Make no mistake, here are 4 types of cabbage with a myriad of health benefits

You must be familiar with cabbage or more familiarly known as cabbage. Often confused with lettuce or lettuce, a round vegetable with greenish-white leaves in layers, it turns out that there is not only one type. Cabbage has several kinds with different characteristics. Come on, dive deeper into cabbage and its many benefits through the following reviews!

Nutritional content in cabbage

Source: NDTV Food

Maybe you are more familiar with finding cabbage or cabbage in a plate of fresh vegetables. However, it is a vegetable that has a Latin name Brassica Oleracea Var. Capitata L. It's also delicious to make into a stir fry or mix with a bowl of vegetable soup.

Not to be outdone by other types of vegetables, cabbage provides a myriad of important nutrients for the body. It is proven that in 100 grams (gr) of cabbage, there are 51 calories (cal) of energy, 8 grams of carbohydrates, 2.5 grams of protein, and 3.4 grams of fiber.

While a number of minerals in cabbage include 100 milligrams (mg) of calcium, 50 mg of phosphorus, 3.4 mg of iron, 50 mg of sodium and 100 mg of potassium. With various vitamins such as 0.4 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin B1, 0.1 mg of vitamin B2, and 16 mg of vitamin C which also complement the nutrients in cabbage.

What types of cabbage are on the market?

If you usually find cabbage with a round shape and greenish white color, did you know that there are other types of cabbage with their own characteristics?

Yes, not just one type, here are the various types of cabbage or cabbage on the market:

1. Green cabbage

Source: Foods for Better Health

Cabbage with a white or pale green color is one of the most commonly sold varieties on the market. You can easily find this variety of cabbage in vegetable vendors, traditional markets, to well-known supermarkets. On closer inspection, the outer leaves covering the cabbage are usually pale green, while the inside is slightly white when opened.

Before cooking or eating them raw, these outer cabbage leaves are usually removed first as they are often dirty and slightly wilted. Raw cabbage has a crunchy texture when bitten, and will soften with a sweet taste after processing.

2. Purple cabbage

Similar to green cabbage, cabbage with a purple or reddish color also has layered leaves that are round in shape. The most obvious difference, of course, lies in the color of this cabbage vegetable.

But not only that, the texture of purple cabbage is usually tougher so that it will be crunchier when bitten and contribute more vitamin C than green cabbage.

Because the color is quite striking, sometimes the color of purple cabbage can mix with other vegetables when processed together.

3. Savoy cabbage

Source: Liebherr

At first glance, savoy cabbage has a shape not much different from green and purple cabbage. However, when you look closely, this cabbage variety has a more wrinkled texture with a wider outer layer of leaves as a wrapper.

It is characterized by its texture and shape, which makes it taste softer when eaten and the layers of leaves are arranged irregularly compared to other types of cabbage. Usually, cabbage savoy is often used as salad preparations with other types of vegetables.

4. Napa cabbage

Source: Metro

What is the name you usually use when you refer to this vegetable? Most people will probably answer chicory. Not many people know, if this vegetable is included in one of the cabbage varieties, given the leafy arrangement which is also layered.

The slight difference is that this type of cabbage is not round but oval-shaped with a whitish green leaf color. Kol napa can actually be eaten raw or boiled as fresh vegetables, but most people prefer to eat it by sautéing it.

Various benefits of cabbage for health

Apart from being delicious and easy to prepare, cabbage offers a variety of health benefits that are a pity to miss.

1. Smooth digestion system

There is no need to doubt, various types of vegetables are good sources of fiber to support the work of the digestive system. But make no mistake. Of the 2 types of fiber available, cabbage is classified as insoluble fiber because it does not combine with water in the body, so it travels through the digestive system.

Therefore, insoluble fiber generally works better in the intestines at digesting food, according to research published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology. Water insoluble fiber can also help smooth the movement of stool in the intestines, to prevent constipation or difficulty defecating.

2. Maintain heart function

Apart from serving as a reddish purple cabbage color, the powerful content of antioxidant compounds called anthocyanins is also believed to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. This is also proven by a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The study states that increasing the intake of foods containing anthocyanins has been shown to reduce blood pressure as well as the risk of coronary artery disease. In fact, the high content of polyphenol compounds in cabbage is also believed to maintain heart function by preventing lowering blood pressure and preventing platelet buildup.

3. Prevent cancer

The high content of vitamin C in cabbage not only helps to meet daily needs, it also functions to protect the body from free radical attacks that trigger various diseases, including cancer.

Not only that, the sulforaphane compounds in cabbage are thought to have the potential to ward off cancer attacks. Quoting from the Medical News Today page, sulforaphane compounds were found to have a positive effect in inhibiting the work of the enzyme histone deacetylase (HDAC), which is known to be involved in the development of cancer cells in the body.

That is why until now researchers are still testing the ability of sulforaphane compounds to delay or inhibit the development of these cancer cells.

4. Lowering blood pressure

Increased blood pressure is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease and stroke. Apart from being recommended to reduce or even avoid foods that contain lots of salt, eating more potassium sources is also considered important to help control blood pressure.

The reason is, potassium will help to remove excess salt (sodium) in the body through urine, as well as relax the tension on the walls of blood vessels. As a result, high blood pressure will gradually decrease.

Actually, various types of cabbage are equally able to control the body's blood pressure. However, purple cabbage varieties actually contain the highest amount of potassium than other types of cabbage.