10 Health Benefits of Red Cabbage
The term red cabbage is quite self-descriptive as it refers to a type of cabbage that is red in color. It is also known as the red kraut or purple cabbage.
Red cabbage has found popularity all over the world and is often used as a salad vegetable, while it is also used in cooking. It is particularly popular in Germany where it is often served up as a side dish. Just like its green cousin, red cabbage is a very good source of nutrition.
It is very popular in healthy eating diets because it is low in calories yet also high in nutritional value. As such a nutrient-dense food, it provides various health benefits to anybody that eats it. This article looks at 10 of those benefits.
Red Cabbage Benefit #1: Treats Ulcers
Stomach ulcers are just like other ulcers in that they are open sores. They can be caused by different things but they are usually the result of a bacterial infection. They can be difficult to treat, but antibiotics will usually help them go away eventually. Surgery may be necessary in some extreme cases.
In addition to medication, you can also try using some natural remedies, including red cabbage. Red cabbage is a good source of glutamine, an amino acid that can help stomach ulcers to heal. It can also help to reduce inflammation and reduce the severity of the pain.
Red Cabbage Benefit #2: Healthy Bones
Our skeleton is extremely important to us. Not only does it help to give us strength and support, but it also performs other important functions such as the production of red and white blood cells. Therefore, it makes good sense to take care of it as best as we can.
It is well known that calcium is important for strong, healthy bones but this is not the only mineral that helps. Red cabbage is a good source of other minerals that will also help to keep our skeleton in good shape. Get plenty of red cabbage in your diet and you could be ensuring good bone health for many years to come.
Red Cabbage Benefit #3: Anti-Cancer
Damaged cells are usually processed and discarded by the body. They are usually just replaced without them causing us any harm. Sometimes, though, damaged cells can begin to multiply rapidly in what is known as a tumor, which can be deadly.
Oxidation is a process that causes damage to our cells. The more cells that are damaged, the higher the risk of cancer developing. Antioxidants that are found in red cabbage help to protect our cells from the process of oxidation, thus decreasing the likeliness we will get cancer. Red cabbage is also a good source of vitamin A, which has been shown to be able to reduce the risk of lung cancer.
Red Cabbage Benefit #4: Boosts Immunity
If a pathogen is able to get into the body, then it is met with a pretty tough defensive line. They are met with white blood cells that are armed with chemical weaponry and the body has an arsenal of other weapons ready to use if needed. It is an effective system that helps to keep us safe, but it is not an invincible system.
Even the strongest of immune systems is not invincible, but it gets easier to defeat the weaker it is. Get plenty of vitamin C in your diet, however, and you are helping to keep the immune system as strong as it can be. Red cabbage is a good source of vitamin C, meaning it can help to keep disease away.
Red Cabbage Benefit #5: Weight Loss
Losing weight is a lot more than improving aesthetic appearance and meeting social expectations. It is also about our health and being obese can be very bad for our health indeed. However, losing weight is very difficult to do, and requires a great deal of willpower. A lot of sweat and tears can also be involved, but the results are worth it if you are successful.
Losing weight will generally mean burning off more calories than you consume. Red cabbage is not only filling, but it is also low in calories, helping you to reduce your calorie intake overall. What’s more is that it is also packed full of nutrients that will help to keep you healthy.
Red Cabbage Benefit #6: Healthy Nervous System
Our nervous system consists largely of a complex network of nerves that relay messages throughout the entire body. It helps us to see, feel, smell, and hear everything around us and also helps us think and understand what is going on around us. Life could become a lot harder for us if this system was to begin to fail.
Red cabbage is a good source of vitamin B6 and this can help to keep the nervous system in good working order. It helps ensure that all of our senses remain intact and that we are able to think as well as we should be able to. It can also help to prevent seizures, which is sometimes a symptom of a vitamin B6 deficiency.
Red Cabbage Benefit #7: Healthy Eyes
There was a time when people who suffered vision loss would just have to make best with what vision they have, if any. Nowadays, however, people are more fortunate because there is usually a way that we can help to at least partially restore vision. This is good news because vision loss from aging is quite common.
We can also help prevent vision loss from occurring in the first place by eating a healthy diet. We should try to include as much vitamin A as possible because it can help prevent macular degeneration and also prevent cataracts from forming. You will be able to get the vitamin A you need from eating red cabbage.
Red Cabbage Benefit #8: Healthy Heart
There is no single organ in our body that works harder than our heart does. Even when we are at rest it is constantly pumping blood around our body. It is made up almost entirely of muscle that gives it the power it needs to keep the entire circulation flowing. It is essential that we take good care of it.
Homocysteine is an essential amino acid that can increase our chances of heart disease if it is allowed to build up too much. The vitamin B6 found in red cabbage, however, is able to help regulate how much of this amino acid is on our body. It also contains vitamin C, which can help reduce hypertension that can otherwise contribute to heart disease.
Red Cabbage Benefit #9: Healthy Brain
Alzheimer’s, and other similar conditions, can have a devastating impact on whole families. It is also something that we know relatively little about, but the search is on for ways to treat it, and maybe even prevent it. There is a lot more research that needs to be done, but we are beginning to put the pieces together.
We do know that one potential cause of Alzheimer’s is the buildup of plaques between nerve cells in the brain. Red cabbage may be able to help in this regard because it contains anthocyanins, and these compounds help to prevent the buildup of these plaques.
Red Cabbage Benefit #10: Look Younger
Very few people want to get old, but it is inevitable for all of us. As time goes by, our body slowly begins to break apart. Our organs begin to fail, our joints get stiff, and our skin becomes wrinkly. Although it is not something we can stop, however, it is something that we can at least try to slow down.
Much of the aging process is thanks to a process known as oxidation. This process causes minute damage to our bodies but this damage will accumulate to something more significant over time. Red cabbage is a good source of antioxidants, however, and this helps to protect us from oxidation.
