Touted for its sweet, succulent nutritious leaves and stalks, Bok Choy, a.k.a Chinese cabbage is one of the most popular and healthy leafy vegetables that can be included in your daily diet.

Also Read: Amazing Benefits Of Red Cabbage For Health And Beauty

Commonly clad by the vernacular names Pak Choi, Chinese chard, Chinese cabbage, Celery mustard, Asian cabbage or Baak choi, this leafy vegetable is widely cultivated across mainland China, Vietnam, Philippines, and other East-Asian regions. Be it used as a vegetable curry, consumed as a juice or eaten raw as salads, the stellar health benefits of Bok choy encompass far beyond just a culinary ingredient.

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What Is Bok Choy?

Bok choy, which goes by the botanical name Brassica rapa is not only beneficial for its use in culinary applications but also for its wide range of health benefits including promoting blood circulation, aiding digestion, facilitating healing, improving eye health, boosting immunity, augmenting skin, lowering blood pressure and many more. Unlike many other types of cabbage, bok choy does not form heads, but rather spreads a dense cluster of smooth and dark green leaves, similar to mustard greens or celery.

Bok Choy Nutrition

The wealth of nutrients in this cruciferous vegetable includes vitamins like choline, beta carotene, folate, and vitamin E, minerals like iron, potassium, magnesium, calcium, copper, manganese, phosphorus zinc, selenium and sodium, and amino acids like aspartic acids, alanine, arginine, glutamic acid, valine, lysine, leucine, and isoleucine. Imbued with these stellar components, the dense vegetable has strengthened it’s foot hold in the diet of many health-conscious people and is often used as a replacement for spinach, collard greens, and other cruciferous vegetables.

Health Benefits Of Bok Choy

Fortifies Bone Health

The leaves of this cruciferous vegetable are extremely rich in calcium, copper and zinc. These essential minerals help in improving bone mineral density, strengthening the bones and connective tissue and preventing them from breaking. Presence of manganese also helps in the production of collagen in the bones, protecting the bones from damage and enhances overall bone health. Daily intake of this nutrient-dense veggie not only help to prevent osteoporosis but also high levels of vitamin K diminish the risks of bone fractures in the advanced years.

Boosts Immunity

Thanks to the array of antioxidants, Bok choy offers several folk remedies for improving the immune system, fighting microbes and shielding the body against various infections by stimulating the body’s defense mechanism to produce white blood cells. It also portrays the presence of strong anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and antifungal properties, which is extremely effective in preventing infections like fever, common cold, sore throat, and other respiratory anomalies.

Improves Vision

The wealth of Vitamin A composed of various carotenoids, including beta-carotene and alpha-carotene in bok choi makes it the ultimate choice of superfood in case of eye problems. Regular intake of bok choi thus helps in promoting eye health and the prevention of macular degeneration and oxidative stress in the retina. Being a potent antioxidant, bok choy not only prevents the chances of eye infection but also effectively avert cataracts, promote low light vision and treat dry eyes as well as other eye problems.

Promotes Cardiac Functioning

The abundance of folic acid and Vitamin B6 attenuates the level of homocysteine in the blood, which is a strong indicator of heart disease and other cardiovascular issues. Bok choy also helps reducing blood cholesterol levels. Loaded with iron, it acts as a natural blood purifier and helps in increasing the haemoglobin and red blood cell count of the blood. The bulk load of minerals present in bok choy holds high significance in regulating the heart functions, ensuring appropriate blood pressure, lowering stroke, heart attack and lipid build-up which in turn minimizes the risk of atherosclerosis.

Also Read: Eat Cruciferous Vegetables for a Healthy Heart

Augments Skin Health

Apart from offering a range of health benefits, bok choy plays a key role in treating various skin infections as well. The abundance of antioxidants and Vitamin C in the potent herbaceous veggie is very effective in removing harmful free radicals from the body and its antipruritic nature alleviates itching sensation caused due to allergic conditions like psoriasis, eczema, acne, sunburn etc. It also promotes the formation of collagen that improves overall health and appearance of the skin. Apart from this, the antioxidative nature also treats the various signs of aging like wrinkles, fine lines, dark spots, blemishes, pigmentation etc., thus bestowing a crystal-clear complexion.

