Health Benefits of cabbage (Brassica oleracea) for Your body
Cabbage is a leafy green or purple biennial plant, grown as an annual vegetable crop for its dense-leaved heads.
Cabbage structurally consists of clusters of stiff leaves superimposed in compact layers, allowing it to aquire round or globular shape vegetable. Several varieties of cabbage cultivated worldwide including green, purple, red, and savoy (loose-wrinkled leaves).
Bok-choy or "Chinese-cabbage" features a long cylindrical shape, comprising of short, compact leaves. It is derived from different species of the same Brassica genus of vegetables. Bok-choy characteristically has a vigorous growth pattern.
Napa cabbage is another Chinese vegetable variety in the Brassica family. It grows to oblong shaped head consisting of tightly arranged crinkly, thick, light-green color leaves with prominent white veins.
Health benefits of cabbage
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Fresh, dark green-leafy cabbage is incredibly
nutritious; but very low in fat and calories. 100 g of leaves
provide just 25 calories.
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The vegetable is a storehouse of
phyto-chemicals like thiocyanates, indole-3-carbinol, lutein, zea-xanthin, sulforaphane, and
isothiocyanates. These compounds are powerful antioxidants
and known to help protect against breast, colon, and prostate cancers
and help reduce LDL or "bad cholesterol" levels in the blood.
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Fresh cabbage is an excellent source of natural antioxidant, vitamin C. Provides
36.6 mg or about 61% of RDA per 100 g. Regular consumption
of foods rich in vitamin C helps the body develop resistance against
infectious agents and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals.
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Total antioxidant strength measured in terms
of oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC value) is 508 µmol TE/100
g. Red cabbages contain more antioxidant value, 2252 µmol TE/100 g.
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It is also rich in essential vitamins such as
pantothenic acid (vitamin B-5), pyridoxine (vitamin B-6) and thiamin
(vitamin B-1). These vitamins are essential in the sense that our body
requires them from external sources to replenish.
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It also contains a adequate amount of minerals like potassium, manganese, iron, and magnesium. Potassium
is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling
heart rate and blood pressure. Manganese is used by the body as a
co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase.
Iron is required for the red blood cell formation.
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Cabbage is a very good source of vitamin K, provides
about 63% of RDA levels. Vitamin-K has the potential role in bone
metabolism through promoting osteotrophic activity. So enough of
vitamin K in the diet would gives you healthy bones. In addition, vitamin-K
also has established role in the cure of Alzheimer's disease patients by
limiting neuronal damage inside their brain.
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