The Reasons to Love Red Cabbage!

Red cabbage has 10 times more vitamin A than green cabbage but green cabbage has the upper hand when it comes to vitamin K, but they’re both good sources.

The rich red color of red cabbage is due to its concentration of anthocyanin polyphenols. These flavonoids are said to act as an anti-inflammatory, and play a therapeutic roles in a number of human diseases. 

Vitamins:

Red cabbage is packed also with fiber, vitamin K, vitamin B6, potassium and manganese, and also contains thiamine, riboflavin, foliate, calcium, iron, and magnesium. Red cabbage is also a rich source of essential vitamins and minerals. A cup of cooked red cabbage will satisfy 85 percent of your daily vitamin C.

Antioxidants:

Researchers found that red cabbage was one effective treatment for diabetes in rats; more research is necessary to see if the same effect would apply to humans. With the highest antioxidant content include red cabbage, Even if you cook red cabbage, you can still get those disease-fighting benefits. Cooking generally increased levels of antioxidants among select vegetables. The color of red cabbage is a giveaway as to what’s inside — other antioxidant-rich foods include red grapes, dark berries and plums.

Considerations

Red cabbage has powerful nutritional properties that can help improve your health and may have the capacity to treat or prevent disease, but it’s also important to rely on the other vitamins and minerals that a balanced diet provides. In addition to eating cabbage, have regular servings of other vegetables, fruits, grains, lean proteins and low-fat or nonfat dairy products to fulfill all of your nutritional requirements and stay in the best shape possible.

Cancer Prevention

Red cabbage belongs to the cruciferous, or Brassica, family that includes broccoli, turnips and Brussels sprouts. Cruciferous vegetables are the only source of sulfur-containing compounds called glucosinolates that are responsible for their bitter flavor. Glucosinolates are digested into isothiocyanates that reduce inflammation and fight bacteria. The red pigment comes from a flavonoid, cyanidin, that functions as an antioxidant. Both cyanidin and the isothiocyanates prevent some types of cancer by stopping the growth of cancer cells, inhibiting enzymes that activate carcinogens and helping cells repair damage caused by carcinogens. In April 2012, Vanderbilt University Medical Center released research results showing that breast cancer survivors who ate more cruciferous vegetables reduced their risk of dying by 62 percent.

Treat peptic ulcers
Cabbage is one of the best natural remedies for stomach ulcers (called peptic ulcers). A study at the Stanford University School of Medicine found that fresh cabbage juice is very effective in treating peptic ulcers. The anti-ulcer properties of cabbage are due to the high glutamine content in it.

Anti-inflammatory properties
Cabbage is good source of the amino acid glutamine and is believed to help those who are suffering from any type of inflammation.

Weight loss diet
Cabbage is a great diet choice for those who are looking for lose weight. One cup of cooked cabbage contains just only 33 calories. That’s why people who are on the cabbage soup diet can eat endless amounts of the soup without gaining weight, while still staying healthy.

Reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease
Recent research has shown that eating red cabbage may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Red cabbage contains vitamin K and anthocyanin, an antioxidant to help reduces plaque on the brain, thus can help prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

Skin cares
The antioxidants in cabbage help protect the skin from free radical damage known to cause signs of aging.

Relieve muscle soreness
Cabbage contains lactic acid which known to help relieve muscles soreness.

To obtain the most health benefits of cabbage, avoid overcooking cabbage since it decreases its nutritional value especially vitamin C and the remaining nutrients will become more difficult to be digested. Cabbage can be eaten in various ways such as boiled, steamed, sauted, stir-fried or even roasted. But cabbage is most nutritious when eaten raw. Add sliced or grated raw leaves in vegetable salad for more taste.

Juicing with red cabbage:

Red Cabbage is an affordable vegetable that has a great amount of water, which means it’s perfect for juicing! Just like its red friend the beet, its best consumed on an empty stomach and is more easily digested raw vs. cooked.

Red Cabbage counts as a “green” for your green juice!

Our daily green juice does our body good, so it’s nice to know that red cabbage gives us the benefits of the “green” in addition to the “red”. It has a slightly bitter/earthy taste, so it’s best paired with a sweet companion, like carrots or an apple.

Jazz it up!

• 6 carrots
• 2 apples
• 1 small wedge red cabbage
• 1 inch ginger

Wash all produce. Cut the tops off of the carrots. Remove the stem and seeds from your apples. Juice and enjoy!

The 3 C’s (carrots, celery, cabbage)

• 3-4 carrots
• 2-3 stalks of celery
• I small wedge of red cabbage

Wash all produce. Cut the tops off of the carrots and celery. Juice and enjoy!

Purple Passion Juice

• 2 cups red grapes
• 1 cup blueberries
• ½ red cabbage
• 4 celery stalks
• 8oz of sparkling water (or filtered water)

Wash all produce. Juice. Mix juice with sparkling water in a pitcher (do NOT put water through juicer!) Makes 2 servings.

Sources:

http://www.livestrong.com

http://healthyeating.sfgate.com

http://www.healthonlinezine.info

http://www.fitsugar.com

http://www.877myjuicer.com