A cabbage head is a more or less spherical cluster of leaves. Cabbage leaves contain a great amount of nutrients:
- Proteins, it contains fairly good amount of proteins, but do not contain enough all amino acids.
- Fats or lipid content in cabbage is very small
It is good for people suffering from coronary diseases and obesity. This is because of its low calories content and richness in vitamins and minerals, cabbage is appropriate for people who want to lose weight as a result of obesity.
- It contains 3% to 5% of carbohydrates
- It is very rich in vitamins such as vitamins A, B, C, E and K
- It is rich in potassium and very low in sodium, this make valuable to people suffering from hypertension or fluid retention. This is because of its capacity to retain water and increase blood volume.
- It has reasonable amount of calcium, phosphorus, iron, and magnesium in it
- It is also fiber oriented which make it laxative. It is beneficial for chronic constipation
- Phytochemicals found in cabbage makes it anticarcinogenic which actively prevent or treat ulcers or diabetes, or may even have antibiotic properties
Cabbage is a reliever for people suffering from stomach inflammation or stomach pain after taken a few spoonful of cabbage juice between 10 minutes to 15 minutes before meal on an empty stomach.
Studies have shown that regular cabbage intake has the potency to prevent cancer.
Due to high content of vitamin C (53mg/100g) in cabbage it is appropriate for dealing with scurvy.
Some people are easily prone to flatulence after eating cabbage due to intestinal gas formation. To reduce this, only the tender leaves should be cooked, seasoned with lemon, oil, and anti-flatulent herbs (fennel, cumin, caraway, etc.). It must be chewed slowly, mixing it well with saliva. It should not be eaten with other plant-based foods rich in cellulose fiber, as whole grans or bran.
