NutriDex

The Supplement Research Compendium
🥦

cauliflower

A low-carb cruciferous all-rounder: half a day's vitamin C with glucosinolate-derived sulforaphane.

Moderate evidence 🥦Vegetables

✚ Updated · How we grade evidence

Evidence tier
Moderate
Research weight
Citations
8 verified / 8
Classification
Vegetables
❝
What the evidence says. Several controlled trials; effects real but modest or context-dependent.

Nutrition per serving 1 cup chopped, raw (107 g)

107gSERVING
  • Sugars 2 g2%
  • Fibre 2.1 g2%
  • Other carbs 1.2 g1%
  • Protein 2 g2%
  • Other 99.7 g93%
What's in one serving, by weight — average composition (USDA).
Vitamin C57%Fiber8%Potassium7%Folate15%Vitamin A0%Vitamin K14%Vitamin B611%Manganese7%
One serving as % of the adult daily requirement (FDA Daily Values). The bold outer ring = 100% of a day's needs.
27 kcal2 g protein2.1 g fiber2 g sugar
NutrientPer serving% daily value
Vitamin C52 mg57%
Fiber2.1 g8%
Potassium320 mg7%
Folate61 µg15%
Vitamin A0 µg0%
Vitamin K17 µg14%
Vitamin B60.19 mg11%
Manganese0.17 mg7%
Copper0.04 mg4%
Vitamin E0.09 mg1%
Magnesium16 mg4%
Calcium24 mg2%

Composition data: USDA FoodData Central ↗

What is cauliflower?

cauliflower is a vegetable used for lowers blood pressure (cruciferous rct). NutriDex grades the human evidence as Moderate. Cauliflower is a glucosinolate-rich cruciferous vegetable whose strongest human evidence is cardiometabolic: a randomized crossover trial found ~300 g/day of cruciferous vegetables lowered 24-h systolic blood pressure by 2.5 mmHg versus root/squash vegetables, and large prospective cohorts link higher cruciferous intake to lower cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. Meta-analyses of observational studies show modest inverse associations with colorectal cancer and type 2 diabetes risk, though dose-response signals are weaker. Its signature bioactive, sulforaphane, has shown promising but still preliminary effects on glycemic control and behavioral outcomes in small RCTs.

Purported Benefits

✓Lowers blood pressure (cruciferous RCT)
✓Linked to lower cardiovascular and all-cause mortality
✓Inverse association with colorectal cancer
✓High vitamin C, very low calorie
✓Supports glycemic control

Dosing & Compounds

Typical Dose
Standard serving: 1 cup chopped, raw (107 g). Eat whole (with skin where edible); favour whole fruit over juice.
Active Compounds
glucoraphaninsulforaphaneindole-3-carbinolglucosinolatesvitamin Ckaempferol

Safety & Cautions

Raw cruciferous vegetables contain goitrogens that may modestly affect thyroid function in iodine-deficient individuals at very high intakes; vitamin K (~17 ug/cup) is relevant for those on warfarin; high fiber and raffinose-family oligosaccharides (FODMAPs) can cause gas/bloating in sensitive or IBS individuals. Generally very safe as food. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining cauliflower with any medicine.

Key Studies

Meta-analysis Li 2024 ✓ PubMed
Systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis found cruciferous vegetable intake associated with reduced overall cancer risk, with optimal protective intake around 40-60 g/day for colorectal cancer (OR 0.74-0.80).
Meta-analysis Mori 2023 ✓ PubMed
Meta-analysis reported high cruciferous vegetable intake associated with ~13% lower type 2 diabetes risk, though dose-response was attenuated (per 40 g/day RR 0.93; 95% CI 0.85-1.03).
Meta-analysis Pollock 2016 ✓ Full text
Meta-analysis of cohort studies found green leafy and cruciferous vegetable intake associated with a 15.8% reduced incidence of cardiovascular disease.
Meta-analysis Wu 2013 ✓ PubMed
Meta-analysis of 35 studies (24 case-control, 11 prospective) found higher cruciferous vegetable intake inversely associated with colorectal cancer risk (RR 0.82; 95% CI 0.75-0.90).
RCT (crossover) Connolly 2024 (VESSEL) ✓ Full text
In a randomized controlled crossover trial (n=18, mildly elevated BP), ~300 g/day cruciferous vegetables for 2 weeks lowered 24-h systolic BP by 2.5 mmHg vs root/squash vegetables (95% CI -5.0 to -0.1; P=0.04).
RCT Armah 2025 (broccoli sprout) ✓ Full text
Randomized placebo-controlled trial in prediabetes (n=74) found broccoli sprout extract reduced fasting blood glucose by 0.2 mmol/L (95% CI -0.44 to -0.01; P=0.04), modulated by baseline gut microbiota.
RCT Singh 2014 ✓ Full text
Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (n=44 young men with ASD) found 18 weeks of sulforaphane (50-150 umol/day) significantly improved behavior scores (ABC, SRS) versus placebo, reversing after cessation.
Prospective cohort Zhang 2011 ✓ Full text
In two prospective cohorts of Chinese adults, higher cruciferous vegetable intake was associated with lower total mortality (HR ~0.78) and cardiovascular mortality (P-trend=0.0004).
8 sources cited · 8 verified Search all studies on PubMed ↗

Common questions about cauliflower

What is cauliflower used for?

cauliflower is most often taken for Lowers blood pressure (cruciferous RCT), Linked to lower cardiovascular and all-cause mortality, Inverse association with colorectal cancer, High vitamin C, very low calorie. A low-carb cruciferous all-rounder: half a day's vitamin C with glucosinolate-derived sulforaphane.

Does cauliflower work — what does the evidence say?

Moderate evidence. Several controlled trials; effects real but modest or context-dependent. Cauliflower is a glucosinolate-rich cruciferous vegetable whose strongest human evidence is cardiometabolic: a randomized crossover trial found ~300 g/day of cruciferous vegetables lowered 24-h systolic blood pressure by 2.5 mmHg versus root/squash vegetables, and large prospective cohorts link higher cruciferous intake to lower cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. Meta-analyses of observational studies show modest inverse associations with colorectal cancer and type 2 diabetes risk, though dose-response signals are weaker. Its signature bioactive, sulforaphane, has shown promising but still preliminary effects on glycemic control and behavioral outcomes in small RCTs.

What is the typical dose of cauliflower?

Standard serving: 1 cup chopped, raw (107 g). Eat whole (with skin where edible); favour whole fruit over juice.

Is cauliflower safe? Any cautions or side effects?

Raw cruciferous vegetables contain goitrogens that may modestly affect thyroid function in iodine-deficient individuals at very high intakes; vitamin K (~17 ug/cup) is relevant for those on warfarin; high fiber and raffinose-family oligosaccharides (FODMAPs) can cause gas/bloating in sensitive or IBS individuals. Generally very safe as food.

How many studies support cauliflower?

NutriDex cites 8 sources for cauliflower, graded "Moderate".

Cite this page
APA

Peh, D. (2026). cauliflower: Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects & Evidence. NutriDex — The Supplement Research Compendium. Retrieved 26 Jun 2026, from https://nutridex.info/s/cauliflower

BibTeX
@misc{nutridex_cauliflower,
  author       = {Peh, Daryl},
  title        = {cauliflower: Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects \& Evidence},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {NutriDex --- The Supplement Research Compendium},
  url          = {https://nutridex.info/s/cauliflower},
  note         = {Reviewed by Dr Daryl Peh, MBBS Singapore, MMed FM. Accessed 2026-06-26}
}

For medical claims, citing the underlying primary studies linked above is preferred. NutriDex is an educational reference, not medical advice.

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