The Cabbage benefits Make it an indispensable crucible in our diet to maintain a healthy health.
Cabbage, or cabbage, is a vegetable native to southern and central Europe, although they are grown practically all over the world.
15 healthy cabbage properties
1- Improves defenses
Regular consumption of crucifers, especially cabbage, is closely related to an increase in our gastrointestinal defenses.
Our body comes into contact with the outside world, especially through the intestinal mucosa. This mucosa, which can measure up to 180 square meters, is very finite (like tissue paper) since the nutritive substances contained in the food have to pass into the blood.
As you can imagine, it is very important that our defenses are strong enough to protect us from the invasion of pathogens that can come with both food and any external means.
For this reason special leucocytes, called intraepithelial leukocytes, have a dual function: they produce and repair the intestinal mucosa, which is the first defense against pathogens. These leukocytes are activated by specific receptors that cover their surface.
Recent studies have found that cruciferous, and with them cabbage, activate these receptors and with them the leukocytes. For this reason consuming cabbage helps to improve our defenses.
In addition to what I just explained, cabbage is a very rich food in vitamin C Which acts directly on the immune system. How? Stimulating the phagocytosis, by the macrophages, of foreign bodies and pathogens like bacteria and viruses.
It also increases the production of antibodies and has an antioxidant action, ie eliminates free radicals, reducing oxidative stress. The cabbage Lombardy (red) is especially rich in antioxidants.
2- Is an anticancer food
Its ability to protect us from tumors, (especially breast and lung) is related to a substance called sulforaphane, which is formed exclusively in crucifers.
But how is this substance formed? It's very simple. It is created from a chemical reaction between a precursor compound with an enzyme called thioglucosidase, which is deactivated with cooking.
However, although eating raw cabbage is the most immediate way to take advantage of all its properties, there is a way for us to take advantage of it too if we cook it. How? Cut the raw cabbage and leave it half an hour before cooking.
In this way the chemical reaction that creates the sulforaphane is activated and when we cook this vegetable is not lost. The anticancer power of sulforaphane is connected with its ability to inhibit the factors that have the power to alter the cell and make it mutate.
In addition, they have a protective effect against sex hormones, directly involved in many types of tumors, such as breast and prostate.
In this list You can find other anticancer foods.
3- Improves vision
The cabbage is rich in provitamin A, which becomes Vitamin A , An essential nutrient essential to our vision. Also in this case it is very important to consume the raw cabbage, so you do not miss this function. let's cook
4- Improves intestinal transit
Cabbage is a Very high fiber food , Being very good for the intestinal transit and preventing the constipation . It also has diuretic and depurative benefits, helping not only in case of fluid retention, but also in eliminating the toxins that accumulate in our body
5- Purifies the organism
The stress we are subjected to because of the frenetic rhythms of each day and environmental pollution are just some of the factors that cause an overload for our liver, which prevents its correct and normal functioning.
For this reason, it is very important to take care of this organ so that it helps us to keep our organism clean and free of pathogens and harmful substances.
Cabbage in this sense is one of the most indicated foods for our body to be clean. Some studies on women with breast cancer have brought to light even more its cleansing power over the liver, thanks to its ability to activate specific detoxifying enzymes.
6- Helps maintain a healthy weight
Recent research has found in cabbage valuable content called tartronic acid, which inhibits the conversion of sugar and other carbohydrates into fat. Therefore, it is of great value in weight reduction .
In addition, it is high in water, low in calories and high in fiber, which helps to have a feeling of satiety for a long time, helping to eat in a balanced way and then to lose weight naturally.
7- It's good for pregnancy
Because of its folate content, its consumption is recommended in the diet of pregnant women, since it is an essential nutrient for the correct development of the neural tube of the fetus.
8- It slows aging and protects DNA
Recent studies have found that the consumption of cabbage favors the regeneration of the cells, retarding the aging.
At the same time it has been seen that this food protects the DNA of the damages caused by genetic mutations often implicated in the onset of cancer.
A study on chronic smokers showed that an increase in cabbage consumption reduced genetic mutations by 41% over those who did not. This result is thought to be related to cabbage's ability to stimulate the activity of liver-cleansing enzymes, thereby eliminating some of the carcinogens.
9- Prevents anemia
Due to its richness in minerals, especially iron, it possesses virtues remineralizing, antianemic and restorative. For this reason, they are widely used to combat anemia And weakness.
However, cooking should be avoided in these cases, as it destroys its great richness in chlorophyll, which in the human body is transformed into hemoglobin and it is recommended that people who have these conditions take the cabbage raw or in juice.
10- Helps regulate hormones
He Estrogen Is a natural hormone essential for female breasts and sexual development. It is responsible for regulating the menstrual cycle, controlling the functioning of the uterus and ovaries, and stimulating the normal growth and division of mammary cells.
Weight, exercise, alcohol consumption, and hormone replacement therapy are all factors that influence estrogen levels.
Even the food you eat can affect your body's estrogen levels. As you can imagine it is essential that the levels of these hormones are balanced.
Cabbage is a food rich in phytoestrogens, whose molecular structure is similar to that of human estrogens. Consuming foods rich in phytoestrogens, such as cabbage, naturally stimulates the production of estrogens in the body and, in turn, these plant hormones are united with the receptors of human estrogen in the body, helping to regulate hormone levels.
