Cabbage
nutrition facts
Ever wonder what is
the secret of Chinese
people ever youthfulness?.... Cabbage!
Rich in phyto-nutrients, this
perennial leafy
vegetable belongs to the "brassica" family. The same family also
include Brussels sprouts, kale
and broccoli.
Structurally, this
vegetable consists of clusters of stiff leaves superimposed in compact
layers giving it a round or globular shape.
Many varieties are cultivated, green, purple red
and savoy (wrinkled leaves).
|
|
|
| Light green variety
|
Savoy-cabbage
|
Red-cabbage |
Bok
choy
or "Chinese-cabbage" has similar appearance, but is
derived from different species of the same brassica genus. Bok choy is
distinguishingly has vigorous growth pattern; has short, compact
leaves; and the whole plant has long cylindrical shape.
Health
benefits of cabbage
-
Fresh, dark green-leafy
cabbage is incredibly nutritious and low in fat and calories (Provides
just 25 cal/100g).
-
It is store house to many
phyto-chemicals like thiocyanates,
indole-3-carbinol, lutein, zeaxanthin, sulforaphane and isothiocyanates.
These compounds are powerful anti-oxidants and known to help protect
against breast, colon and prostate cancers and hel reduce LDL or "bad
cholesterol" levels in the blood.
-
Fresh cabbage is an
excellent source of natural antioxidant, vitamin C. Provides
about 61% of RDA. Regular consumption
of foods rich in vitamin C helps body develop resistance against
infectious agents and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals.
-
It is also rich
in
many
essential vitamins such as pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), pyridoxine
(vitamin B-6) and thiamin (vitamin B-1). These vitamins are essential
in the sense that our body requires them from external sources to
replenish.
-
It also contains good
amount
of minerals like potassium, manganese, iron and magnesium. Potassium is
an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling
heart rate and blood pressure. Manganese is used by the body as a
co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase.
Iron is required for the red blood cell formation.
-
Cabbage is very good
source of vitamin K, provides
about 63% of RDA levels. Vitamin-K has potential role in bone
metabolism by promoting osteotrophic activity in them. So enough
vitamin K in the diet gives you healthy bones. In addition, vitamin-K
also has established role in curing Alzheimer's disease patients by
limiting neuronal damage in their brain.
See the table below for in depth analysis
of nutrients:
Cabbage (Brassica oleracea (Capitata
Group)),
Nutrition Value
per 100 g.
(Source: USDA National
Nutrient data base)
| Principle |
Nutrient Value |
Percentage of
RDA |
| Energy |
25 kcal |
1% |
| Carbohydrates |
5.8 g |
4% |
| Protein |
1.3 g |
2% |
| Total Fat |
0.1 g |
0.5% |
| Cholesterol |
0 mg |
0% |
| Dietary Fiber |
2.50 mg |
6% |
| Vitamins |
|
|
| Folates |
53mcg |
13% |
| Niacin |
0.234 mg |
1.5% |
| Pantothenic
acid |
0.212 mg |
4% |
| Pyridoxine |
0.124 mg |
10% |
| Riboflavin |
0.040 mg |
3% |
| Thiamin |
0.061 mg |
5% |
| Vitamin A |
98 IU |
3% |
| Vitamin C |
36.6 mg |
61% |
| Vitamin K |
76 mcg |
63% |
| Electrolytes |
|
|
| Sodium |
18 mg |
1% |
| Potassium |
170 mg |
3.5% |
| Minerals |
|
|
| Calcium |
40 mg |
4% |
| Iron |
0.47 mg |
6% |
| Magnesium |
12mg |
3% |
| Manganese |
0.160mg |
7% |
| Phosphorus |
26 mg |
3.5% |
| Zinc |
0.18 mg |
1.5% |
| Phyto-nutrients |
|
|
| Carotene-α |
33 mcg |
-- |
| Carotene-ß |
42 mcg |
-- |
| Lutein-zeaxanthin |
30 mcg |
-- |
Selection and
storage
Pests are
common in cabbage.
Conventionally
grown
ones may be subjected to insecticides spray to avoid pest infestation.
Therefore, wash thoroughly in running water then soak in
saline water for about 30 minutes, again wash in clean water in order
to remove dust, pests, eggs/ova/cysts and any residual insecticides.
Use cabbage
while it is farm fresh to get maximum
health benefits. However, it can be stored in the refrigerator for few
days in
fresh state.
Culinary
uses
- Thoroughly cleaned
cabbage can be eaten raw, in fact, is very nutritious.
- Sliced or grated raw
leaves are added to vegetable salad preparations.
- Trimmed whole leaves can
go well with sandwiches and veg burgers.
- Stew fried cabbage, onion,
garlic, bell pepper and green chillies mixed with steamed rice and
soya/chilli/tomato sauce is one of the favorite dishes (Chowmein) in china
and other
South East Asian regions.
- Also used to
prepare a kind of soup with added beet juice and yogurt known as
"borscht",
is very popular in eastern European nations.
Safety
profile
Cabbage may contain
"goitrogens", a plant based
compounds, especially found in cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower,
broccoli
etc, may cause swelling of thyroid gland and should be avoided in
individuals with thyroid dysfunction. However, they may be used
liberally in healthy persons.
<<-Back to Vegetable
Nutrition from Cabbage.
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vegetables with complete illustrations of their nutrition facts and
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Reading: Refer Stanford School of Medicine Cancer
information Page-
Nutrition
to Reduce Cancer Risk (Opens New Window).
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