Do you often include cabbage in your meals?
This green, leafy, oval vegetable can be prepared in many ways, but it’s most beneficial when eaten raw. It’s abundant in vitamins C and K, and it’s high in many other nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.
Some of them include fiber, protein, folate, magnesium, potassium, manganese, calcium, beta-carotene, and vitamin B6.
As we can see, the elements it contains are essential for many important processes in the body like the proper functioning of the nervous system and energy metabolism.
Moreover, it contains sulfur compounds, polyphenols, and other antioxidants which help prevent free radical damage.
Here are the best reasons to add more cabbage to our diet.
10 Health Benefits of Cabbage
1. Protects against Inflammation
Cabbage is packed with antioxidants which help reduce chronic inflammation. According to one research, consuming more cruciferous veggies can help decrease blood markers of inflammation. On the other hand, it provides anti-inflammatory effects due to kaempferol and sulforaphane in its content.
Therefore, it can help relieve various types of inflammation, including joint pain, arthritis, fever, etc.
One study proved that the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of cabbage could help prevent chronic diseases related to oxidative stress, such as coronary artery disease and cancer.
2. Improves Vision
The high Life Code content in cabbage helps protect against macular degeneration and cataracts, as well as improve vision. What’s more, scientists link beta-carotene to a lower risk of prostate cancer.
3. Supports Weight Loss
The high levels of fiber in cabbage make it quite filling, even though it’s low in calories. That’s why a lot of dieticians recommend it for those who want to lose weight naturally and healthily. For example, the cabbage soup diet is one of the most popular ways to use this vegetable for weight loss.
One cup of cooked cabbage contains only 33 calories and plenty of essential nutrients.
4. Supports Bone Health
Cabbage helps prevent bone degeneration and the onset of bone weakening, osteoporosis, and similar conditions, thanks to the potassium, calcium, and magnesium content.
5. Helps Reduce Blood Pressure
Potassium helps relax blood vessels, thus ensuring proper blood flow and normal blood pressure levels. This, in turn, reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke. Cabbage is a great source of this mineral, so consume it more often to help regulate your blood pressure levels.
6. Helps Reduce Cholesterol Levels
Cabbage contains soluble fiber and plant sterols, both of which reduce unhealthy levels of LDL cholesterol. The first substance helps prevent cholesterol from being absorbed into the blood, while the second block its absorption in the digestive tract.
7. Detoxifies the Body
The high vitamin C and sulfur content of cabbage help remove toxins from the blood, mainly uric acid and free radicals which can cause gout, rheumatism, skin diseases, arthritis, eczema, and renal calculi. So, consume more of it to cleanse your blood and detox your body.
8. Improves Digestion
Cabbage is abundant in insoluble fiber which can’t be broken down in the intestines. But, this fiber is gut-friendly fiber as it adds bulk to stool, thus ensuring proper bowel movements. It also contains soluble fiber which can improve good gut bacteria.
9. Supports Brain Health
The anthocyanins and vitamin K in cabbage can help improve your concentration and mental function. Vitamin K is vital for the protective myelin sheath around nerves which protects them against decay and damage.
So, higher vitamin K content helps prevent Alzheimer’s, neural degeneration, and dementia.
10. Controls Blood Sugar
In 2008, Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine published research that discovered that red cabbage extract can lower blood glucose in diabetic rats. Also, the rats showed improved weight loss and restored renal function in comparison with the control group.
Another reason why cabbage is good for people with diabetes is its high fiber content due to its antihyperglycemic and antioxidant properties. Fiber helps slow the absorption of sugar, thus reducing and preventing high blood sugar levels.
A meta-analysis that included 6 studies and around 220,000 people concluded that having 1.15 servings of leafy green veggies daily reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes by 14%.