A Swedish study on female postmenopause demonstrates a reduction in the risk of breast cancer by 20 to 40 percent by adding one to two servings of cruciferous vegetables daily.
Women who eat raw cabbage three or more times a week also show a significant decrease in the risk of getting breast cancer because of their ability to regulate hormone levels in the body.
11- It helps to balance the nervous system
Due to their high content of Vitamin k Y Anthocyanins That help with Mental function And concentration. These nutrients also prevent nerve damage, improve defense against Alzheimer's and the dementia . It is also high in minerals such as potassium, necessary for the transmission and generation of the nerve impulse, as well as for muscle activity.
A recent study has brought to light the effectiveness of cabbage to treat autism . This is due to the very substance responsible for its anticancer power, sulforaphane.
A double-blind study of autistic boys has shown that 2 or 3 daily servings of cabbage and crucifers in general a day improved social interaction, abnormal behaviors and verbal communication in just a few weeks. This is thought to be due to the purifying effect of sulforaphane.
12- Lowers bad cholesterol level
Cabbage is a very suitable food for all those people who suffer from hypercholesterolemia, that is to say that they have a very high content of cholesterol in the blood. This is because it helps the body to Decrease plasma cholesterol levels Bad or LDL.
And, how do you do it? It first acts together with bile acids, in the digestive process, to remove cholesterol from the blood. Second, because of its fiber content, cabbage reduces the absorption of cholesterol contained in food, since fiber traps and eliminates it. Third, it reduces the production of apolipoprotein LDL in the liver, since there is less cholesterol to be transported. Finally, having an antioxidant action, it degrades adipose tissue and leads to the cell to obtain energy.
In addition, these same antioxidants are those that prevent the oxidation of fatty acids, preventing them from sticking to the arterial walls. This reduces the likelihood of an atheroma occurring to prevent normal blood circulation.
13- Help against constipation
Cabbage provides the fiber that is essential to stimulate the gut. A raw cabbage meal is an excellent remedy for constipation. It acts immediately, without any adverse effect. This food can be prepared by adding a little salt, pepper and chopped raw lemon juice.
In this list You can find other good foods for constipation.
14- Strengthens and helps bone formation
Eating cabbage provides vitamin C which is necessary for healthy bones, skin, mucous membranes and a immune system. Containing Glutamine , An amino acid that has been used to relieve the pain caused by arthritis, cabbage is a good home remedy for this disease.
To treat it can be chopped leaves and wrapped in a gauze. They are then applied over the sore or swollen joint and left to act overnight.
The cabbage is also rich in vitamin K, an essential nutrient to strengthen bone composition, and boron, which decreases the urinary excretion of magnesium and calcium, essential for bone health.
fifteen- It is anti-inflammatory
The cabbage accumulate in their leaves a substance that we saw above, the glutamine. Glutamine is a strong anti-inflammatory agent, so cabbage consumption can reduce the effects of many types of inflammation, irritation, allergies, joint pain, fever and various skin disorders.
References
- Alam MF, Laskar AA, Maryam L, Younus H. Activation of Human Salivary Aldehyde Dehydrogenase by Sulforaphane: Mechanism and Significance. PLoS One 2016 Dec 20; 11 (12):
- Ferruzza S, Natella F, Ranaldi G, Murgia C, Rossi C, Trošt K, Mattivi F, Nardini M, Maldini M, Giusti AM, Moneta E, Scaccini C, Sambuy Y, Morelli G, Baima S. Nutraceutical Improvement Increases the Protective Activity of Broccoli Sprout Juice in a Human Intestinal Cell Model of Gut Inflammation. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2016 Aug 12; 9 (3). Pi: E48. Doi: 10.3390 / ph9030048.
- Huang H, Jiang X, Xiao Z, Yu L, Pham Q, Sun J, Chen P, Yokoyama W, Yu LL, Luo YS, Wang TT. Red Cabbage Microgreens Lower Circulating Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL), Liver Cholesterol, and Inflammatory Cytokines in Mice Fed to High-Fat Diet. J Agric Food Chem. 2016 Dec 7; 64 (48): 9161-9171.
- Michael Greger M.D. How to Cook Broccoli. FACLM on February 9th, 2016
- Michael Greger, MD. HOW NOT TO DIE
- Quirit JG, Lavrenov SN, Poindexter K, Xu J, Kyauk C, Durkin KA, Aronchik I, Tomasiak T, Solomatin YA, Preobrazhenskaya MN, Firestone GL. Indole-3-carbinol (I3C) analogues are potent small molecule inhibitors of NEDD4-1 ubiquitin ligase activity that disrupt proliferation of human melanoma cells. Biochem Pharmacol. 2016 Dec 12.
- Russian M, Spagnuolo C, Russian GL, Skalicka-Woźniak K, Daglia M, Sobarzo-Sánchez E, Nabavi SF, Nabavi SM. Nrf2 targeting by sulforaphane: a potential therapy for cancer treatment. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2016 Dec 21: 0.
- Tak JH, Isman MB Metabolism of citral, the major constituent of lemongrass oil, in the cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni, and effects of enzyme inhibitors on toxicity and metabolism. Pestic Biochem Physiol. 2016 Oct; 133: 20-25.