Cabbages: all the properties and health benefits

In winter, the kitchen must smell like cabbages. It is not by chance that its Latin name is Brassica oleracea. The group of vegetables with the most potent properties known against cancer and other diseases belongs to this botanical family: green, red and Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and Romanesco cabbage.

This family is completed with other plants of which the root is consumed – kohlrabi – or the stem – kohlrabi.

cabbages They have conquered the world from Europe to the antipodes, passing through China. Many European cultures identify with different cabbages, probably because for millennia it was a food on which life depended in the long winters.

Even today, the Germans, who organize winter festivals where kings and queens dedicated to this vegetable are named, would not understand themselves without cabbage. They would be as lost as the Galicians without the cabbage broth.

The first historical mention of cabbage cultivation was made by the Greek Theophrastus in the 3rd century BC, but they are cultivated for at least four millennia.

Farmers have been selecting the varieties and today they bear little resemblance to what the original wild cabbages that grew on the shores of the Mediterranean or in Asia must have been like.

cabbages are originating from Europe, where they have been appreciated since ancient times. For the Romans they were a kind of vademecum, since for 600 years they gave rise to many of their main medicines.

cabbage properties

Cabbages combine antioxidant compounds, indoles or isothiocyanates. The last two are glucosinolates, or sulfur compounds.

Along with sulfur compounds, they also contain high concentrations of essential nutrients. During the winter, when fruits were not available, they constituted a important source of vitamin C, as long as they were eaten raw or lightly cooked.

100 g of raw cabbage provide 120 mg of vitamin C. If it is cooked, 41 mg.

They also offer group B vitamins, vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene, folic acid, selenium, iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium and different flavonoids in significant doses.

cabbages benefits

The peculiar composition of cabbages is associated with important positive effects on health.

Protect from cancer

It is known that the regular consumption of cabbages: red cabbage, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, Romanesco cabbage… halves the incidence of lung, stomach, colon and skin cancer thanks to its combination of antioxidants and sulfur compounds.

The latter, in turn, protect the liver and have antirheumatic properties. Furthermore, his wealth in chlorophyll together with his outstanding contribution in vitamin C, favors the assimilation of iron fighting anemia.

cabbages are rich in folic acidwhich prevents spina bifida during pregnancy.

Also in potassium, which controls blood pressure; in calcium and phosphorus, which strengthen the skeleton and they balance the nervous system; in magnesium, iron and copper and beta-carotene or provitamin A, which favors the good condition of the skin and mucous membranes.

digestive cures

Natural and popular medicine continues to recommend fresh cabbage juice (half a cup for breakfast) to cure colitis, gastritis and stomach ulcers and duodenum.

Their anti-inflammatory effects they even took advantage to relieve sore breasts while breastfeedingapplying poultices on the affected areas.

Unless you suffer from hypothyroidism, it is advisable to consume raw or lightly cooked cruciferous vegetables. two or three times a week. All cabbages are purifying, remineralizing and with disinfectant properties.

Types of cabbages and differences

The multiple varieties of the cabbage family, nutritious and with recognized anticancer properties, they arrive at the market with the coldwhen the supply of seasonal vegetables falls.

broccoli

Few vegetables are so nutritious like broccoli: 200 g provide almost four times the vitamin C needed per day.

They also fully satisfy the daily requirements for folic acid and two thirds of those for vitamin A.

Studies also point to the anticancer power of some of its substancessuch as sulforofane, which seem to protect especially against stomach, breast and lung cancers.

to cook it without losing its crunchy texture or its vitamins, it is best to steam it for about eight minutes or in a minimum amount of water for about four.

Red cabbage:

Its attractive purple color is due to lycopenean antioxidant pigment also present in tomato.

It is therefore rich in carotenoids, which the body transforms into Vitamin Aand is also a good source of folic acid and of vitamins C and K

With a somewhat sweet flavor, it is more digestible if eaten raw, so it is It is recommended for those who do not digest cooked cabbage well. Furthermore, it turns out diuretic and laxative.

