Cabbage And Your Health
Cabbage Is A Power Food
Cabbage is high on the super food list. Cabbage and your health includes the fact that it contains potassium, fiber, iron, sulfur, folate, vitamin C and other vitamins. For instance, cabbage’s vitamin E is good for the complexion. Minerals, folic acid, and phytochemicals help prevent respiratory and other cancers and help inhibit infections and ulcers. Purple cabbage also contains lycopene which aids in fighting prostate conditions and fights against wrinkles and aging.
A Cruciferous Vegetable
Cabbage is in the cruciferous family and contains antioxidants (polyphenols) that are anti-inflammatory. Raw cabbage helps clean waste from the stomach and upper bowels, which reduces constipation and improves digestion. It also aids circulation and the immune system, soothes ulcers, is a cancer inhibitor, and is low in carbs.
Growing Cabbage
Cabbage is a winter vegetable that is among the easiest to grow and will provide you with a plentiful supply that stores well. It can be grown in poor soil and is one of the most inexpensive vegetables. Taking only three months to grow, it yields more in the quantity of edible vegetables than other plants.
History
Cabbage comes from the French word caboche, meaning head. It has been cultivated for over 4,000 years. The early cabbage was a more loose-leaf variety until northern European farmers during the Middle Ages developed the head variety.
Selecting Cabbage
Choose heads that are heavy for their size, are compact, and have tender green leaves. Check the bottom of the cabbage to make sure the leaves are not separating from the stem because this is an indication of age.
Raw and Cooked Cabbage
Cabbage can be eaten raw and as a “container” on the plate as a colorful decoration for salads, dips,and side dishes.
When used for cooking, it is best to trim away the bitter white core. If you want to use the leaves whole to stuff, they are easier to separate if you put the cabbage into boiling water for one minute, drain, blot dry, and then separate the leaves.
You can steam, bake, braise, saute, or stuff cabbage. It is tasty paired with potatoes, carrots, and onions in cooking and then eaten with corned beef, sausage, ham, or bacon.
Sauerkraut is one of the easiest cabbage recipes to digest. Brought to America by German immigrants, it dates back to England in 1617. Originally a preservative method, it is salted and fermented chopped cabbage that is easier to digest because the fermentation helps break it down.
If you suffer digestive distress because of gas, you can blanch the cabbage for five minutes, drain that water, and continue cooking in fresh water.
What About the Cabbage Soup Diet?
The Cabbage Soup Diet has been around for many years, but this fad diet is not recommended. Losing water weight does not keep weight off. The main detriment is that you basically starve yourself and do not get enough necessary nutrients to keep your body well-nutritioned. Lightheadedness is only one of the adverse symptoms that these dieters get.
Conclusion
Cabbage and your health, in addition to those benefits mentioned above, includes that it has only 15 to 22 calories per cup and is one of the healthiest foods you can include in your diet.
References
https://homecooking.about.com/od/howtocookvegetables/a/cabbagecooktips.htm