Although there are many varieties of cabbage, each provides unique and strong health benefits.
When incorporating cabbage into your diet, avoid overcooking it – more nutrients are preserved if it’s cooked just until slightly tender.
Cabbage is an excellent source of vitamin C. It also contains significant amounts of glutamine, an amino acid that has anti-inflammatory properties. Cabbage can also be included in dieting programs, as it is a low calorie food.
From green cabbage you’ll enjoy a fiber boost and a respectable amount of vitamin C. Two types of cabbage, savoy and bok choy, provide beta-carotene – an antioxidant that battles cancer and heart disease.
For those who don’t eat dairy products, bok choy is an important source of calcium, which may help prevent osteoporosis and aid in controlling blood pressure
Fresh, dark green-leafy cabbage is incredibly nutritious and low in fat and calories.
It is storehouse to many phyto-chemicals like thiocyanates, indole-3-carbinol, lutein, zeaxanthin, sulforaphane and isothiocyanates.
These compounds are powerful anti-oxidants and known to help protect against breast, colon, and prostate cancers and help reduce LDL or “bad cholesterol” levels in the blood.
Fresh cabbage is an excellent source of natural antioxidant, vitamin C. Provides about 61% of RDA, consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals.
It is also rich in many essential vitamins such as pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), pyridoxine (vitamin B-6) and thiamin (vitamin B-1). These vitamins are essential in the sense that our body requires them from external sources to replenish.
It also contains a good amount of minerals like potassium, manganese, iron, and magnesium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure.
Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Iron is required for the red blood cell formation.
Cabbage is a very good source of vitamin K, provides about 63% of RDA levels. Vitamin-K has a potential role in bone metabolism by promoting osteotrophic activity in them.
So enough vitamin K in the diet gives you healthy bones. In addition, vitamin-K also has established role in helping Alzheimer’s disease patients by limiting neuronal damage in their brain.