14 Amazing Health Benefits of Cabbage

Cabbage health benefits includes reducing risk of cancer, improving brain and nervous system health, promoting bone health, maintaining blood pressure, detoxifying the body, promoting bowel regularity, regulating sugar level and promoting weight loss. Other benefits includes improving health of hair, skin and nails, helping prevent or heal acne, healing stomach ulcers, helping care for the heart, promoting healthy pregnancy and boosting immunity.

What is Cabbage?

Cabbage is a favorite of many people worldwide, providing an affordable and tasty option for a variety of meal options. Cabbages are cruciferous vegetables with the name Brassica oleracea, occurring naturally in colors ranging from green, to purple and even white. Their final size can range drastically, being anywhere from 1lb to 9lbs. in weight.

The cabbage seems to have originated in Europe around 1000BC, after which it was introduced into the Middle East and other areas. Today, cabbages can be found all around the world, making is possible for everyone to experience its benefits.

Nutrition Facts. (Per 100g Raw Serving)

Calories-25.0
Total Carbohydrate – 5.8g
Dietary Fiber – 2.5g 10% RDA
Sugars-3.5g
Protein -1.5g 3% RDA
Vitamin A -98.0IU 2% RDA
Vitamin C -40mg 61% RDA
Vitamin K -76mcg 95% RDA
Thiamin -0.1mg 4% RDA
Vitamin B6 -0.1mg 6% RDA
Folate 43.0mcg 11% RDA
Calcium-40mg 4% RDA
Iron-0.5mg 3% RDA
Magnesium-12mg 3% RDA
Phosphorus-26mg 3% RDA
Potassium-170mg 5% RDA
Manganese-0.2mg 8% RDA

14 Amazing Health Benefits Of Cabbage

1. Helps Reduce Cancer Risk

The cruciferous vegetables are among some of the most well-known foods that boost cancer resistance, thanks to the multifaceted way they work. For one, cabbage is rich in a compound known as DIM, which helps breakdown estrogen into less potent forms. This is great news for both women and men, as it can help to reduce the likelihood of estrogen dependent cancers developing. Cabbage also possesses many anti-oxidants nutrients and various phytochemicals that help reduce the impact of harmful waste material on healthy cells.

2. Improves Brain And Nervous System Health

Although it is a little known fact, Vitamin K has an important protective action of the brain and its neurons. Neurons are wrapped in a fatty sheath which improves insulation and facilitates optimal nerve conduction, but can be adversely affected by diet. Vitamin K is important in the production of this outer sheath, which is composed of a specialized type of fat known as sphingolipids. Cabbages, especially the red variety, are also very rich sources of a group of compounds known as anthocyanins. This compound is reportedly a much more powerful anti-oxidant than Vitamin C, and may play an important role in prevention of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, which appears to have a strong inflammatory link.

3. Contribute To Bone Health

Cabbages contain many of the nutrients essential for the health of our bones, including calcium, magnesium and Vitamin K. these nutrients help prevent bone loss or bone resorption, and can offset conditions related to altered bone metabolism, such as osteoporosis. Consumption of cabbages offers excellent support for post-menopausal women as well, who may be at increased risk for accelerated bone loss.

4. Help Maintain Blood Pressure

Consumption of most vegetables favorably affects blood pressure, with cabbage no exception. Cabbage is a good source pf potassium which helps regulate blood pressure and heart rhythm, but can also make the blood vessels more flexible to the influence of blood flow. Cabbage can be especially useful when you are restricting sodium but need a little bit of assistance to get your blood pressure under control.

5. Boost Detoxification

As briefly mentioned before, cabbages have the ability to promote detoxification of waste from the body. This is due to the presence of two very important compounds, DIM and I-3-C. These two compounds are very potent anti-oxidants, helping break down waste, and helping the liver to process them. Their benefits are especially useful to a liver that is constantly bombarded with toxins, such as in alcoholics.

6. Promotes Bowel Regularity

A diet rich in fiber is a necessary pre-requisite to maintain bowel regularity, something which cabbage generously helps with. A 100g serving of cabbage alone supplies approximately 10% of our daily recommended intake of fiber, making it easier to meet your goals. Plus, since most people eat more than a single 100g serving anyway, it can go a long way. Cabbage contains both soluble and insoluble fibers, which help to feed probiotic colonies in your intestines and help bulk waste matter for easier expulsion.

7. Help Regulate Blood Sugar Levels

Cabbages are extremely low in sugar, yet high in fiber, a perfect scenario for improving blood sugar. Fiber helps to stagger the speed by which blood sugar enters the blood stream, smoothing out rises and drops in insulin as an accompaniment. Try to include healthy fats with your cabbage meal as well for better blood sugar regulation.

8. Helps Promote Weight Loss

Cabbage is an extremely low calorie food that can easily be incorporated or made into a variety of dishes, via numerous cooking methods. This leaves room for you to experiment with the method you prefer, that can support a calorie restricted weight loss diet. Cabbage consumption will also help keep you filled for a longer time, so that your diet does not go off track from sugar crashes or hunger pangs.

9. Improves Health Of Hair, Skin And Nails

Vitamin C is found in abundance in cabbage, and is necessary for collagen synthesis, but that is not all it does. Regular consumption of cabbage can also boost production of another protein named keratin, especially concentrated in hair and nails. Deficiency of this protein will inevitably lead to deterioration of these structural proteins and make you appear older than you really are. Even if you do not make your appearance a priority, nobody would refuse a chance to look better than their age!

10. Help Prevent Or Heal Acne

Collagen is a protein important in the overall health of your skin, but there is much more at play if you wish to retain radiant skin. One thing that even the best among us struggle with is acne, or the scars left behind as a result of it. Cabbage is rich in elemental Sulphur, which can help prevent subsequent breakouts and minimize the appearance of scars. Many people know Sulphur as the element that gives off the characteristic “smell”, and may explain why cabbage has an odor that may initially seem off-putting to many.

11. Help Heal Stomach Ulcers

One of the key steps to healing stomach ulcers is to reduce acid production, but anything that promotes active healing will help too. Cabbages, while not excellent sources of protein, do have sufficient amounts of the amino acid glutamine, which is important to the health of our stomach. Glutamine is intimately involved with recovery, and has hasten the time and reduce the discomfort your feel while the ulcer is healing.

12. Helps Care For Your Heart

Cabbage offers excellent support to the heart, due in part to the presence of potassium and calcium but also for its cholesterol lowering effects. The same compounds that help detoxify waste also helps to remove bile acids in feces. As bile acid is removed, cholesterol is recruited to produce more. This lowers circulating cholesterol and favorably benefits health.

13.Cabbage Promote A Healthy Pregnancy

Cabbage is rich in folate, which is an essential nutrient during pregnancy. It prevents neural tube defects and genetic abnormalities from occurring, and helps a pregnancy proceed to full term (reducing likelihood of premature delivery). Cabbage also contains other nutrients that are favorable to healthy pregnancy, such as calcium.

14. Cabbage Boosts Immunity

Thanks to the presence of multiple anti-oxidants, cabbage is a potent immune booster. Cabbage is actually very rich in Vitamin C, something not many people are aware of. Its phytochemicals round off excellent support for your immune system.

Conclusion

Cabbages are part of the cruciferous family of vegetables, some of the most beneficial vegetables on the planet. Though not everyone enjoys their inherent taste and smell, their versatility and high resistance to heat mean that you can experiment with cooking styles till you find a way that you enjoy. Don’t miss out on the benefits cabbage has to offer.