When you hear the word “cabbage”, what comes to mind? A rounded ball of green and white leaves, I guess. It would be interesting to note that there are over 400 varieties of cabbage grown throughout the world. Among these varieties comes a lovely variety called the red/purple cabbage.
The red cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable, which gets its red-purplish color from the presence of a phytonutrient called anthocyanin.
Depending on the pH balance or acidity of the soil, this plant could assume different colors such as red, purple or even blue. It is a seasonal plant which could be eaten either cooked or raw.
RED/PURPLE CABBAGE VS GREEN CABBAGE
Is the red cabbage the same as the green cabbage? Yes, and no. There are significant differences between the red and green cabbage.
Although they taste almost the same, their nutritional value differs to a certain extent. They each have their unique powerful nutritional values.
Red/Purple Cabbage
Iron: Packs double the amount of iron compared to the green cabbage.
Vitamin A: Contains ten times more (precursor) vitamin A than green cabbage. The high vitamin A content helps prevent eye problem such as macular degeneration, astigmatism and cataract.
Vitamin C: Good amount of vitamin C, which aids collagen synthesis to help your skin repair and prevent premature aging.
Anthocyanin: Dominant phytonutrient is anthocyanin which is a cancer-fighting flavonoid that protects against free radicals.
Anti-inflammatory: Very high antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties.
Immune system: Beneficial for boosting the immune system and treating high blood pressure.
Gut health: Red cabbage is an excellent option for fermenting into sauerkraut or kimchi for super gut healthy probiotics.
Green Cabbage
Vitamin K: Contains twice as much vitamin K as the red cabbage. Vitamin K helps your blood to coagulate, regulates bone mineralization by increasing bone density.
Vitamin C: Good amount of vitamin C as compared to the red cabbage.
Folate (vitamin B9): Our bodies need folate to make DNA and other genetic material. Folate is also needed to make red and white blood cells in the bone marrow. It’s a pretty important vitamin that is often overlooked.
Gut health: One of the most outstanding health benefits of drinking green cabbage juice is its ability to heal peptic ulcers within days, due to its higher content of vitamin U. Fermenting cabbage into sauerkraut or kimchi makes it a superfood for a healthy gut.
Immune system: Like red cabbage, the green cabbage has very high amount of vitamin C that is an excellent help to boosting the immune system.
UNIQUE PHYTONUTRIENTS IN RED CABBAGE
One exceptional quality of the red cabbage which makes it so consequential to the maintenance of the overall health of the body, is the presence of phytonutrients such as anthocyanins, isothiocyanates, indoles and polyphenols.