Cabbage – nutritional values, properties, varieties, health effects

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Cabbage is a vegetable that has gained immense popularity in Poland and around the world. It can be used in the kitchen in many different ways. It has a low caloric value, which is why everyone appreciates it, even people on a diet. Cabbage has many valuable nutrients. How does it affect health?

Cabbage – a plant of many species

Cabbage is a plant that comes from the cabbage family. It occurs in Europe, Asia has as many as 38 species. It comes from the Mediterranean Basin. Its origin is described a thousand years before our era, it came to Poland only around the XNUMXth century. Cabbage is widely used in the kitchen, it can be eaten raw, cooked, fried or baked. It comes as a separate dish, as an addition to many dishes. In the Polish tradition, we cannot imagine holidays or family gatherings without it. However, it is considered a heavy dish, probably because it is served with heavy meats and sausages.

See also: Green vegetables support immunity

Cabbage – nutritional values

Cabbage is a vegetable with a lot of nutritional value. There is a vitamin bomb with a high content of vitamin C (30-36 mg in 100 g), it contains vitamins from group B, A, E, K. Cabbage is also rich in folic acid and a lot of rutin. Cabbage also has compounds with strong anti-cancer properties, namely indole-3-carbinol, isothiocyanine and sulphorate. Cabbage also contains calcium, potassium, magnesium and iron.

This vegetable has the ability to build the immune system, it also cleans the body of toxins. It should also be added that cabbage is a low-calorie product in itself, only 100 kcal per 40 g. In addition, cabbage also contains sulfur, which can be felt while cooking cabbage, and it has a beneficial effect on the appearance of skin, hair and nails. There are also small amounts of arsenic in the cabbage.

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Cabbage – effect on health

Cabbage has antibacterial and antiviral properties. Therefore, it should be consumed in the period of increased incidence of flu and colds. Cabbage is great for reducing a fever. It has been known for generations that applying a leaf of fresh cabbage has a soothing and astringent effect in feverish conditions. Cabbage was already used in the XNUMXth century, where sauerkraut often found a place on ships, where it protected the crews against various diseases such as scurvy, prevented frostbite and strengthened the immune system.

Cabbage leaves are also good at healing wounds and all kinds of infections. If someone is struggling with joint pain or arthritis, they can also use cabbage leaf compresses, preferably the top 2-3. You can break them lightly with a pestle to make them give off some juice but not holes, heat them up on the radiator, and then apply compresses. Compresses can be repeated many times a day. They will also help with sprains. Cabbage leaf compresses can also be used in case of a cough or runny nose, in which case the cabbage leaves are applied to the chest. Cabbage leaf compresses are also successfully used in the case of cystitis, digestive ailments or renal colic, when cabbage leaves are applied to the lower abdomen.

If we are disturbed by the smell of boiled cabbage (resulting from the sulfur compounds mentioned earlier), it can be neutralized by adding water, bread crust or walnut to it. This is especially useful when cooking cabbage in a popular dish such as cabbage rolls. It is cooked under cover, and this only enhances the specific smell of the cabbage.

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Cabbage juice and its properties

Sauerkraut juice has enormous immune-boosting properties. Cabbage juice is also used in anemia and swelling resulting from water retention in the body. After three weeks of a daily glass of juice, the latter disappear without a trace. Cabbage juice also has a positive effect on stomach ulcers. Regular consumption of freshly squeezed cabbage juice has been proven to promote healing.

Drinking juice also contributes to the prevention of hormonal cancer through its anti-cancer properties. It is related to the presence of chemical compounds called indoles in cabbage, which help in the prevention of, for example, ovarian, prostate, breast or testicular cancer. In addition, sulforaphane contained in cabbage reduces the risk of cancer. According to numerous studies, sulforaphane can block harmful histone deacetylase (HDAC) enzymes, which are involved in the development of cancer cells. In the case of cancer, red cabbage is especially healthy, because it contains anthocyanins with a strong antioxidant effect. They destroy the cancer cells that have arisen and stop new growths from forming.

Try Ecological White Cabbage Juice, which has a positive effect on the functioning of the human body.

In addition, anthocyanins contained in red cabbage also have an anti-inflammatory effect and prevent cardiovascular diseases. According to information published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, eating foods that contain flavonoids, such as cabbage, may reduce the chance of developing heart disease. What’s more, thanks to the polyphenol content in cabbage, you can significantly lower your blood pressure.

In turn, according to other studies, a diet high in green leafy vegetables, such as cabbage and spinach, may reduce the risk of developing type II diabetes. Researchers at the University of Leicester in the UK investigated 220 people and concluded that consuming 000 servings of leafy greens per day (1,5 g) resulted in a 120% reduction in the risk of type 14 diabetes, compared to those who ate less than half of them. servings per day. However, researchers claim that eating green leafy vegetables alone will not protect us from diabetes, and it is also worth leading a healthy lifestyle, i.e. avoid stress, play sports (take care of daily exercise) and avoid excess fatty and sweet food.

