Purple Cabbage Health Benefits and Risks

In fruits and vegetables, purple is frequently a sign of nutrients called anthocyanins. Like other phytonutrients, your body does not need them to work, but they help cover cells from damage that can lead to sickness and complaint. And that is on top of any other health benefits you will get from eating these foods.

Cruciferous legumes like cabbage, kale, and broccoli are notorious for being chock-full of beneficial nutrients. However, cruciferous vegetables are a good start, If you’re trying to ameliorate your diet.

The cabbage may help cover against radiation, help cancer, and reduce heart complaint threat.

Cabbage can differ in color from green to purple and grandiloquent, and the leaves can be smooth or crinkled. There’s a range of cabbage products available for purchase online. With lower than 20 calories per half mug cooked, it’s a vegetable worth making room on your plate for.

Cabbage Facts Cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable. A chemical in cabbage can protect against the harmful effects of radiation. The sulforaphane contained in cabbage may help protect against cancer. One-half cup of cooked cabbage contains 81.5 micrograms of vitamin K.

Protection against Radiation Therapy

Cabbage can have many health benefits. Some radiation animal studies have shown that a compound in cabbage and other cruciferous vegetables known as 3,3’diindolylmethane (DIM) increases short-term survival rates.

In a study conducted at Georgetown University, rats were administered a lethal dose of radiation. Some were untreated, and others were treated with a daily injection of DIM for two weeks. All untreated rats died, but more than 50 percent of those given DIM survived after 30 days.

The same researchers experimented on mice and found similar results. They found that mice treated with DIM had increased numbers of red and white blood cells and platelets, often reduced by radiation therapy. DIM is believed to have protective effects against cancer, but this study shows that there is also hope in the future that it will be used as a shield to protect healthy tissues during cancer treatment.

High in Nutrients

Purple cabbage is low in calories and contains a good amount of nutrients.

One cup (89 gm) of chopped raw purple cabbage includes the following nutrients. (1)

• Calories: 28 Protein: 1 gm
• Carbohydrates: 7 gm
• Fiber: 2 gm
• Vitamin C: 56%
• Vitamin K: 28%
• Vitamin B6: 11%
• Vitamin A: 6%
• Potassium: 5%
• Thiamine: 5%
• Riboflavin: 5%

Purple cabbage also gives small amounts of iron, calcium,

Purple Cabbage Benefits

Cancer Prevention

Another cancer-fighting compound found in cabbage is sulforaphane. Research has consistently shown that eating cruciferous vegetables is associated with lower cancer risk. Recently, researchers have discovered that the sulfur-containing compound that gives cruciferous vegetables their bitter taste, sulforaphane, also provides their cancer-fighting power. Researchers are currently testing sulforaphane’s n ability to delay or prevent cancer. Promising results have been seen at the molecular level in several cancers, including melanoma, esophagus, prostate, and pancreas.

Researchers have discovered that sulforaphane has the power to inhibit the harmful enzyme histone deacetylase (HDAC), known to be involved in the progression of cancer cells. The ability to stop HDAC enzymes could make sulforaphane-containing foods a potentially powerful part of cancer.

Contains Powerful Plant Compounds

purple cabbage is a good source of antioxidants and other beneficial plant compounds that help protect against cell damage. Its antioxidants include vitamin C, carotenoids, and flavonoid antioxidants. It often contains higher amounts than kale. (2)

For example, research suggests that antioxidant levels in purple cabbage are about 4.5 times higher than in kale varieties. Additionally, purple cabbage is one of the foods with the highest antioxidant content per unit price. It is also a good acid for sulforaphane, a sulfur-rich compound that forms when raw cabbage is chopped or shredded. Sulforaphane has been linked to powerful heart health benefits and cancer-fighting properties. Purple cabbage is an excellent source of B vitamins. (3)

Helps Fight Inflammation

purple cabbage can help fight inflammation, which is believed to contribute to many diseases. A test-tube study using an artificial human intestine model found that certain varieties of purple cabbage reduced markers of intestinal inflammation by 22-40%.

Studies report that sulforaphane, the beneficial sulfur compound found in many cruciferous legumes, may owe its anti-inflammatory effects. Interestingly, using cabbage leaves on the skin also appears to reduce inflammation. (4)

For example, adults with arthritis who wrapped their knees in cabbage leaves once a day reported less pain. However, cabbage compresses were less effective in reducing pain than a topical pain gel.

Additionally, cabbage leaves reduce chest pain, swelling, and inflammation due to increased milk intake and blood flow during the early postpartum period. Summary purple cabbage can help fight inflammation and reduce accompanying symptoms such as pain, swelling, and discomfort. (5)

Heart Health

The same strong anthocyanins in red cabbage that help protect against cancer have been shown to suppress inflammation leading to cardiovascular disease. A report recently published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition linked eating flavonoid-rich food and found that even small amounts of flavonoid-rich foods could be beneficial. The high levels of polyphenols in cabbage could also reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by preventing platelet buildup and lowering blood pressure.

