There’s more to cabbage than flatulence

It’s no secret that cabbage has a bad rep for being a cause of bloating and flatulence. What you don’t get to hear however is that these signs only occur after excessive consumption of it.

Did you know that early cabbage was not the full-bodied head we have today? Instead it was a more loose-leaf variety like spinach and Sukuma wiki (kale). The head variety was developed during the Middle Ages by northern European farmers.

Discovered over 4,000 years ago, there are at least 100 types of cabbage varieties grown throughout the world. The largest cabbage dish ever made to date contained 80,191 cabbage rolls and weighed 544 kg. China is the greatest producer of cabbage, while Russia consumes the most cabbage in the world. The three most common types of cabbage are the Green, Red, Savoy varieties, all of which are grown in Kenya. What’s more, each variety has different nutritional strength; the red cabbage has more vitamin C, while the savoy has more vitamin A, calcium, iron and potassium.

Read more: Dr Claire Majisu: Is Sukumawiki poisoning your children?

Generally all cabbage are a good source of vitamin B6 and folate, manganese, thiamin, riboflavin, calcium, potassium, vitamin A, tryptophan, protein and magnesium.

If you are thinking of going on a low calorie diet, cabbage is a great choice. Its low in saturated fat and reportedly one cup of cabbage only holds about 15 calories. Lactic acid present in cabbages helps decrease stress and is great for headaches.Various antioxidants present in cabbages work to combat skin damage as they protect from UV light and keeps your skin looking younger. Cabbage juice can double as a face mask with honey.

In addition to its nutritional benefits, the Ancient Greeks recommended cabbage as a laxative, eye salve and its juice as an antidote for mushroom poisoning. In one of his works, Cato the Elder, a Roman senator and historian suggested that women could prevent diseases by bathing in urine obtained from those who had frequently eaten cabbage. We however would not recommend you try this at home.

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