101 Foods That Could Save Your Life

Did you know … in some cultures, a bowl of cabbage soup is given to newlyweds the morning after their wedding as part of a fertility ritual? Perhaps that’s where the concept for “cabbage patch kids” came from!

Cabbage belongs to the Brassicaceae (mustard) family, which includes other vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower and kale. The leafy head is the only edible part. It is eaten raw, cooked and preserved. There are over 400 different varieties of cabbage to choose from. Popular varieties include green, red and savoy, and Chinese varieties like Chinese cabbage, bok choy and napa cabbage.

Cabbage has been cultivated for more than 4,000 years and domesticated for over 2,500 years. The first pickled version was cabbage preserved in brine, created by soldiers in China and Mongolia. The builders of the Great Wall of China also were known to exist on cabbage for energy and stamina. Fermented and pickled cabbage made its way into Europe from the East, carried by Hun and Mongol warriors. Cultivation of cabbage spread across northern Europe into Germany, Poland and Russia, where it became a very popular vegetable in local food cultures. The savoy cabbage variety found its first admirers in Italy. During extended exploration voyages, Dutch sailors practically subsisted on sauerkraut, a dish made from fermented cabbage. Sauerkraut’s high vitamin C content helped prevent scurvy. Cabbage and the traditional sauerkraut recipe were introduced into the United States by early German settlers.

China, India, Russia, South Korea, Japan and the United States are the leaders in cabbage production, in that order. New York is the top producer within the United States.

Cabbage is a good source of vitamin C and fibre. Red cabbage also contains anthocyanins, a phytochemical also found in blueberries, beets and Bermuda onions. Sauerkraut is an excellent source of vitamin K and vitamin C, and a good source of folate, potassium, iron and fibre. Sauerkraut is equally rich in the friendly bacteria lactobacillus acidophilus. However, it is also high in sodium whereas cabbage is not.

Ancient Greek and Roman civilizations held cabbage in high regard as they felt it was capable of treating a host of health conditions. Romans developed an ointment made from lard and ashes of burnt cabbages for use in disinfecting wounds. Cabbage juice is often sold in health food shops as a popular home remedy for ulcers.

CANCERS: Foods found in the crucifer family are rich in phytochemicals called glucosinolates, which may protect against cancer. Cabbage, especially raw sauerkraut (cooking cabbage appears to reduce these helpful plant chemicals), is rich in the anti-cancer compounds indole-3-carbinole (I3C), isothiocyanates (a type of beneficial compound found in Brassica vegetables) and sulphoraphane. These compounds help activate and stabilize the body’s antioxidant and detoxification mechanisms, which, in turn, eliminate cancer-producing substances. Cabbage intake has been linked to a lower incidence of colon, lung, cervical and breast cancer.

BREAST CANCER: The Polish Women’s Health Study included hundreds of Polish and Polish-born women in the United States. The study revealed that women who ate three or more servings of raw, lightly cooked or fermented (sauerkraut) cabbage were 72 per cent less likely to develop breast cancer as opposed to those women who only ate one and a half servings per week.

VIRUS: Scientists at Seoul National University in South Korea fed an extract of kimchi, a spicy Korean version of sauerkraut, to thirteen chickens infected with avian flu. A week later, eleven of the birds started to recover.

ULCERS: In a small study, participants who had stomach ulcers drank a litre of fresh cabbage juice daily for ten days. All ulcers had healed by the end of the ten days!

• Cabbage heads should be large and compact without discoloured veins.

• Look for stems that are healthy-looking, closely trimmed, and are not dry or split.

• Buying precut cabbage may not be worth it as the leaves may have already lost their vitamin C content.

• Store the whole head of cabbage in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Try to use any remaining cabbage in the next two days.

• Cabbage can be prepared any number of ways including steaming, frying, boiling, braising and baking.

• Cabbage can be used cooked or raw in dishes from corned beef and cabbage, soups and stews, to cold dishes such as coleslaw.

• Eating sauerkraut on a hot dog may reduce some of the harmful effects of nitrates and nitrites found in processed meats. Try it on a turkey sandwich with mustard or in a pasta salad.

• The sodium content is pretty intense but can be easily lowered by rinsing in a colander under cold water.

• Look for fresh sauerkraut. The friendly bacteria content is much higher than what you would find in pasteurized jars. Once opened, sauerkraut should be used within three days.

Vegetarian Polish Cabbage Rolls

by Ma Tomich

Servings: 6 • Prep and cooking time: 90 minutes

This recipe contains eight powerhouse foods.

FILLING INGREDIENTS:

1lb/450g brown rice, cooked

1 large head of cabbage

1lb/450g Boca crumbles or lean minced turkey

2oz/50g yellow onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 omega-3 eggs

4floz/125ml vegetable stock

2 tablespoons olive oil

SAUCE INGREDIENTS:

1 tin chopped tomatoes

1 tin tomato soup

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375°F/180°C. Core cabbage, place in pan, and cover with water. Bring to boil. Lower heat to medium and cover with lid and cook until slightly softened. Remove cabbage and place on a dish to cool. Meanwhile, in a large pan, sauté onions and garlic in olive oil until transparent. Add minced turkey, rice, egg, vegetable stock and pepper. Mix well. When cabbage is warm to the touch, peel leaves and place on a cutting board. Divide mixture into six equal parts. Fill cabbage leaves and roll. Place rolls with folded end down into 9 × 13-inch baking dish. Combine soup and tomatoes in a separate bowl. Ladle over rolls. Cover rolls in aluminium foil and bake for 45 minutes or until cabbage is easily pierced with fork.

BREAK IT DOWN …

Calories: 360; Total fat: 11g; Saturated fat: 2g; Cholesterol: 60mg; Sodium: 760mg; Total carbs: 46g; Fibre: 11g; Sugar: 14g; Protein: 23g.