It Can Strengthen Your Bones

Purple cabbage contains several nutrients good for your bones, including vitamins C and K and lesser amounts of calcium, manganese, and zinc. (6) For example, 1 cup (89 grams) of raw red cabbage contains about 56% of the daily value for vitamin C, which plays a role in bone formation and helps protect bone cells from damage. Purple cabbage is also high in vitamin K1, providing just over a quarter of the DV per cup (89 grams) (7). Vitamin K1 is found primarily in plant foods, such as green leafy and cruciferous and leafy vegetables. This divides it from vitamin K2, which is found in animal products and fermented foods. There is evidence that both forms of vitamin K play a role in maintaining strong and healthy bones.

Immunity and Digestion

A popular way to consume cabbage is fermented, such as sauerkraut and kimchi. Fermented foods are packed with probiotics and could be one of the best things to consume for your immune and digestive systems. Healthy microbes create an acidic circumstance to preserve and develop flavor; The enzymes produced during fermentation facilitate the absorption of vitamins and minerals. The water and fiber content in cabbage also helps prevent constipation and maintain a healthy digestive tract. An adequate intake of fiber promotes regularity, essential for eliminating toxins in the bile and feces. Recent research has shown that fiber may even play a role in the regulation and inflammation of the immune system, overcoming the risk of inflammation-related diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and obesity. (8)

May improve intestinal health

Purple cabbage can improve the function of your intestine. There is evidence that cabbage can decrease inflammation in the intestine and reduce inflammation of the lining of the intestine, a condition in which lesions develop in the intestine, often as a side effect of cancer treatment (9). It is a good source of fiber that will keep your intestines healthy and help them digest food more efficiently. Insoluble fiber makes up about 70% of the fiber in cabbage. It adds bulk to stool and allows food to move through the intestines more efficiently, reducing the risk of constipation. The remaining 30% is soluble fiber, which nourishes the beneficial bacteria that live in the intestines. In turn, these beneficial bacteria produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), such as acetate, butyrate, and propionate, which nourish the cells of the intestine.

Research shows that SCFAs can also reduce inflammation and other symptoms of intestinal diseases such as Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and ulcerative colitis. There is also evidence that drinking about 1 quart (946 ml) of cabbage juice per day can help ulcers heal in 7 to 10 days(10). However, the studies supporting this are outdated, so more recent studies are needed to investigate this effect. Summary Purple cabbage can help improve the health of your intestines by reducing inflammation, preventing intestinal injury, and treating ulcers. However, more research is required. (11)

Easy to Add to Your Diet

Purple cabbage is an incredibly versatile vegetable. Cabbage can be eaten or cooked, or raw and works well as an accompaniment to many dishes. For example, steamed and used for meatball fillings or stewed with red wine, vinegar, apples, carrots, and beets as a spicy garnish. Purple cabbage can also be fried, seared, or minced with meat or beans and used as a nutrient-rich garnish for soups, salads, and hot dishes. It also offers a visually appealing antioxidant alternative to kale in coleslaw or sauerkraut or fermented into kimchi.

Quick Tips for Eating More Cabbage:

• Please keep it simple and sprinkle toasted chopped cabbage with olive oil, minced and minced garlic, and black pepper.
• Shredded cabbage to a fresh green salad.
• Add chopped cabbage to soups or stews at the end of the cooking process.

Risks

A popular diet known as the cabbage soup diet emerged in the 1950s and is still moderately popular. It focuses on consuming an unlimited amount of cabbage soup and has been touted as a quick method for losing weight. However, any weight lost on this diet will quickly return once the dieter returns to a regular diet. If you don’t want to eat cabbage soup every day, you should focus on eating more whole, unprocessed foods and various fruits and vegetables, including cabbage. If you are taking blood thinners like Coumadin (warfarin), it is important not to suddenly eat more or fewer foods that contain vitamin K, which plays an essential role in blood clotting.

Some people also have difficulty digesting cruciferous vegetables and may experience digestive symptoms. Eating small portions and cooking cabbage well can help. Total nutrition is essential to prevent disease and maintain good health. It is better to eat a variety of foods than to focus on individual foods.

Considerations

Purple cabbage is a nutrient-dense vegetable that is linked to a variety of health benefits. These include less inflammation, a healthier heart, stronger bones, improved bowel function, and perhaps even a lower risk of certain types of cancer. These vegetables are also incredibly versatile and one of the most cost-effective ways to add beneficial antioxidants to your diet.