By Dr. med. Claudia Schmiemann
Brassica oleracea is the Latin name for the cabbage family. It is closely related to broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts and savoy cabbage.
Originated in Europe (known from 1000 BC) it made its way all over the globe in the beginning of the modern era. Today China provides 48% of the worlds production (in 2020).
Let´s have a look inside:
Cabbage is packed with nutrients. It is high in Vitamin C, K, B and folate. Eaten raw or fermented you can benefit from these Vitamins – keep in mind that they degenerate as soon as you heat up the vegetable. People on blood thinner like warfarin should spare out veggies that are high in Vitamin K as it influences coagulation.
Moreover cabbage is high in minerals like manganese, calcium, potassium and magnesium.
The content of fiber is highly welcome in our diet. A healthy transition time in our GI tract can contribute to prevent us from developing bowel cancer. The fiber provided by cabbage also works as the right fuel for our microbiome (feeds lactobacillus and bifidobacterial which we need).
Cruciferous veggies like cabbage are rich in polyphenols that can help us to reduce chronic inflammatory processes. We can count it as anti-inflammatory food (important for Lyme and other chronic inflammatory diseases).
Red cabbage also contains anthocyanins which belong to the flavonoids and give the cabbage its beautiful vibrant color. It promotes blood vessel and heart health.
To get as many beneficial aspects as possible try small amounts of cabbage raw, like salad.