You must eat cabbage at some point due to your health benefits. Despite impressive nutritional content, cabbage is often overlooked. It may look like a lettuce, but it actually comes from same family with broccoli and cauliflower.
It belongs to genus Brassica. Red, purple, white and green can be in various shapes and colors and also leaves may be wrinkled or smooth.
This vegetable has been grown for thousands of worldwide years and can be found in a variety of ways, including cabbage sauerkraut and cabbage salad. Also, cabbage is filled with vitamins and minerals. Although calories of cabbage are very low, there is an impressive nutritional profile.
Below are nutritional values of 90 grams of raw green cabbage:
- Calories: 22,
- Protein: 1 gram,
- Fiber: 2 grams,
- Vitamin K: 85% of amount of intake daily,
- Vitamin C: 54% of amount of intake daily,
- Folate: 10% of amount to be taken daily,
- Manganese: 7% of amount to be taken daily,
- Vitamin B6: 6% of amount to be taken daily,
- Calcium: 4% of amount of intake daily,
- Potassium: 4% of amount to be taken daily,
- Magnesium: 3% of amount of intake daily.
Also cabbage contains small amounts of micronutrients such as vitamin A, iron and riboflavin.
As you can see from list above, vitamin B6 and folate are very rich in vitamins necessary for many important stages of body, including energy metabolism and normal functioning of nervous system. In addition, cabbage contains powerful antioxidants, including high fiber and polyphenols, sulfur compounds.
Antioxidants protect body from damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are molecules that have a single number of electrons and make them unstable. When their levels are too high, they can damage your cells.
Cabbage is high in vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that can protect against heart disease, some cancers and loss of vision.
Cabbage Is Loaded With Vitamin C
Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin that plays an important role in the body. Helps the body to make collagen. Collagen gives skin structural flexibility and is critical for proper functioning of bones, muscles and blood vessels.
In addition, vitamin C helps to absorb Iron (non-heme iron) found in plant foods in body. Moreover, it is a powerful antioxidant. Vitamin C, works to protect body from damages caused by free radicals that including many chronic diseases and cancer.
Researchers suggest that a high diet in vitamin C-rich foods is associated with a lower risk for some cancers.
Many observational studies have found a link between high vitamin C intake and a reduction in the risk of certain cancers. Although more research is needed to determine role of this vitamin in cancer prevention, vitamin C is certain to play an important role in many important functions of body.
In addition, although both green and red cabbage are excellent sources of this powerful antioxidant, red cabbage contains about 30% more vitamin C.
Can Help Keep Under Control of Inflammation
Inflammation is not always a bad thing. In fact, your body reacts to inflammation to prevent infection or to accelerate healing. This type of acute inflammation is a normal response to an injury or infection.
On the other hand, long-term chronic inflammation, is associated with many diseases such as heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. Radishes like cabbage contain many different antioxidants shown to reduce chronic inflammation.
In fact, research has shown that radishes reduce certain bleeding.
In a study of more than 1,000 Chinese women, inflammation levels were significantly low compared to those who eat a large amount of radish and those who eat a small amount of radish.
Helps Digestion
If you want to improve your digestive health, fiber-rich cabbage should be used. This vegetable is full of unresolved fiber and a type of carbohydrate that cannot be fragmented in the intestines. Insoluble fiber helps keep the digestive system healthy by adding volume to the stool and by developing regular bowel movement.
Moreover, it is rich in soluble fiber, which is shown to increase in number of beneficial bacteria in intestine. This for reason ,fiber is main fuel source for friendly living things such as Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli.
These bacteria perform important functions such as protecting immune system and producing critical nutrients like vitamins K2 and B12. Eat more cabbage, is an excellent way to keep your digestive system healthy and happy.
Can Help Keep Healthy Your Heart
Red cabbage contains strong compounds known as anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are plant pigments belonging to flavonoid family and give color to red cabbage. Many studies have found that eating foods rich in this pigment reduces risk of heart disease.
A study with 93.600 women found that those consuming foods rich in anthocyanins had a much lower risk of heart attack.
In another analysis, when fflavonoid intake increased by 10 mg per day, the risk of heart disease decreased by 5%. It has also been shown that increasing your intake of anthocyanin by diet reduces blood pressure and risk of coronary artery disease.
Inflammation is known to play an important role in development of heart disease, and the protective effect of anti-parasitic probably due to their anti-inflammatory properties. It also contains more than anthocyanins 36 different potent that make sprouts an excellent choice for heart health.
Can Help Lower Cholesterol Levels
Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance found in every cell in your body. Some people think that is bad all cholesterol, but good cholesterol is essential for proper functioning of body. Critical processes, are related to cholesterol proper digestion, synthesis of hormones, and things like vitamin D.
However, risk of heart disease is high in people with high cholesterol, especially when rise “bad”
LDL cholesterol levels: Cabbage contains two active ingredients that seem to reduce unhealthy symptoms of LDL cholesterol:
- Soluble Fiber: Soluble fiber has been shown to help prevent “bad” LDL cholesterol from being absorbed into blood by binding it with cholesterol in intestines. Cabbage is a source of soluble fiber. In fact, is soluble about 40% of fiber found in cabbage.
- Plant Sterols: Cabbage contains substances called phytosterols. They are plant compounds that are structurally similar to cholesterol and reduce LDL cholesterol by preventing absorption of cholesterol in digestive system.
Can Easily Add Cabbage To Your Diet
In addition to being healthy, cabbage is delicious and can be eaten raw or cooked. Salads, soups, casseroles and cabbage salads can be added to a wide variety of meals.
This versatile vegetable can be fermented and can be converted into cabbage pickles. In addition to being adapted to many recipes, cabbage is also extremely economical.
