Don’t be intimidated by an orange cauliflower if you happen to run into it at the grocery store or a farmers’ market. That’s because it has the same taste and texture as a white cauliflower that all of us are used to. However, its orange color serves as a testament that it packs more vitamin A than a regular cauliflower.
Actually, its coloration is a product of a genetic mutation which causes this unique-looking vegetable to end up containing more vitamin A than usual. So in other words, it’s a freak of nature that is highly beneficial to humans!
It was in 1970 in Toronto, Canada when the very first orange cauliflower came into being out of the blue. Then agricultural scientists from Cornell University experimented with having the then one-of-a-kind vegetable crossbred with a white cauliflower — it was a really tricky task as nobody has tried making a hybrid cauliflower before.
Needless to say, those agricultural scientists were successful at crossbreeding an orange cauliflower with a regular one, and the easy availability of orange cauliflowers these days is a solid testament to that!
So should you bring home a bunch of orange cauliflowers if given the opportunity to do so? A quick answer would be yes! Apart from learning to accept its color, there is really not much getting used to that needs to be done because you can cook and serve an orange cauliflower just like its white-colored counterpart.
Raw, baked, steamed, broiled, grilled, sautéed, stir-fried — no matter how you choose to consume an orange cauliflower, there are so many benefits to enjoy from it. Some of the most impressive ones are the following:
Improved Eye Health
Just like what’s mentioned earlier, it’s the increased amount of vitamin A that makes orange cauliflower sport the head-turning color that it has. This only means that it is more capable of keeping your eyes in an excellent shape than a regular cauliflower! Including this orange-colored vegetable in your diet on a regular basis can help keep at bay various eye problems, such as macular degeneration, cataracts and night blindness.
Strengthened Immune System
Other than vitamin A, there is also vitamin C present in an orange cauliflower. Needless to say, it’s something that can help make your immune system stronger if it’s consumed on a regular basis. Especially when the flu or cold season is nearing, remember to serve on the table dishes with orange cauliflowers in them more often.
Beautified Smile and Skin
Did you know that vitamin C present in an orange cauliflower is also important for keeping your smile intact? It’s for the fact that vitamin C is necessary for healthy gums, the ones that hold your pearly whites in place and supply them with all the nutrients they necessitate. Also, vitamin C helps make your skin look awesome because it fights off excess free radicals as well as encourages the production of more collagen.
Reduced High Blood Pressure Risk
Sick and tired of eating bananas just to ward off hypertension or high blood pressure? Then give your taste buds a break by consuming an orange cauliflower which is a good source of potassium. Paired with the loads of fiber it contains, this orange-colored cauliflower hybrid may help lower your heart disease, heart attack and stroke risk.
Improved Digestive System
Speaking of fiber, the regular consumption of an orange cauliflower that boasts phenomenal amounts of it is an excellent booster of the digestive system because it encourages the production of more digestive enzymes and juices, plus it promotes the multiplication of beneficial gut bacteria, too. Also, fiber helps in keeping constipation at bay, which means that eating an orange cauliflower regularly can help make you, well, regular.
Detoxified Body
Even though it has a different color, an orange cauliflower is still just as superb as a regular cauliflower in neutralizing toxins that have accumulated in the body. Related to kale, broccoli and cabbage, this unique-looking vegetable is rich in compounds that are known to effectively zap disease-causing poisonous substances in the body.
