The Health Benefits Of Red Cabbage And Red Beets
There are many reasons why red cabbage and
red beets are such popular foods. Both red cabbage and red beets
are delicious, nutritious and low in calories. In addition, the
compounds found in red cabbage and red beets are thought to play
an important role in the prevention of many forms of cancer.
New research has placed the focus on the benefits
of red cabbage and red beets on the many phytochemicals these
foods contain, in particular the presence of indole-3-carbinole
(I3C), sulforaphane and indoles. These compounds are thought to
play a role in the activation and stabilization of the detoxification
and antioxidant processes in the body.
The benefits of red beets and red cabbage
In particular, indole-3-carbinole (I3C) is
thought to play a role in reducing the risk of breast cancer,
and one small study showed a remarkable 50% reduction in the incidence
of breast cancer. These compounds, found abundantly in red cabbage
and red beets, are thought to play a role in how estrogen is produced
and utilized in the body, and this is thought to play a role in
reducing the incidence of breast cancer in those who consume these
foods.
In addition to the prevention of breast cancer,
red cabbage and red beets are thought to play an important role
in the prevention of lung cancer, stomach cancer and colon cancer.
In addition, red cabbage and red beets are known to be rich sources
of vitamin C, an antioxidant which plays a vital role in reducing
the presence of free radicals in the body.
In addition, all types of cabbages and related
vegetables, including broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts
and bok choy, are rich sources of calcium. In addition to calcium,
however, red cabbage and red beets are also rich sources of flavonoids.
It is these flavonoids which are responsible for the rich purple
coloring of both red cabbage and red beets, and it is these flavonoids
which give both red cabbage and red beets their strong antioxidant
health benefits. As a matter of fact, red cabbage and red beets
are among the richest sources of flavonoids in the vegetable world.
Other health benefits
In addition to their possible role as cancer fighters, red cabbage
and red beets both are being studied for their possible role in
the treatment of peptic ulcers. For many years the juice of the
red cabbage has been used as a very effective way to treat peptic
ulcers. It is thought that the high concentration of the amino
acid known as glutamine is responsible for the ability of red
cabbage and red beets to treat this common stomach condition.
Glutamine is used to provide nutrients to the cells that line
the small intestine and the stomach, and this fact may be responsible
for the effectiveness of cabbage juice at treating ulcer conditions.
When shopping for red cabbage, it is a good
idea to choose those heads with the richest, reddest leaves, since
the compounds that give red cabbage is rich flavor also provide
its nutritional benefits. Likewise, those red beets with the richest
and heartiest color are thought to provide the greatest nutritional
value.