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Cabbage and breastfeeding

Until recently, cabbage was considered a hard-to-digest vegetable, which should not be eaten by breastfeeding women, so as not to cause stomach aches in the baby. Currently, these theses are not confirmed. Of course, cabbage is a bloat vegetable, but small amounts introduced into the diet of a nursing mother should not harm anyone.

It should be checked in small steps, consuming small amounts, whether it causes abdominal pain, but it should be introduced to get the child used to a different diet. However, if you are afraid of flatulence, during pregnancy, you can safely eat sauerkraut and Chinese cabbage, because these types of cabbage do not cause them.

Cabbage for nursing mothers can be a godsend during breastfeeding problems. The anti-inflammatory properties of cabbage leaves are known. Therefore, when the breasts of a young mother get inflamed from the rush of food, you can use cabbage leaf compresses. Its leaves need to be kept in the refrigerator to keep them cold (some even put them in the freezer for a while), then break them a little and make a poultice. Take a hot bath after half an hour.

Find out more: Green leafy vegetables lower the risk of type 2 diabetes

Cabbage – varieties

Depending on the season, the cabbage has a different structure and so the later the cabbage variety, the more compact heads I have, they need to be cooked much longer and require more flavorings. Among the tastiest varieties of cabbage, the Amager variety should be distinguished, which is characterized by compact and crumbly leaves, short depth and a high sugar content. This variety is perfect for salads and for fermentation. It should be added, however, that it is sensitive to low temperatures, so it should be stored in places with temperatures above freezing. In turn, the Italian variety of cabbage is more frost-resistant and can withstand temperatures down to -15 degrees Celsius. It is characterized by deformed leaves and a slightly spicier taste.

In turn, red cabbage is characterized by a more pleasant aroma than white cabbage, which translates into its frequent use as an addition to soups and broths. Thanks to the content of substances called anthocyanins (one of the strongest antioxidants), it has its own characteristic color. Additionally, it is rich in vitamin B1 (77 mg in 100 g). It is also used as an addition to beef rolls or roast dark poultry.

Additionally, it is also available on the market Chinese cabbage also known as giant white or celery cabbage. This variety no longer smells bad and is high in fiber. In addition, Chinese cabbage has a large amount of beta-carotene and contains the most calcium of all cabbage varieties (77 mg per 100g). It is used in the production of salads, as an addition to Asian dishes or stuffing.

Cabbage – contraindicated

It should be noted that a diet containing cruciferous vegetables, including cabbage, is not recommended for people suffering from thyroid disorders. This is due to the goitrin and progoitrin contained in cabbage, which hinder the absorption of iodine from meals, which may ultimately lead to a deficiency of this element in the body.

Cabbage should not be eaten by people struggling with varicose veins, because the cabbage thickens the blood. In turn, due to its bloating properties, cabbage should not be consumed by pregnant women who have these types of problems.

Also check: A statistical Pole eats 110 kg of vegetables and fruit annually

Cabbage – use in the kitchen

Cabbage is a vegetable that is hosted on Polish tables all over the country, and each region has its own dish with its addition. Cabbage is most often served raw in the form of salads, although it should be said that it also appears boiled, fried and stewed. Among the traditional Polish dishes containing cabbage, we should mention bigos, cabbage rolls and cabbage soup. In addition, cabbage is also often served in Asian cuisine.

However, it is worth remembering a few things when preparing the cabbagenamely, if we want to cook it, it should be done shortly and without a cover. If you want to avoid flatulence and heartburn, in the case of cabbage, you should add herbs such as caraway, marjoram, savory, coriander, juniper or bay leaf to dishes containing it. If we are talking about flatulence, to avoid it, you can also drink an infusion of ground cumin or fennel after eating cabbage, or eat a teaspoon of ground cumin and wash it down with water.

When preparing cabbage, it is also worth remembering about the noodle, which is rich in vitamin C and minerals. It is worth grating the noodle and adding it to the pig iron. Let us not forget that if we salt the shredded cabbage beforehand and squeeze the juice out of it, this way we will deprive our salad of the mentioned vitamin C. It is worth sprinkling the shredded cabbage with oil, for example, linseed oil.

In addition to dinner dishes, cabbage is great as a vegetable, the leaves of which can be used to make a tasty and healthy cocktail.

Also read: The Mediterranean diet inhibits cognitive decline

Cabbage – interesting facts

1. To the Polish language, cabbage was borrowed from Latin, more precisely from the word of the head (head).
2. In old Poland, the pits for storing cabbage in winter were called a skłabuny.
3. Raw cabbage juice is a great hangover remedy.
4. Pythagoras recommended fresh cabbage for nervous diseases.
5. According to legend, the heads of cabbage were made from the tears of Lycurgus, the founder of the Sparta system, punished by the god of wine Bacchus for destroying the vineyard.

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