cabbage is limp and the peanut butter is melted. Stir to cover the cabbage with sauce, and serve. Serves 3.

Per half-cup serving: 54 calories, 2g protein, 6.4g carbohydrates, 1.3g fiber, 2.8g fat (0.5g saturated), 11mg sodium.

Jean Carper's current best-selling book is Stop Aging Now!

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