Cabbage is an economical and versatile vegetable that is easy to find in any supermarket. This vegetable can be eaten cooked or raw, but it often added to soups or stews. Fresh, dark green-leafy cabbage is incredibly nutritious. Cabbage is rich in various phytonutrients and vitamins like vitamin A, C & K, it’s also a good source of dietary fiber, providing nearly 15 percent of daily recommended dietary intake. Below are some of the amazing health benefits of cabbage:
1. Cancer Prevention
There are many properties in cabbage that help fight cancer causing cells. The uniqueness of cabbage in cancer prevention is due to the three different types of nutrient richness found: antioxidant richness, anti-inflammatory richness, and in glucosinolates. Eat enough and it will speed up the metabolism of estrogen and thereby reduce the risk of breast cancer, a recent study in China showed that women who consumed more vegetables from the cruciferous family (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, etc) had a lower chance of suffering from breast cancer.
2. Weight loss diet
Cabbage is a great diet choice for those who are looking for lose weight. Cabbage is very low in fat and calories. 100 g of leaves provide just 25 calories. That’s why people who are on the cabbage soup diet can eat endless amounts of the soup without gaining weight, while still staying healthy.
3. Skin care
If you want a beautiful and healthy skin then you have to eat more cabbages. Cabbage has a wealth of different antioxidant sources, including vitamin-C, anthocyanins, sulphur, and other smaller sources, these antioxidants play an important role in fighting free radicals, which can be an underlying cause of wrinkles, skin discoloration, spots, and many other conditions. Moreover, vitamin A in cabbage juice works together with vitamin D to make your skin clear and healthy and avoid the destruction of skin cells due to ultraviolet rays. When used as a poultice, cabbage is effective in curing skin eruptions such as eczema, psoriasis, acne, rashes, insect bites, leg ulcers; and wounds and arthritis as well. Learn more about skin health: How to get perfect skin
4. Anti-inflammatory properties
Cabbages have anti-inflammatory properties and are therefore very good in giving relief to people who are suffering from inflammation. Cabbage is good source of the glutamine. Glutamine is a strong anti-inflammatory agent, so consuming cabbage can reduce the effects of many type of inflammation, irritation, allergies, joint pain, fever, and various skin disorders.
5. Natural immune system boosters
You may be surprised to know that cabbage packs more vitamin C than oranges! Due to its high amount of Vitamin C, cabbage helps strengthen the Immune System and help the body fight against free radicals.
6. Bone Health
Cabbage is a very good source of vitamin K, provides about 63% of RDA levels. Enough vitamin K in the diet makes your bone stronger, healthier and delays osteoporosis. Especially for older people, their bone density was positively correlated with the vitamin K.
7. Treat peptic ulcers
Cabbage is one of the best natural remedies for stomach ulcers (called peptic ulcers). Its juice has anti ulcer properties owing to its high content of glutamine.
8. Relieve muscle soreness
There is a type of acid in cabbages called lactic acid which helps significantly in relieving soreness in the muscles. When certain bacteria ferment the sugars in cabbage, such as during the cooking of sauerkraut, lactic acid is released. So in some small way, cabbage can help general pain relief and muscle soreness, depending on how it is prepared.
Tips:
Since cabbage can interfere with the uptake of iodine, those with goiter conditions should consult their physician before eating cabbage. In addition, when cooking cabbages, it is imperative not to overcook them else you kill some of the vitamins in them. The best option is to eat the cabbage raw!
