Health Benefits of Cabbage

The health benefits of cabbage include frequent use as a treatment for constipation, stomach ulcers, headaches, obesity, skin disorders, eczema, jaundice, scurvy, rheumatism, arthritis, gout, eye disorders, heart diseases, aging, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Did you know that the inexpensive, humble and widely used cabbage can practically work miracles? Cabbage is a leafy vegetable of Brassica family, and is round or oval in shape. It consists of soft, light green or whitish inner leaves covered with harder and dark green outer leaves. It is widely used throughout the world, and can be prepared in a number of ways, but most commonly, it is included as either a cooked or raw part of many salads.

It is a brain food :-

• It is full of vitamin K and anthocyanins that help with mental function and concentration.
• These nutrients also prevent nerve damage, improving your defense against Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia.
• Red cabbage has the highest amount of these power nutrients.

Cabbage for headaches :-

• A warm compress made with cabbage leaves can help relieve the pain of a headache.
• Crush cabbage leaves, place in a cloth, and apply on the forehead.
• Also, drink raw cabbage juice 1-2 oz. (25-50ml) daily for chronic headaches.

Provides flawless skin :-

• It is appreciable for its beautifying effects and it also has a role in promoting healthy skin.
• If you are suffering from pimples or other skin irritations, cabbage can be the solution.
• All you need to do is to steam the upper leaves of cabbage and remove all the veins.
• Compress the leaves between a linen cloth and cotton to make them smooth and soft.
• Place the compress on the affected area over night and experience spotless skin next morning.

Anti-Inflammatory Properties :-

• Cabbage is known to accumulate a build-up of cadmium-binding complexes in its leaves, and one of the main components of that is glutamine.
• Glutamine is a strong anti-inflammatory agent, so consuming cabbage can reduce the effects of many type of inflammation, irritation, allergies, joint pain, fever, and various skin disorders.

Eye Health :-

• Cabbage is a rich source of beta-carotene, so many people, particularly as they get older, turn to cabbage for its ability to prevent macular degeneration and generally promote good eye health and the delay of cataract formation.
• Beta-carotene has also been positively linked to reduced chances of prostate cancer, which is an extra bonus on top of the other anti-carcinogenic effects of cabbage!

Brain Health :-

• Let’s not forget that cabbage is a very powerful brain food! The presence of Vitamin K and anthocyanins within cabbage can give a strong boost to mental function and concentration.
• These are primarily found in red cabbage, and vitamin K has been well-researched, although it is often called the “forgotten vitamin”.
• Vitamin K is essential in the production of sphingolipids, the myelin sheath around around nerves.
• This wrapping is what protects nerves from damage and decay.
• Therefore, consuming vitamin K can improve your defense against neural degeneration, Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia.

Weight Loss :-

• Cabbage is frequently recommended for people who want to lose weight in a healthy way.
• Since cabbage is packed with so many beneficial vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients, it is a healthy dietary option for people to eat a lot of, and it is quite filling, since it has high levels of fiber, which add bulk to the bowels.
• However, cabbage is extremely low in calories, only 33 calories in a cup of cooked cabbage.
• Therefore, people can go on the popular “cabbage soup” diet, and eat plenty of food to stay healthy, without gaining excess weight!

Bone Health :-

•  Cabbage, as well as all cruciferous vegetables, are great sources of minerals, like calcium, magnesium, and potassium.
• These three essential minerals are integral in the protection of bones from degradation and the onset of conditions like osteoporosis and general bone weakening.

Blood Pressure :-

• The presence of potassium in cabbage also makes it a wonderful way to protect yourself from elevated blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.
• Potassium is a vasodilator, which means that it opens up the blood vessels and eases the flow of blood, so it isn’t being forced in a stress-inducing way through constricted arteries and veins.
• Overall, cabbage is a great shield against many types of dangerous conditions.

Muscle Aches :-

• When certain bacteria ferment the sugars in cabbage, such as during the cooking of sauerkraut, lactic acid is released.
• It isn’t the easiest compound to find in a diet, but it has been shown to reduce muscle soreness and aches, so in some small way, cabbage can help general pain relief and muscle soreness, depending on how it is prepared.

Cancer Prevention :-

• Cabbage is a member of the Brassica family, also known as cruciferous vegetables. One of their most important celebrated benefits to health is their powerful antioxidant quality.
• This means that cabbage and other similar vegetables scavenge free radicals from around the body, which can be very detrimental to overall health and are major contributors to things like cancer and heart disease.
• Cabbage also has a number of anti-cancer compounds, like lupeol, sinigrin, and sulforaphane, which are known to stimulate enzyme activity and inhibit the growth of tumors, which can lead to cancer.

Detoxification by cabbage :-

• Cabbage acts as a good detoxifier too, meaning that it purifies the blood
• And removes toxins, primarily free radicals and uric acid which are primary causes of rheumatism, gout, arthritis, renal calculi, skin diseases, and eczema.
• This detoxifying effect of cabbage is due to the high content of vitamin C and sulphur in cabbage.