They are all laden with vitamins (broccoli, for example, is a richer source of vitamin C than oranges), minerals and other health promoting nutrients, including fibre.

Cruciferous vegetables also contain a range of powerful antioxidant substances that help counteract pollution and support the body' s own detoxification process. They' re particularly rich in natural chemicals called glucosinolates that appear to detoxify all sorts of toxins, including carcinogens, substances that can trigger cancer. One piece of research showed that eating cruciferous vegetables three times a week might cut your risk of getting colon cancer by 60 per cent. So to increase your resistance to illnesses and to boost your body' s detox capacity, include a range of the above vegetables in your meals at least three or four times a week.