Cabbage is the national food of Russia. Although there are many varieties of cabbage, each provides unique and strong health benefits.
This vegetable can grow in any types of soil but grows especially well in fertile soils – the more fertile the soil, the faster the cabbage grows.
This vegetable was praised by ancient Egyptian pharaohs and has become a staple of diets all over the world. Cabbage is inexpensive, versatile and filling. To learn more about this amazing plant, just read our text.
Nutrient contents
Nutritional value of cabbage lies mostly in the leaves of this vegetable. As far as nutritional content goes, some of the nutrients found in this vegetable are vitamins A, B, C, E, K, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and sulfur. The active ingredients found in cabbage are responsible for maintaining your general health and healing for the body.
Amino acids, such as S-methyl cysteine and anthocyanins strengthen your body’s cell metabolism functions, which helps in eliminating cell wastes and promotes healthy body tissues. Some ingredients found in this vegetable also work to flush free radical materials from cell bodies. Consume cabbage and other veggies from the cruciferous vegetable group to 5 times per week, and increase your serving size to 2 cups.
How to prepare it
Cabbage can be consumed in various ways such as boiled, steamed, sauteed, stir-fried or even roasted. But cabbage is most nutritious if you eat it raw. Add sliced or grated raw cabbage leaves in a vegetable salad for more taste. To obtain the most health benefits of cabbage, don’t overcook it cabbage since it decreases its nutritional content especially vitamin C and other nutrients will become more difficult to be digested.
Cabbage Health benefits
Cabbage has a numerous cancer-fighting benefits, including indole-3-carbinol (I3C), sulforaphane, lupeol, sinigrin and diindolylmethane (DIM), which may help trigger enzyme defenses and slower the tumor growth. Cabbage is rich in the amino acid glutamine and is known to help those who are suffering from any type of inflammation. Because of its high amount of Vitamin C, cabbage can help strengthen your immune system and help the body fight against free radicals.
Cabbage is also high in beta-carotene which prevents cataracts and protects against macular degeneration. Cabbage is a great diet choice for those who want to lose pounds. One cup of cooked cabbage has just 33 calories. Some studies have shown that eating cabbage can lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. The high fiber content in cabbage helps stimulate the digestive system, and thus relieving constipation.
Side effects
Fibers present in cabbage is of insoluble type and having too much of these fibers could be very bad for our health as they can contribute to the symptoms of diarrhea or block intestines and thus make absorption of nutrients difficult. Vitamin K is an essential vitamin that plays a very important role in the blood clotting process. The presence of vitamin K is an advantage of cabbage, but the same vitamin K also makes cabbage unsuitable for individuals that are taking anticoagulants (substances that prevent coagulation of blood).