Top 6 Health Benefits of Cabbage

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Many people joke about the sometimes embarrassing after-effects of consuming cabbage, but the truth is, this cruciferous vegetable can help your health tremendously. While red cabbage is known to have the highest levels of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties over the other varieties (green and Savoy), eating any kind of cabbage provides extraordinary healing and overall health benefits.

From fighting constipation and maintaining a healthy weight to keeping heart problems at bay and warding off Alzheimer’s disease, cabbage is a vegetable that should be in every kitchen.

Top 6 Reasons to Start Eating More Cabbage

1. Strengthens the Immune System

The vitamin C content in cabbage actually rivals that of oranges, making them a must-have food when it comes to banishing free radicals. Considered an ideal antioxidant, vitamin C is said to help slow down the aging process, heal wounds faster, treat certain cancers (one study showed women to have less breast cancer complications when cabbage and other similar vegetables were incorporated in their diet) and even reduce some of the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. Additionally, cabbage contains sulphur, also known to boost the immune system by fighting microbial infections.

2. Relieves Constipation and Resulting Complications

Like most cruciferous vegetables, cabbage is rich in fiber and provides the body with the necessary roughage. This means that our body retains enough water so that what is passed through our bowels has a bulkiness that effectively removes waste from our system. Without adequate roughage, one may develop constipation which in turn can contribute to a host of other health problems including headaches, gastrointestinal cancers and a variety of skin disorders.

3. Reduces Joint Pain

Cabbage acts as an anti-inflammatory, mainly thanks to glutamine, a binding agent found in the leaves. In turn, joint pain is significantly reduced as are the fever and irritations that often go hand in hand with inflammatory conditions.

4. Lowers cholesterol

Studies show that steamed cabbage, when compared to the cholesterol-lowering drug cholestyramine, cabbage ” . . . bound 17% as many bile acids.”

Once again, here’s proof that the prescription drugs we’re told are so effective that we can’t live without them, are often not helping our bodies. Natural, whole foods, ideally in their raw state, can help lower cholesterol among numerous other things.

5. Improves Eye Health

As people age, macular degeneration becomes increasingly common. However, cabbage is so rich in beta-carotene that it can help keep eyes in very good shape and even slow down the development of cataracts. It’s no surprise that cabbage is an ingredient in many juices designed to improve eye health. In fact, it’s in many juices meant to help with glaucoma as well as optic nerve disorders.

6. Weight Loss

For those looking to lose weight or maintain their own healthy weight, cabbage is key. Its fiber content keeps people feeling full longer, keeping the urge to eat in excess at bay. Plus, at only 30 calories per cup, it’s a very low-calorie choice. However, we recommend passing on fad diets like ones consisting strictly of cabbage soups and instead, suggest incorporating cabbage into a whole, organic and well-balanced diet.

Sources for this article include:

Antonia
A science enthusiast with a keen interest in health nutrition, Antonia has been intensely researching various dieting routines for several years now, weighing their highs and their lows, to bring readers the most interesting info and news in the field. While she is very excited about a high raw diet, she likes to keep a fair and balanced approach towards non-raw methods of food preparation as well. (http://www.rawfoodhealthwatch.com/)