Cabbage is also known as Brassica oleracea (Scientific Binomial Name), Cabbage (Common English), (Ayurvedic), (Unani), band gobhi / patta gobhi (Hindi / Urdu), Muttaikosu / muttai-k-kocu / kovicu (Tamil), kobi / pan kobi (Marathi), kapikam / kapishakah (Sanskrit), bandhakopi (Bengali), kosu / Gos Koora (Telugu), ele kosu / kosugedde (Kannada), muttakkoos / Muttakose (Malayalam). Domestic green is often used in cooking and for making sauerkraut; the red or purple kind is used in pickling and the savoy has a loose head, crinkly leaves and a milder flavor. Cabbage has traditionally been used for medicinal purposes as well as for cooking. It has anti-inflammatory properties, and contains chemicals which can prevent cancer. The ancient Greeks used fresh white cabbage juice to relieve sore or infected eyes, and juice from the cabbage stem is a good remedy for ulcers.
Calories Nutrition Value in Cabbage
Cabbages are rich in vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin E, calcium, sulphur, sodium, methionine, fiber, legnin and fluorine. Vitamin A is known as anti-opathalmic, and essential for growth and vitality. Vitamin K is necessary for the proper clotting of blood, prevention of bleeding and normal liver functions. Fluorine is the element that prevents diseases from decaying the body. It is a germicide, and acts as an antidote to poison, sickness and disease. There is a strong affinity between calcium and fluorine. Methionine helps dissolve cholesterol and assimilates fat. The main function of legnin is to escort bile acid and cholesterol out of the intestines. A hundred grams of cabbage yields only 27 kilo calories of energy while the same quantity of wheat bread will yield about 240 calories. Cabbage is found to possess the maximum biological value with minimum calorific value. Moreover, it gives a lasting feeling of fullness in the stomach and is easily digestible. It is effective home remedy for obesity. Recent research has discovered in this vegetable a valuable content called tartroric acid which inhibits the conversion of sugar and other carbohydrates into fat. Hence, it is of great value in weight reduction. A helping of cabbage salad would be the simplest way to stay slim, a painless way of dieting.
Home Remedies with Cabbage Leaves
For peptic ulcers boil in water cabbage. This water is allowed to cool and taken twice daily. Cabbage soup, popular in Eastern Europe, is now being touted as a home remedy for ulcers. The active substance in cabbage is probably glutamine, an amino acid that nourishes cells of the GI tract. Raw-cabbage juice from health-food stores is also a good choice. For psoriasis try a compresses made with thickest and greenest outer cabbage leaves. To make a compress, wash leaves nicely with water and dry them. Flat, soft and smooth by rolling them with a rolling pin after removing the thick veins. Slightly warm them and apply on the affected part in an overlapping manner. A pad of soft wooden cloth should be put over it. The whole compress should then be secured with an elastic bandage. This type of cabbage poultice could be also applied to a swollen wound. To pull the pus out of a boil try cabbage leaf. Boil a cabbage leaf for a minute or so. Let it cool slightly, then wrap it with gauze. Fasten the gauze-covered leaf over the boil with a bandage and leave it for an hour. Use a fresh leaf and gauze each day. An old remedy for arthritis is to boil some cabbage leaves, cooling them slightly and wrapping the affected area in the warm leaves. This is then covered with a towel.
Health Benefits of Brassica oleracea
An overwhelming abundance of medical and scientific evidence has been published in the last decade to show that cabbage and its kind can help to prevent cancer if used in the diet properly. Cabbage can dramatically lower bad cholesterol. LDL usually causes hardening of the arteries in the course of time. By including cabbage in diet more often is a very good chance of not developing coronary heart disease later on in life. Cabbage promotes increased bowel movements. This can be attributed to the water-holding capacity of cabbage fiber. About 5 cups of shredded cabbage, raw or cooked, is suggested twice a week in the diet for improved colon function. Some native folk healers in various American ethnic groups have prescribed raw cabbage juice for yeast infections covering the head, skin, hands and feet, as well as for treating Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS). As cabbage is rich in sulfur it is good for suppressing yeast infection. Dab white cabbage juice on mouth ulcers, and gargle for sore throats.
Cabbages Side Effects and Precautions
Avoid during diarrhea, as it is rich in roughage, which can be hard to digest. Do not eat red cabbage raw, because the high levels of iron can interfere with gut absorption and irritate the gut, causing constipation. Avoid cabbage if you suffer from goiter, or take maoi antidepressants. Red cabbage (cooked) can cause constipation and irritation of the colon, due to the large quantities of iron.