Health benefits of Cabbage

Cabbage rich in many nutrients is very beneficial for our health. Cabbage plays an important role in keeping away from many deadly diseases including heart disease and cancer.

Both vitamin B6 and folate in cabbage play a vital role in many important processes in the body, including energy and the normal functioning of the nervous system. Cabbage is high in vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant. Cabbage can be eaten raw or cooked.

When mixed with cucumber, carrot, tomato, and raw cabbage as raw salad, it tastes very nice.

Salat with cabbage is very healthy. Cabbage with peas or cabbage with shrimp is a very tasty and popular dish.

Nutritions of cabbage

Cabbage is the English name, its scientific name is Brassica oleracea. Cabbage is native to southern Europe in the Mediterranean. Below are the nutritional value of cabbage –

  • Calories: 22
  • Protein: 1 gram
  • Fiber: 2 grams
  • Vitamin “K”: 8% (RDI)
  • Vitamin “C”: 54% (RDI)
  • Folate: 10% (RDI)
  • Manganese: 7% (RDI)
  • Vitamin “B-6”: ৬% (RDI)
  • Calcium: 4% (RDI)
  • Potassium: 4% (RDI)
  • Magnesium: 3% (RDI)

Besides cabbage also contains a small amount of vitamin “A” and iron.

Benefits of Cabbage

Lowering blood pressure:

High blood pressure affects more than one billion people worldwide. This is a big risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Physicians often advise patients with high blood pressure to reduce their salt intake.

However, dietary potassium is important for reducing high blood pressure. One of the main functions of potassium is to help control blood pressure by counteracting the effects of sodium in the body.

Red cabbage is a great source of potassium. So we can reduce high blood pressure by eating potassium-rich cabbage.

Good for digestion and relieves constipation:

We can eat fiber-rich cabbage to improve digestive health. All kinds of shredded vegetables are full of insoluble fiber.

Non-soluble fiber is a type of carbohydrate that cannot be broken down in the intestines.

This fiber helps to keep the digestive system healthy by increasing the amount of stool. As well as relieves constipation.

Cabbage is also rich in soluble fiber, which increases the number of beneficial bacteria in the gut. We have some beneficial bacteria in our body, among them Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli.

The main source of energy for these beneficial bacteria is soluble fiber. These good bacteria increase immunity.

Good for the heart:

Red cabbage contains a powerful compound called anthocyanins. Anthocyanins give the delicious cabbage a purple color.

Anthocyanins are plant pigments that belong to the flavonoid family. Many studies have shown that eating foods rich in this plant pigment reduce the risk of heart disease.

A study of 93,600 women found that eating more anthocyanin-rich foods had a much lower risk of a heart attack.

Another study of 344,48 people found that taking 10 mg of flavonoids per day reduced the risk of heart disease by 5%. Cabbage contains more than 36 types of potent anthocyanins which make it a great vegetable for heart health.

Reduces cholesterol levels:

Cholesterol is found in every cell of our body. Many people think that all kinds of cholesterol are bad. Cholesterol is essential for the proper functioning of the body.

However, those who have high levels of “bad” cholesterol also have an increased risk of heart disease. Cabbage contains two ingredients that reduce “bad” cholesterol (LDL) levels.

  • Soluble Fiber
    Soluble fiber helps reduce “bad” cholesterol (LDL) levels. Cabbage is a good source of soluble fiber. About 40% of soluble fiber is found in cabbage.
  • Plant sterols
    Cabbage contains a substance called phytosterol. These are plant sterols that reduce “bad” cholesterol (LDL) by inhibiting the absorption of cholesterol in the digestive tract. Consumption of 1 gram of phytosterol per day reduces the concentration of “bad” cholesterol (LDL) by 5%.

A great source of vitamin K:

Vitamin “K” plays a very important role in the body. One of its main functions is to act as a tonic for the enzymes responsible for blood clotting. Vitamin K is divided into two main groups.

  • Vitamin K-1 (phylloquinone) : Vitamin K-1 is mainly found in plants. Cabbage is a great source of vitamin K-1. One cup of cabbage provides 85% of the amount of vitamin K-1 our body needs daily.
  • Vitamin K-2 (menaquinone) : Vitamin K-2 is found in animal foods. It is also produced by bacteria in the large intestine.

Without vitamin K, the blood will lose its ability to clot properly and the risk of excessive bleeding will increase.

Lose weight:

Cabbage helps to lose weight. Cabbage contains very little cholesterol and fat. Cabbage also contains a lot of fiber. For those who want to lose weight, put the cabbage in their daily diet. Especially the cabbage salad.

Sources of Vitamin C:

Vitamin “C”, also known as ascorbic acid which plays a very important role in our body. The most abundant protein in our body is known as collagen. Vitamin “C” is needed to make collagen.

Collagen maintains the structure and elasticity of the skin. Collagen is also important for the proper functioning of bones, muscles, and blood vessels.

Vitamin “C” helps our body absorb non-heme iron. It is a powerful antioxidant. Vitamin C works to protect the body from damage caused by free radicals, which is associated with many chronic diseases, including cancer.

An analysis of 21 recent studies found that taking 100 mg of vitamin C per day reduced the risk of lung cancer by 7%. Green and purple are two types of cabbage that are great sources of antioxidants.

Purple cabbage is about 30% more nutritious than green cabbage. One cup (69 grams) of sliced ​​purple cabbage contains vitamin C, the equivalent of a small orange.

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