Cabbage juice: why add it to your diet?

Among the immense variety of existing vegetables, one certainly has a prominent role. It is cabbage (Brassica oleracea L.), a vegetable widely consumed in Brazil, both in salads, as sautés, soups, broths, sauces or even in the preparation of juices.

In fact, it is as an ingredient of the most varied types of juice that cabbage has conquered more and more fans.

But what accounts for all this success? Is cabbage – whether consumed as food or as a drink – really beneficial to health? Because?

Below you can find the answer to these questions and also great recipes for kale-based juices. It is worth checking!

Camilla Coelho, nutritionist at PronoKal Brasil, points out, even before talking about the benefits of kale, that when the goal is to consume it raw – as in salads – it must be properly washed, in order to remove any harmful microorganisms.

“For those who prefer to cook and sauté it, the ideal thing is that the cabbage stays in the fire for as little time as possible, to maintain its nutritional properties and pleasant taste”, highlights the nutritionist.

Why is kale good for health?

Below, Camilla Coelho cites the benefits that cabbage can offer to our body:

• Because it has digestive, detoxifying, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties (that is, because it has the power to fight the so-called free radicals – which are naturally produced and negatively affect the body, contributing to premature aging and the installation of degenerative diseases, such as cancer, rheumatic arthritis, among others), its consumption is highly recommended for a balanced diet;
• In adequate amounts, kale is considered a good source of lutein and quercetin, potential antioxidants (which, as mentioned above, have the power to fight the so-called free radicals – which contribute to premature aging and the installation of degenerative diseases);
• Kale has vitamins A, C and K, in addition to having balanced amounts of calcium and magnesium, a balance difficult to find in other foods.
• More specifically in relation to the female organism, its potential antioxidant effect provides a possible decrease in the incidence of breast cancer.
• This vegetable has phytonutrients that help to stabilize antioxidant reactions, “that is, helping to fight free radicals that can cause cellular damage, or even eliminate substances that could promote the growth of cancer cells, showing once again its detoxifying effect”, highlights the company. nutritionist Camilla.

The nutritionist adds that, for cabbage to maintain its nutritional and medicinal properties, it should preferably be consumed raw. “Because it is rich in Vitamin C (a micronutrient usually lost when exposed to heat), when consumed raw, it can be preserved as much as possible. What’s more, it has more of this vitamin than many fruits commonly used in juices,” she says.

The benefits of cabbage for women’s beauty

In addition to the fact that it has an antioxidant effect that can help reduce the incidence of breast cancer, kale offers some benefits directly related to women’s beauty. Worth knowing:

• Cabbage helps fight cellulite;
• Associated with a healthy diet, it helps to eliminate fat;
• Prevents premature aging, due to its antioxidant potential (that is, the power to fight free radicals that negatively affect the body);
• It is good for the skin as it helps to maintain collagen;
• Due to the presence of vitamins, cabbage is also good for women’s hair.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Cabbage Juice

Although the primary recommendation is to consume kale raw, many people have chosen to add it to natural juices – which can also offer benefits.

Practicality: Camilla Coelho explains that, due to the simplicity and speed in the preparation of juices containing kale, the recipes are ideal for those who have little time.

Replaces snacks: Also according to the nutritionist, cabbage juice can be ingested at snack times, where there is usually a need for smaller meals. “Because it has a good amount of vitamin C, it can help in the bioavailability of minerals such as iron, present in proteins of animal origin such as meat and eggs during lunch and dinner”, she explains.

Flavor: The only problem with kale, nutritionist Camilla points out, is that it doesn’t have a naturally sweet taste. “And as their recipes are usually combined with citrus fruits, there is a great need to add sugar or sweeteners, especially when trying to include this type of juice in children’s diets. In this way, one should consider the use of sugars and sweeteners, so that the caloric value of the juice does not increase,” she explains.

Ideal in diets: Camilla adds that for diets restricted in carbohydrates, juice made with kale appears to be a good option. “However, care must be taken with the type of fruit that will be added. Lemon, passion fruit and apple are great options, due to the low amount of carbohydrates”, she highlights.

Cabbage juice recipes

Now, below the nutritionist Camilla Coelho quotes some recipes for juices made with cabbage and talks about the benefits of each. Worth noting!

1. Kale with lemon to strengthen the immune system

According to Camilla, the beneficial effect of this mixture is the high concentration of vitamin C and quercetin, as both cabbage and lemon have large amounts. “Having a glass of approximately 250 mL in the morning can help stimulate the immune system and insulin production, helping to balance blood glucose,” she says.

“In addition, lemon has a great concentration of potassium, an important mineral for the balance of electrolytes and water in the body”, adds the nutritionist.

Ingredients:

• ½ lemon;
• 1 cabbage leaf;
• 1 glass of water (approximately 180 or 200 ml).

Preparation mode:

Put the lemon together with the cabbage leaf in the blender and add water little by little. When the juice is a uniform texture and color, it is ready.

2. Kale with apple against high blood pressure

This juice has, in addition to all the aforementioned effects of cabbage, the cardioprotective effect of apple, as highlighted by Camilla Coelho. “Due to its richness in flavonoids – antioxidant substances that act to prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol molecules (non-beneficial type of cholesterol) -, it prevents the formation of plaques inside the blood vessels. Therefore, they make the arteries less stiff and the blood circulates more fluidly, lowering blood pressure,” she explains.

Ingredients:

• 2 apples;
• 2 cabbage leaves.

Preparation mode:

Cut the apples in half and remove the seeds. Do the same with the cabbage leaves. Put half of a leaf and another half of the apple and beat well. Repeat with the other pieces until juice forms.

3. Green juice with ginger to speed up metabolism and burn calories

In addition to the digestive properties of kale, the other important component of this recipe is ginger, with thermogenic properties. “In other words, the juice helps to accelerate metabolism, allowing an increase in caloric expenditure”, explains nutritionist Camilla.

Ingredients:

• 2 oranges;
• 3 cabbage leaves;
• 1 ginger;
• 1 liter of water.

Preparation mode:

Cut the oranges into pieces and remove the seeds. Put it in the blender. Add the well-washed and stemmed cabbage leaves. Add a little bit of ginger. Top up with a liter of water and whisk. Then strain, add sweetener to your liking and serve with lots of ice.

4. Cabbage juice to prevent wrinkles and take care of hair

Below you can see a recipe for juice made with cabbage that promises to keep women’s skin and hair more beautiful. That’s because the combination of ingredients helps to prevent the appearance of wrinkles and even gives more shine and strength to the hair strands.

Ingredients:

• 2 cabbage leaves
• 1 carrot
• 1 slice of beet
• 1 handful of spinach
• 1 green apple
• 1/2 orange

Preparation mode:

Pass all the food in the centrifuge or blend everything in the blender. Add ice.

Did you write down all the recipes? Now you know the benefits of cabbage and juices mentioned above. It’s worth adding them to your diet!

The information contained on this page is for informational purposes only. They do not replace the advice and follow-up of doctors, nutritionists, psychologists, physical education professionals and other specialists.