About Cabbage
Cabbage is a green leafy vegetable which has a lot of layers above its main crust. This vegetable belongs to the Brassicaceae family which includes many other leafy vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli, and so on. Cabbage is included among one of the oldest vegetables to be invented and produced worldwide. For the same reason, it is a staple food for many countries even today.
The origin of cabbage dates back to the Roman and Greek Empire period, which was about 3000-4000 years ago. Most of the different types of cabbages have high level of anthocyanins and various other nutrients which make them special and worth eating, on a regular basis.
Why is Cabbage covered in so many Layers of Leaves?
Cabbage is a leafy vegetable which is covered in many layers of leaves. These leaves consists of all the nutrients and healthy agents in them which help the human body in numerous ways. However, the presence of these leaves is mostly to protect the inner and the most tender part of the cabbage.
The most edible and nutritious core of cabbage is very soft and tender. That is why it needs some outer protection to remain healthy and edible for humans according to their requirements.
Health Benefits of Cabbage
Below is a list of some important health benefits offered by cabbage to the human body –
- Reduces Body Inflammation to a Great Extent:
Cabbage has various soothing agents which help in reducing the inflammation taking place inside the human body. That is why for getting soothing effect and reducing body inflammation, cabbage should be eaten in different dishes regularly.
- Helps in Reducing Blood Pressure of the Body:
Due to the high sodium content in cabbage, blood pressure of the human body can be controlled better. That is why those who have a problem of high blood pressure should consume cabbage regularly to keep their blood pressure in check.
- Improves Digestion in the Body:
The richness of fibers in cabbage, especially its outer leaves helps in improving the digestive system of the body. That is why those who eat cabbage leaves raw every morning suffer from less digestive issues compared to others.
Health benefits offered by cabbage are a lot and that is why eating it regularly can be very helpful. However, sometimes, very huge level of nutrients may also prove to be a little too much for the body. That is why understanding the nutritional value of cabbage properly and then using it according to your convenience is crucial.
Nutritional Value of Cabbage
The nutritional value of cabbage is much more than that of normal vegetables due to the presence of extra covering leaves on it which consist of the following nutrients –
- Enriched with Vitamin B6, Manganese, Folate, etc.:
The richness of Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Manganese, Folate, and many other nutrients in cabbage makes it a whole-packed and worthy ingredient for almost all healthy dishes such as salads, etc.
- Presence of Kaempferol & Sulforaphane:
To reduce body inflammation internally, the presence of Kaempferol and Sulforaphane is a huge support system.
- Has High Levels of Anthocyanins & Potassium (especially in Red Cabbage):
Cabbages, especially red cabbage have a huge quantity of anthocyanin in them. This makes sure that the heart health of people remains good and they don’t suffer any sudden disturbance in the working of their heart.
Conditions When People Should Avoid Eating Cabbage
Following are some important conditions in which people should not be eating cabbage and should completely avoid it –
- People suffering from hypothyroidism should completely avoid eating cabbage. This is because, in hypothyroidism, people tend to lose more weight and become thinner, which is the same purpose as eating raw cabbage in salads as well.
- Those who have digestive troubles such as stomach bloating and gas problems should avoid overeating cabbage, especially raw ones.
- Apart from the above health problems, having allergies of cabbage, kidney stones, or consuming blood thinning medicines are some other conditions when eating cabbage should be prevented, or at least done according to the recommendation of your doctors.
