10 – Cabbage and cholesterol
The soluble fiber in cabbage helps to lower cholesterol by preventing it from being absorbed.
Consuming 10 – 25 grams of soluble fiber each day is recommended as part of a cholesterol-lowering diet.
Nutrients in cabbage
Cabbage is an excellent source of several nutrients. Especially potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B6, folic acid, calcium, biotin, manganese and magnesium. Red cabbage also contains anthocyanins. This is a phytochemical also found in Bermuda onions, beets, and blueberries. Sauerkraut is an excellent source of vitamin C and vitamin K, and a good source of potassium, iron, folate, and fiber.
History of cabbage
Cabbage belongs to the Brassicaceae family of vegetables. These include other vegetables such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, kale and cauliflower. There are over four hundred different varieties of cabbage to choose from. Some of the more popular varieties are red, green, savoy, bok choy, napa and Chinese cabbage.
The exact history of cabbage is difficult to trace, but it’s believed to have been domesticated before 1000 BC somewhere in Europe. The first pickled version of cabbage was made by soldiers in Mongolia and China. Pickled and fermented cabbage was taken by Hun and Mongol warriors to Europe.
Cabbage cultivation eventually spread from northern Europe into Poland, Germany, and Russia. The high vitamin C content of the fermented cabbage dish known as sauerkraut helped prevent scurvy for sailors. Early German settlers introduced cabbage and sauerkraut into the United States.
China, Poland, Japan and The Russian Federation are some of the leading producers of cabbage today.
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