Uses of cabbage
If I had asked you a couple of days ago what your favorite foods were, I am sure the list would have not included cabbage. You have to admit you had a bit of prejudice against this crunchy veggie, but after discovering the true tastiness and health benefits of cabbage, you can’t help but change your mind on this nutritious vegetable.
Cabbage relieves breast engorgement- hard and painful breasts in breast feeding women, while applied to breast’s skin. Cabbage leaves seem to be as effective as chilled gel packs in relieving pain and swelling. A cabbage leaf extract used as a cream has also been tried. Some women say it helps, especially significantly better than a cream with the extract. Apply to the skin of enlarged and painful breasts during breast feeding. You can prepare cabbage leaves by stripping out the large vein of its leaf, cut a hole for the nipple and then rinse and chill the leaf. The chilled cabbage leave are worn inside the bra or as a compress under a cool towel until the cabbage leaf reaches body temperature- approximately 25 minutes. This procedure is repeated one to four times daily for one to two days.
Cabbage is a low calorie food rolling in antioxidant polyphenols and vitamin C, along with one of the most important clotting agent vitamin K, but this is not all. Cabbage has been estimated for decades for its anti-inflammatory properties and versatility in meal preparation. What has really added to cabbage’s credit in the last few years is its implication as a cancer-fighting food.
Cabbage has been used to treat stomach ulcers and other problems of imbalance within the digestive system. Cabbage is used for stomach pain, stomach and intestinal ulcers, excess stomach acid and a stomach condition known as Roemheld syndrome. Cabbage is also used to fight asthma and morning sickness. It is used to prevent weakness of bones- osteoporosis, as well as cancer of the breast, lung, stomach, colon, and other types.
Cabbage as all vegetables of the Brassica family contains glucosinolates. These chemicals can block the growth of certain types of cancers and boost ability of cells to repair DNA. Cabbage may change the way estrogen is used in the body, which can reduce the risk of breast cancer. Overall, it is not well understood how the chemicals in cabbage are working as medicine.
From 1 cup of chopped and steamed cabbage or 33 calories you receive 90% of your daily recommendation of vitamin K, over 51% of the vitamin C and around 15% of the needed fiber.
Cabbage is also a great source of manganese, vitamin B6 or pyridoxine, folate, omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin B1 or thiamin, vitamin B2 or riboflavin, calcium, potassium, vitamin A, tryptophan, protein over 4 grams and magnesium.
So you can guess why including this delicious vegetable in your weekly salads, soups and stir fries is a clever idea.
Are you worried you might get bored with steamed cabbage? Don’t be as there are a thousand ways to prepare and enjoy this vegetable. Here is posted some of most favorite cabbage recipes. And do not think there is only the common green cabbage. There are a lot of varieties to choose from.
Green cabbage- Pale in color and with tight leaves, it is great for salads, slaws and stir fries.
Savoy cabbage or curly cabbage- Savoy cabbage has looser and crinkled leaves. It is a great addition to the regular green salad or as the wrapping for some raw burrito.
Napa Cabbage or Chinese cabbage- This well known cabbage has light green and crinkled leaves. The leaves are more delicate than green cabbage and thus cook much faster. It is delicious in salads, curries or just very lightly steamed.
Red Cabbage- This group of cabbage should be named as purple cabbage rather than red. You can use red cabbage in pretty much the same way as the common green cabbage and it has a higher level of protective phytonutrients than its green counterpart.
Brussels sprouts- are a variety of cabbage, albeit a tiny one. It is perfect for a light steam with a sauce. Do not let their bad reputation among children allure you. They are delicious.