The Holistic Parrot by Leslie Moran
Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis) is a cruciferous vegetable, a member of the same plant family that includes arugula and broccoli. Although many sources tout cauliflower as being a nutrient-dense wonder vegetable, my research uncovered an essential, yet not well known, reason for adding this food to my ‘do not feed’ list for parrots.
Cauliflower was originally discovered in Turkey where it evolved from wild cabbage. In the 1500s it became popular in France and became widely cultivated in Northern Europe and Britain. Today most cauliflower is grown in the US, France, Italy, India and China.
In general published papers and numerous websites proclaim cauliflower as an amazing ‘must eat’ functional food. The nutrients contained in this popular vegetable are vitamin C, manganese, vitamin E and a wide range of antioxidants. The sweeping health benefits of cauliflower include improving the health of the cardiovascular system, lowering high blood pressure, can help improve bone health, has been seen to slow the progress of age-related eye disorders, and has helped prevent nervous system disorders. Numerous papers cite that the phytonutrients in cauliflower have been identified for reducing the growth of a wide variety of cancers, and can prevent tumour growth.