Cabbage Health Benefits: Reasons to Add More to Your Diet

Cabbage which is often lumped into the same category as lettuce because of their similar appearance is a part of the cruciferous vegetable family. It is a highly nutritious vegetable, rich in vitamin C, fibre, and vitamin K and it helps with heart and digestive health....CONTINUE READING>>>

This vegetable portrays its health benefits in many ways. According to a study titled “Fermented Foods, Health and the Gut Microbiome” and published in 2022, when cabbage ferments, it makes natural probiotics that nourish the bacteria in the guts. Those bacteria help the body fight germs, take in nutrients, digest food and control anxiety.

Also, in a study carried out at the National Institute of Cancer by Hayes JD, Kelleher M O and Eggleston I M, cabbage is found to be loaded with lots of chemicals that help ease swelling in the tissue. This inflammation is linked with other diseases like cancer, diabetes, heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease.

The study published in 2008, also stated that cabbage is loaded with antioxidants like vitamin C and manganese. It’s also loaded with plant chemicals known as phytonutrients, a cell-protecting force. This antioxidant donates electrons to free radicals with missing electrons to enable the body system to function effectively.

“Cabbage helps protect the body from those diseases linked with inflammation. It aids digestion. It has 1g of fibre in every 10 calories which helps one to fill up while eating less and also helps to lower low-density lipoprotein (bad cholesterol) and control our blood sugar.

“This high fibre content in cabbage aids in the relief of gastritis symptoms (inflammation of the stomach wall). It relieves stomach ulcers and irritable bowel syndrome (ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s disease). The soluble fibre present in cabbage helps the body absorb required nutrients when at rest,” the study said.

Cabbage especially the red ones helps to raise levels of beta-carotene, and lutein which are heart-protective antioxidants. It also helps lower oxidized low-density lipoprotein which is linked with the ease of inflammation and prevention of heart disease. Due to the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant qualities cabbage possesses, studies carried out at the National Institute of Cancer on cruciferous vegetables have proven that cabbage could help prevent certain types of cancer.

Another study carried out at the National Institute of Health in 2022 on Cruciferous Vegetables and their Bioactive Metabolites, found that cabbage also has glucosinolate, a special sulphur-containing substance that the body turns into a cancer fighter.

It has vitamin K, and its major function is to help the body make various proteins that are needed for blood clotting and the building of bones. It also circulates calcium throughout the body.

Cabbage has vitamin C, which protects the cells from damage, helps the body make collagen (a protein that helps heal wounds and improve skin health) and absorbs iron thereby reducing the risk of anaemia. It also boosts the immune system.

In a recent study in recipe development and testing by nutritionists, cabbage can be turned into a swallow meal which is a very good meal for diabetic patients and an ideal for watching weight.

Regardless of all these important nutrients, there are side effects. Experts say cabbage has goitrogen which is toxic to the thyroid. The risk of developing goitre during iodine deficiency is increased with the consumption of food containing goitrogens.

Goitrogens are chemicals that are toxic to the thyroid or that break down to produce toxic chemicals. Also, goitrogens are present in cabbage and some other foods like cassava, turnips and rutabagas. Evidence that goitrogenic foods are health problems emanated when some scientists in 1929 at John Hopkins University produced goitres in rabbits when fed with raw cabbage.

With these findings, it is advisable to always blanch the cabbage to leach out the goitrogenic substance before consuming.