Red cabbage is a nutritious vegetable also known as purple cabbage or red kraut.

You may be surprised to know that red cabbage is often used as a pH indicator, as it changes colour depending on the pH balance of the ingredient. It is consumed as salads, cooked into delicious curries, and even used in sauerkraut, a popular accompaniment to sandwiches and burgers, with the added advantage of being a vegan probiotic dish. Also Read: Top 3 Vegan Probiotic Foods To Boost Your Overall Health

Besides offering a distinct bitter, peppery flavour and a red hue to numerous delicacies and staple recipes, the red cabbage comprises vast reserves of beneficial compounds.

The wealth of nutrients in red cabbage including phytochemicals, antioxidants like anthocyanins and indoles, vitamins like C, A, E, K, B1, B2 and folate, minerals like calcium, manganese, magnesium, iron and potassium makes this veggie extremely beneficial for health.

This rich nutrient profile offers impressive health benefits that include prevents premature ageing, boosts the immune system, good for diabetes and heart diseases, slows down Alzheimer’s onset and improves bone health. Read on, to know more.

Fantastic Health Benefits Of Adding Red Cabbage To The Diet:

Lowers Cancer Risk

Red cabbage is a powerhouse of antioxidants including anthocyanins and indoles that plays a potent role in preventing cancer. Evidence proves that indoles in red cabbage aids in reducing the risk of breast cancer. In addition, vitamin A has been linked to lower the risk of lung cancer.

Improves Skin Health

The spectrum of nutrients in red cabbage makes it a perfect choice of veggie for keeping your skin look radiant and young. The goodness of antioxidants helps to reduce signs of ageing by improving your skin tone, flexible, lower wrinkles and age spots. In addition, a huge amount of vitamin A helps in regrowth of skin cells, shields the skin from suntan and improves the elasticity of the skin.

Prevents Alzheimer’s Disease

Red cabbage is a wonderful vegetable that is potential in protecting the cognitive activity of people. The formation of kind of plague is what causes a major impact on memory and cognitive loss in Alzheimer’s patients. The abundance of anthocyanins in red cabbage remarkably lower the occurrence of this plaque, guarding your brain against Alzheimer’s disease. Also Read: World Alzheimer’s Day: Try These Nutritious Smoothies To Enhance Brain Function

Improves Bone Density

The whopping amounts of essential minerals in red cabbage makes it one of the best vegetable to have that ensure healthy bone development. The richness of minerals like calcium, magnesium, manganese promotes bone growth and mineral density that guards against osteoporosis, arthritis and other inflammation.

Promotes Weight Loss

Red cabbage being low on calorie and high in dietary fibre, and together with a wealth of other essential nutrients is a perfect choice for all weight watchers. It keeps you satiated, prevents you from overeating and at the same time meets your nutritional requirements. It can be a great choice of vegetable to be included in your regular regimen in the form of salads, curries and sauerkraut.

Enhances Digestive Functions

Packed with both types of valuable dietary fibers – soluble and insoluble, red cabbage is indeed a boon for gastrointestinal health. The abundance of soluble fibers assists in increasing the useful gut flora, which regulates the breakdown and absorption of nutrients from ingested food. Moreover, the profuse amounts of insoluble fibers help in normal bowel movement, thus fostering a healthy digestive system.

Remedies Hypertension

Red cabbage is a storehouse of the vital trace mineral potassium. This plays a key role in controlling sudden spikes in blood pressure by limiting the harmful effects of sodium, thereby maintaining optimal cardiac activity. Furthermore, it aids in the relaxation of heart muscles, which lowers high BP and effectively rectifies hypertension.

Alleviates Inflammation

Sulforaphane is an essential compound found in many cruciferous vegetables that has many anti-inflammatory effects. This health-befitting component can be extremely helpful in soothing mild to chronic inflammation. In some old holistic therapies, it has been used as a topical pain gel. The tender cabbage leaves are wrapped to the knees to reduce inflammation and arthritis-borne pain.

Promotes Heart Health

Purple cabbage can also benefit the heart in many due to the presence of anthocyanins, the flavonoid antioxidants that also give purple cabbage its unique colour. Consuming moderate amounts of anthocyanin lowers blood pressure and lowers the risk of heart disease and heart attacks by fifteen percent.

Enhances Eye Health

The amount of Vitamin A in red cabbage is adequate for maintaining perfect eyesight and keeping a healthy vision. It can also help to prevent macular degeneration besides reducing the chances of cataracts in old age.