Cabbage is a delicious leafy green or purple plant that compliments any dish, and it comes packed with incredible health benefits. Studies have proven that cabbage improves digestion, promotes weight loss, prevents cancer, strengthens the cardiovascular system and lowers blood pressure and cholesterol.
It’s part of the cruciferous vegetable family, making it one of nature’s best health foods as well as offering plenty of life giving hydration for every cell of your body.
You can add it to salads, stir fries, tacos, wraps or simply eat it raw. The more, the better, and here’s why:
1. It Is Super Low in Calories
One cup of cabbage contains only 17 calories, but comes packed with flavor, fiber and water, which helps to keep you full and satisfied. Being a low calorie super food makes cabbage an excellent source of nutrition for those who want to lose some weight, especially because it’s such a tasty indulgence without any negative consequences.
2. It’s Packed with Fiber
Dietary fiber is so important for digestive health, and cabbage offers a whole heap of it. It helps to keep you regular, eliminates excess waste and fluid and promotes better nutrient absorption.
3. It Lowers Cholesterol
Cabbage contains zero fat of its own, and further assists the body to lower fat and cholesterol stores due to its high level of fiber, water and antioxidants. Studies have proven that it also reduces the liver’s fat absorption ability, which helps to keep cholesterol levels in check.
4. It’s a Powerful Immune Booster
Vitamin C and antioxidants play a vital role in building up the strength of your immune system, and cabbage comes loaded with both. One head of cabbage meets up to 60% of your daily requirement of Vitamin C, which is remarkable for such a simple vegetable.
5. It Build Better Bones
Each cup serving of cabbage contains 3% of the daily requirement of Calcium, which has proven to repair and build better, stronger bones. Cabbage is also a powerful green, which makes it an alkalizing food source. The more alkaline your body is, the less brittle your teeth and bones will be.
6. It is a Natural Diuretic
The green power of cabbage combined with the high content of water, antioxidants, fiber and potassium make it one of nature’s most powerful diuretics. These nutrients help to balance fluid in the body, eliminating excess water, waste and fat for a leaner, more toned appearance.
7. It Helps to Relieve Hypertension
The iron contained in each cabbage leaf helps to increase red blood cell stocks, which helps to keep circulation efficient and healthy and blood pressure balanced. Cabbage also contains excellent and powerful antioxidants known as anthocyanins which have been proven to relax arteries, reduce plaque buildup and lower blood pressure.
8. It Prevents Cancer 
Cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage have long been praised for their anti-cancer effects, as they help to create an environment in the body in which diseased cells cannot thrive. Their alkalinity combined with powerful cancer fighting compounds such as sinigrin, lupeol and sulforaphane have been revered for promoting a healthy, cancer free body.
9. It’s a Powerful Anti-Inflammatory
Inflammation causes unnecessary pain and discomfort and can lead to a host of unwanted ailments and disease. Cabbage contains a compound known as glutamine, which is a powerful anti-inflammatory. By eating more cabbage you will help to prevent arthritis, joint pain, swollen limbs and other inflammatory disorders.
10. It Heals Injuries Faster
Cabbage is a rich source of Vitamin K, which is important for improving the essential blood clotting that helps to heal wounds. It is also so rich in vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants that it promotes faster healing and less pain.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabbage
https://www.nutrition-and-you.com/cabbage.html
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0924224400000625
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1756464611000843
https://nutritionj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1475-2891-2-7
