cabbage facts and benefit

Get fresh, organic, cabbage and many more on green growth

Cabbage is remarkably flexible: sharp and crunchy when sliced raw in salads and slaws, soft and yielding when braised over low heat, crisp-tender and flavorful when quickly cooked in stir-frys. In short, cabbage is bright and crisp when raw yet it mellows and sweetens the longer it's cooked. Cabbage contain 80% of water in it.

Nutritional profile of cabbage

According to the USDA National Nutrient Database, one half cup of shredded cabbage (75 grams) contains:

• 17 calories
• 4 grams of carbohydrate (including 1 gram of fiber and 2 grams of sugar)
• 1 gram of protein

Eating a half-cup of cooked cabbage would provide 30-35 percent of daily vitamin C needs. It also provides:

• 81.5 micrograms of vitamin K
• 11 milligrams of magnesium
• 22 micrograms of folate

Plus, lesser amounts of vitamin B-6, calcium, potassium, and thiamin.

Cabbage contains the antioxidants choline, beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin as well as the flavonoids kaempferol, quercetin, and apigenin.

Red cabbage tends to contain more of these compounds than green cabbage.

Health benefits of cabbage

• Fresh, green leafy cabbage is incredibly nutritious; but very low in fat and calories. 100 grams of leaves carry just 25 calories.
• The vegetable is a storehouse of phytochemicals like thiocyanates, indole-3-carbinol, lutein, zeaxanthin, sulforaphane, and isothiocyanates. These compounds are potent antioxidants and known to help protect against breast, colon, and prostate cancers and help reduce LDL or "bad cholesterol" levels in the blood.
• Fresh cabbage is an excellent source of natural antioxidan; vitamin C. Provides 36.6 mg or about 61% of RDA per 100 g. Regular consumption of foods rich in vitamin-C helps the human body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals.
• Total antioxidant strength measured regarding oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC value) is 508 µmol TE/100 g. Red cabbage has higher antioxidant value, 2252 µmol TE/100 g.
• 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.
• It also contains an 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 used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Iron required for the red blood cell formation.
• Cabbage is an excellent source of vitamin-K, provides about 63% of RDA levels. Vitamin-K has the potential role in bone metabolism through promoting osteoblastic activity. Sufficient amounts of vitamin-K in the diet contribute immensely to your bone health. Also, vitamin-K also has established a role in the cure of Alzheimer's disease patients by limiting neuronal damage in their brain.

    How to incorporate more cabbage into your diet?

      Quick tips for eating more cabbage:

• Keep it simple and drizzle roasted chopped cabbage with olive oil, cracked black pepper, and minced garlic
• Add shredded cabbage to a fresh green salad
• Add chopped cabbage to any soup or stew near the end of cooking

      For more ways : 20 recipes to incorporate cabbage