It must be chosen firm and heavy. So that it does not lose its color, it can be cook with a splash of vinegarwhich also enhances its sweet taste.

Cabbage:

Its smooth, somewhat yellow leaves, covered by large veins, are essential ingredient of most regional stews, especially from Madrid and Andalusia. The pot cabbage is the most suitable for restoratives winter stews.

Compact and crunchy They are also often used to prepare fermented cabbage or sauerkrautexcellent for the health of the intestinal flora.

The shape more nutritious and digestive to eat them is, howeveror, raw, cut very thin and dressed with a sauce.

It is useful to use spices or aromatic plants such as cumin, caraway, coriander, or fennel to attenuate its flatulent effect.

Cabbage

Great ally of gastrointestinal disordersits regular consumption seems reduce the risk of colon cancer.

On the other hand, fresh cabbage juice has been recognized as a effective treatment against stomach ulcers.

In general, improves digestion, provides good doses of vitamin C, folic acid, beta-carotene and fiberand you just have to take into account that it hinders the absorption of iodine.

Its raw leaves are consumed in salad. Blanched for two minutes in boiling water, they can also be served seasoned with a drizzle of olive oil and sautéed garlic.

It is also a variety ideal for fermenting: sauerkraut supports the health of the intestinal flora.

Cauliflower

Rich in vitamins and mineralsis particularly indicated for people who must follow a diet low in sodium and cholesterol, as well as in slimming diets.

It is served as a vegetable in soups and stews but also raw in saladswhen it turns out more digestive and less flatulent. It’s also tasty sautéed al dente in a wok Cauliflower and cheese pair especially well, which is why they are usually combined in gratins.

a trick to avoid strong odor released during cooking consists of Add a splash of vinegar to the water.

Cabbage:

Also called headless cabbage, has a finer flavor than other varieties. It is ideal for broths.

Brussels sprouts:

Regarding his relatives, tiny brussels sprouts have less calcium but more sulfurophane, a substance to which studies attribute anticancer properties. They are also the cabbages that concentrate the highest folic acid.

should choose small, compact, bright green parts, and cook them just slightly. Of intense flavor, help purify, strengthen the stomach and oxygenate the organism better.

They traditionally accompany the Christmas turkey in different parts of Europe, often together with chestnuts. On less festive occasions they can be simply sautéed in butter or added to salads.

romanesco cabbage:

Very common in Italy, it is a tender variety with a delicate flavor and an appearance that evokes snails or the filigrees of the coral. It is the most showy of the family due to its characteristics flower-shaped increscences.

It is rich in vitamins A, C and folic acid. As a relative of broccoli, it is believed that helps prevent various types of cancer, regulates blood pressure and favors the assimilation of iron.

rich in calcium pectatealso very abundant in carrots, contributes to check and decrease cholesterol level sanguine. Consuming romanesco can also benefit the kidneys, due to its slightly diuretic and cleansing effect of toxins.

Prepared like broccoli or cauliflower, ensuring that the cooking is al dente to preserve its peculiar shape and its lime green color. Cut in little bundlesit can be sautéed with garlic, steamed or served pickled.

cabbages in the kitchen

The variations of cabbage that we find is the consequence of the different crosses (hence its name, cruciferous) made by farmers. Its variations depend on whether the change has occurred in the root (kohlrabi), the stem (kohlrabi), in the leaves (cabbage, collard greens, kale…) in the flower and fruit (cauliflower, broccoli, Romanesco cabbage) or in the buds (Brussels sprouts).

A crunchy delight

Many of these sprouts can be served raw in salads, such as cauliflower or Romanesco cabbage, or as crudités with other vegetables and dipping sauces. They can also be added to miso soups, broths and creams when serving them. Others, such as cabbage, cabbage or pot cabbage are more suitable for stews and broths. The varieties that can be eaten lightly cooked (broccoli, Romanesco cabbage…) are excellent steamed, stewed, wrapped or briefly sautéed.

If you want firm textures, 10 minutes are enough, while to make them more tender, 20 minutes to half an hour will be necessary.