Cabbage is a leafy vegetable that is grown as an annual vegetable and closely relates to other Cole crops like Broccoli, Cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts etc. Cabbage comes in various varieties like red cabbage, purple cabbage, white cabbage and green cabbage. Out of all these varieties, green cabbage is most commonly available. The exact origin of cabbage is not known but it is believed to most likely domesticated somewhere in Europe before 1000 BC. Cabbage is used as a vegetable and also added to the salad because of its great taste, but it is important to note that cabbage is not only tasty but is good for our health too, and in this article we will know about the major health benefit of cabbage.
(1) Reduces The Risk of Development of Cancer
Cancer is a deadly disease which takes millions of life every year. Eating cabbage has been found to be very beneficial against cancer because of the ability of cabbage to reduce the risk of development of various types of cancer. This health benefit of cabbage is because of the presence of various compounds like anthocyanins, diindolylmethane (DIM), sinigrin, lupeol, sulforaphane and indole 3-carbinol (I3C) in cabbage.
(2) Good For Waistline And Helps In Weight management.
Obesity is a disease which can increase the risk of various health complications like heart problems, blood pressure, etc. Because of this, it is important for us to make sure that our weight stays under control. Cabbage is a wonderful veggie when it comes to keeping waistline in shape because of its low calorific value. Cabbage is also low in saturated fat and cholesterol and is a wonderful source of dietary fiber. All these properties of cabbage make it an excellent food to be eaten without worrying about weight gain.
(3) Good source of Folic Acid
Cabbage is an excellent source of folic acid, and this makes it very beneficial for women under pregnancy. This benefit of cabbage is because of the folic acid present in it, which protects the baby from congenital disabilities and also forms an essential component of DNA.
(4) Keep Us Healthy And Make Our Bones Stronger
Eating cabbage is good for our bones and for keeping our body healthy because of the presence of vitamin C and vitamin K in it. Vitamin C is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory in nature which means it protects our body from the damaging effects of free radicals and at the same time vitamin C boost the immune system of our body and make it more effective in fighting against the disease-causing bacteria, viruses, etc. On the other hand, vitamin K is good for our bones and make them stronger, healthier and reduces the risk of development of osteoporosis.
(5) Eating cabbage is like taking a multi-vitamin
Eating cabbage is good for our health because of the presence of many essential vitamins and minerals in them. Some of the major nutrients present in cabbage are riboflavin, pantothenic acid, thiamin, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, manganese, iron, magnesium, etc. in them. The presence of so many essential nutrients in cabbage make them a very effective food for keeping our heart healthy, in regulating blood pressure and in protection against anemia.
(6) Immunity booster
Cabbage is a good source of vitamin C which is an antioxidant and helps in boosting the immune system of our body. A stronger immune system is more capable of fighting with the disease-causing bacteria, viruses, etc. and in keeping us healthy. Vitamin C also fights with the free radicals of our body, stabilize them and prevents them from damaging our body.
(7) Provides Anti-Inflammatory Benefits
Cabbage is very effective in fighting against inflammation. This anti-inflammatory nature of cabbage is because of the presence of high level of amino acids in them.
(8) Reduces The Risk of Getting Cataract
Eating cabbage has been found to be very beneficial for our eyes because of the presence of beta carotene in it. The presence of beta-carotene protects our eyes from macular degeneration and keep cataract at bay.