Bitter Veggies Are Even Better for You than You Think ...

Catechins are compounds in vegetables that work to keep your bad cholesterol under control, which cuts your risk of heart disease dramatically. They also work much like antioxidants do and help reduce your risk of developing certain kinds of cancer, including prostate and lung cancers. Look for catechins in many bitter foods.

Soybeans are a top source of isaflavones and you can find them in things like tofu and edamame. Soybeans might not be as bitter as some of the other foods in this category, but that’s OK because it makes them a bit easier to eat. Isaflavones play several roles in your body, including helping to prevent breast and prostate cancer as well as improving blood flow and increasing bone density.

Here’s another plant compound that bitter veggies can give you. They are especially abundant in red onions, red cabbage and eggplant so these are wonderful choices to toss in your grocery cart this week. Anthocyanins have anti-aging properties that help protect you against vision issues, heart disease and cancer as you age. They may also help prevent food poisoning because anthocyanins are antimicrobial.

Quercetin is a powerful antioxidant that fights free radical damage, which boosts health and wards off a variety of health issues, including heart disease and cancer. You can find quercetin in onions, leeks, radicchio and radishes. Toss each of these veggies into your next salad and you have a really healthy meal that is great for your health at the same time. Perfect!

This one might be a bit hard to say, but you don’t have to be able to say it to benefit from them. Glucosinolates have been linked in several studies to cancer prevention as well as the slowing of already growing cancer cells. Research has found that this compound may be able to shrink tumors. That’s great news, right? You can find glucosinolates in broccoli, arugula, cabbage, cauliflower, kale and Brussels sprouts.

Tomatoes range in flavor from very sweet to bitter so they are often grouped in with other bitter veggies. Some people are more sensitive to bitterness, which may make tomatoes unappealing to them. Here’s why you should be eating tomatoes, even if they aren’t your favorite. They contain naringin, which has been linked to improving diabetes, brain issues and obesity.

Proanthocyanidins are yet another compound found in bitter veggies, including avocados and hops. It works by reducing tumor growth and also fights bacteria, making it useful for treating infections like those in your urinary tract.

Do you like bitter veggies? Does any of this info make you want to try them?