Reduces The Risk Of Cancer

The antioxidants and phytonutrient properties of this cruciferous veggie help to prevent different types of cancer such as lung cancer, breast cancer, skin cancer & prostate cancer. Several pieces of research show that the presence of bioactive components like flavonoids, saponins, and vitamins helps to alleviate the effects of free radical damage thus reducing the risk of cancer. It also helps in the repair and production of new DNA, that might prevent cancer cells from forming due to mutations in the DNA.

Manages High Blood Pressure

The abundance of potassium in bok choy effectively helps to regulate blood pressure. Potassium is an extremely essential mineral that helps the body in controlling blood pressure effectively as it facilitates to balance out the negative effects of salt. Additionally, it helps to stimulate the functioning of muscles and nerves, dilate and relax the blood vessels, promote blood circulation thereby helping the body to maintain normal blood pressure readings.

Combats Inflammation And Oxidative Stress

Thanks to the presence of ahost of antioxidants including vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene and essential minerals like Selenium bok choy not only help protect cells against damage by free radicals but also prevent inflammation.

Prevents Cancer

Being intrinsically rich in antioxidants, oregano has the power not only to neutralize free radical damage but also support to prevent certain types of cancer. Several studies have disclosed that the presence of bioactive compounds rosmarinic acid and thymol in oregano works to kill tumour cells and impede their growth. Adding this aromatic herb also suppress the growth and transmission of colon cancer.

Augments Heart Health

Oregano is an incredible medicinal herb laden with therapeutic properties that are known to safeguard heart cells. Evidence has shown that oregano extracts are valuable in controlling blood pressure by improving blood flow in the vessels. Furthermore, it also diminishes LDL cholesterol levels and averts the build of fat in the blood vessels, thus enhancing cardiac muscle function and lowering the risk of heart disease.

Conclusion

Packed with essential vitamins and minerals, this cruciferous veggie is not only delicious when cooked but also the wealth of pharmacological properties make it extremely beneficial veggie for treating a host of ailments including heart problems, infections, bone disorders, vision issues and even skin diseases.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the main nutritional benefits of bok choy?

Bok choy is rich in vitamins A, C, and K, as well as minerals like calcium, magnesium, and potassium, making it a nutrient-dense vegetable.

How does bok choy benefit eye health?

Bok choy contains beta-carotene, which is converted into vitamin A in the body, supporting good vision and overall eye health.

Can bok choy help with bone health?

Yes, bok choy is a good source of calcium and vitamin K, both of which are essential for maintaining strong bones and preventing osteoporosis.

Is bok choy good for heart health?

Bok choy is low in calories and high in fiber, which can help lower cholesterol levels and support cardiovascular health.

How does bok choy support the immune system?

The high vitamin C content in bok choy helps boost the immune system, aiding in the prevention of common illnesses.

Is bok choy good for weight loss?

Yes, bok choy is good for weight loss due to its low calorie and high fiber content.

Is bok choy high in potassium?

Yes, bok choy is high in potassium, making it a healthy addition to your diet.

(This article is reviewed by M Sowmya Binu Health & Nutrition Expert)

Author Profile

Soumita Basu:

Soumita Basu holds a Bachelor's Degree in Pharmacy and is keenly interested in Ayurveda, home remedies, yoga, fitness, diagnostics, and beauty. With nearly 6 years of experience, she produces evidence-based health content, including articles, videos, and infographics, to provide valuable insights to her audience.

References:

1. Bok Choy

BRASSICAS

J.W. Fahey, in Encyclopedia of Food Sciences and Nutrition (Second Edition), 2003

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/pharmacology-toxicology-and-pharmaceutical-science/bok-choy

2. Bok-choy promotes growth performance, lipid metabolism and related gene expression in Syrian golden hamsters fed with a high-fat diet

Authors: Emal Naseri 1, Kong Xiangyu 1, Chunmei Hu 2, Aliya Ayaz 1, Mohammad Malyar Rahmani 1, Maazullah Nasim 1, Enayatullah Hamdard 1, Ahmadullah Zahir 1, Qian Zhou 1, Jianjun Wang 2, Xilin Hou 1

Affiliations Expand

PMID: 32182310 DOI: 10.1039/c9fo02975c

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32182310/