Cauliflower
Scientific names: Brassica oleracea
Family: Brassicaceae/Cruciferae
Alternate names: Blumenkohl, Cavolfiore, Cavolo Broccoli, Cavolfiore, Cavolo Fiore, Chou Broccoli, Chou Fleur, Chou Fleur D'hiver, Coliflor, Common Cauliflower, Couve Flor, Hana Kyabetsu, Hana Yasai, Hua Ye Cai, Kalafior, Kapusta Tsvetnaia, Karifurawaa, Kopfbrokkoli, Lillkapsas, Phuul Gobhii
Actions: Anticancer properties, Antioxidant
Background
Cauliflower is a vegetable. The head or curd of cauliflower is commonly eaten as food. It is also used as medicine.
Cauliflower is used for obesity, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.
Cauliflower is used for obesity, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.
Safety Safety definitions
When taken by mouth: Cauliflower is LIKELY SAFE when consumed in food amounts. There isn't enough reliable information to know if cauliflower is safe or what the side effects might be when used in medicinal amounts.
Special Precautions & Warnings:
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There isn't enough reliable information to know if cauliflower is safe to use in medicinal amounts when pregnant or breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and stick to usual food amounts.Effectiveness
NatMed Pro rates effectiveness based on scientific evidence according to the following scale: Effective, Likely Effective, Possibly Effective, Possibly Ineffective, Likely Ineffective, Ineffective, and Insufficient Evidence to Rate.
Insufficient evidence Effectiveness definitions
- Bladder cancer. People who eat large amounts of cauliflower and related vegetables might have a lower risk of developing bladder cancer. But conflicting results exist.
- Breast cancer. Postmenopausal women who eat large amounts of cauliflower and related vegetables don't seem to have a lower risk of breast cancer.
- Diabetes. Women who eat cauliflower and related vegetables don't seem to have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to those who don't eat these vegetables.
- Lung cancer. Eating larger amounts of cauliflower has been linked with a lower risk of developing lung cancer in women but not men.
- Cancer that starts in white blood cells (non-Hodgkin lymphoma). Women who eat larger amounts of cauliflower and related vegetables might have a lower risk of developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma. But eating cauliflower and related vegetables isn't linked with a lower risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in men.
- Prostate cancer. People who eat larger amounts of cauliflower and related vegetables might have a lower risk of developing prostate cancer.
- Stroke. Eating larger amounts of cauliflower and related vegetables has been linked with a lower risk of strokes caused by blood clots.
- Low levels of healthy red blood cells (anemia) due to iron deficiency.
- Heart disease.
- Symptoms of menopause.
- Obesity.
- Weak and brittle bones (osteoporosis).
- A disease caused by vitamin C deficiency (scurvy).
- Other conditions.
Dosing & administration
The appropriate dose of cauliflower depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for cauliflower. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.
Interactions with pharmaceuticals
Medications changed by the liver (Cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) substrates)
Interaction Rating=Moderate Be cautious with this combination.
Some medications are changed and broken down by the liver.
Cauliflower might increase how quickly the liver breaks down some medications. Taking cauliflower along with some medications that are changed by the liver can decrease the effectiveness of those medications. Before taking cauliflower talk to your healthcare provider if you take any medications that are changed by the liver.
Some of these medications that are changed by the liver include clozapine (Clozaril), cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril), fluvoxamine (Luvox), haloperidol (Haldol), imipramine (Tofranil), mexiletine (Mexitil), olanzapine (Zyprexa), pentazocine (Talwin), propranolol (Inderal), tacrine (Cognex), theophylline, zileuton (Zyflo), zolmitriptan (Zomig), and others.
Interactions with herbs & supplements
There are no known interactions with herbs and supplements.
Interactions with foods
There are no known interactions with foods.
Action
Cauliflower contains chemicals that might help the body get rid of components from food or the environment that are thought to cause cancer. Cauliflower might also have antioxidant activity.
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This monograph was last reviewed on 17/10/2023 11:00:00 and last updated on 19/10/2015 23:35:01. Monographs are reviewed and/or updated multiple times per month and at least once per year.
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Natural Medicines rates safety based on scientific evidence according to the following scale: Likely Safe, Possibly Safe, Possibly Unsafe, Likely Unsafe, Unsafe, and Insufficient Evidence to Rate. For more information about Natural Medicines’ Safety Rating System, click here.
The Natural Medicines Effectiveness Ratings are assigned for specific indications. A product might be rated "Possibly Effective" for one condition, but be rated "Likely Ineffective" for another condition, depending on the evidence. For more info click here.
