The world is facing the new burden of diabetes, so getting super conscious about food intake has become a significant part of our lives. A proper diet is the only way to live a healthy life. Cabbage has some natural chemicals called anthocyanins that help in reducing blood sugar levels and so is ideal for controlling your diabetes.
The Winter season is best for cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, kale, etc. Don’t skip these vegetables as these are notorious for all the nutritional benefits. The cabbage color may vary from green to red and purple but have the same nutritional benefit, so don’t get confused while picking the one for you.
Note: even half a cup of cooked cabbage contains 81.5 mg of vitamin k.
A diet rich in vegetables and fruits is essential to fight against diabetes. Cruciferous vegetables, including cabbage, are considered one of the best vegetable weapons to fight against the situation.
We know that cabbage is not your favorite vegetable for many valid reasons like its smelly, it’s tasteless and many others, but it can do wonders if you are a diabetic patient. If you are suffering from metabolic syndrome or diabetic patients, you should add cabbage to your grocery list.
Don’t forget to add cabbage to your grocery list as it is the natural way to treat diabetes, and if you are lucky enough, it can also help to get you off from your medications. Yes, cabbage is a powerful weapon to treat diabetes, and it can do wonders to handle the situation.
Interesting Fact – cabbage is a good source of vitamin C and other nutrients. It also contains vitamin K, which is very important for your bones and helps in the formation of blood clots after injury.
15 Benefits of Eating Cabbage in Diabetes
Protects from radiation therapy3, 3-diindolylmethane (DIM) is the compound found in cabbage and other cruciferous vegetables that helps in radiation therapy.
Due to this compound, there are higher counts of red and white blood cells and blood platelets in the blood, which is quite helpful in radiation therapy. It provides a natural shield for the tissues in cancer patients.
- Controls blood sugar
There are many anti-hyperglycemic properties and antioxidants present in the cabbage, which act as the natural weapon to fight against diabetes. To lower the blood sugar levels, both properties act as a natural medicine for diabetes.
- Suitable for a healthy heart
Cabbage is considered the best for improving the health of the heart. The compound named anthocyanin, which is found the red cabbage, helps to lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Even the small amount of flavonoid-rich food reduces the risk of death from cardiovascular diseases.
Note – cabbage helps to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease as a high amount of polyphenol is present in it. This compound helps in reducing blood pressure and prevents platelet build-up.
- Improves kidney functions
Whenever the blood sugar levels rise, the kidney tends to get rid of the extra sugar through urine. Due to this, there is an excessive loss of fluids in the body, resulting in dehydration, leading to many problems ahead.
Due to dehydration, the blood becomes thick, blood sugar levels increase, and kidneys fail to rectify it. Diabetic patients face kidney failures due to these reasons.
Eating cabbage is a breath-taking natural medicine for every diabetic patient as it helps to save the patients from these risks. Cabbage helps to maintain all the kidney functions and controls the blood sugar level.
So hurry up, add cabbage to your grocery list, and increase your dietary intake.
- Prevents cancer
Researchers have proved that eating cruciferous vegetables lowers the risk of cancer due to the presence of the cancer-fighting compound named sulforaphane.
Interesting Fact – the pigment called apigenin, commonly found in cabbage, celery, and parsley, helps decrease the size of the tumor.
- Helps in weight loss
Choosing cabbage in the diet is the best decision for all diabetic patients because they have low calories. Cabbage has high fiber content which helps I proper digestion and removable of toxins from the body.
The cabbage’s glycemic index is ten, which is extremely low and considered safe for any diabetic patient. The Glycemic index indicated that how fast the carbohydrates will increase the blood sugar levels.
Note – The glycemic index of any food item below 55 is always considered as low.
- Digestion and immunity
When it comes to digestion and the immune system, you can even consume cabbage in fermented forms. In fermented food, some enzymes help in the easy absorption of minerals and vitamins. The healthy microbes generally improve the flavor during fermentation.
Note – the fibers present in the cabbage helps in the excretion of toxins through bile and stool. It helps to maintain a healthy digestive tract by preventing constipation and other digestive tract problems.
These are all the benefits of eating cabbage for every diabetic and non-diabetic patient. Eating cabbage can do wonders for your health if you increase the intake of cabbage in your diet.
Interesting Fact – cabbage is very beneficial for diabetes, radiation, cancer, and it also reduces the risk of heart diseases.
Additional benefits of Cabbage in Diabetes
- It helps in causing a lower risk of cancer.
- Asthma
- Excess of stomach acid
- Morning sickness
- Prevention of osteoporosis
- Stomach pain and stomach ulcers
- Intestinal ulcers
- High cholesterol
- Breast engorgement in breastfeeding women when applied cabbage extract on the skin.
What is the Nutritional Value of Cabbage?
Cabbage has many nutritional benefits that benefit diabetic patients and help any individual improve his health.
According to the studies, 75grams of cooked cabbage contains:
- 4gms of carbohydrates, which include 2gm of sugar and 1gm of fiber.
- 1gm of protein
- 11 milligrams of magnesium
- 17 calories
- 22 micrograms of folate
- 81.5 micrograms of vitamin K.
Seventy-five grams of cooked cabbage give you 30-35% of your daily vitamin C needs. Along with this, it provides a lesser amount of calcium, vitamin B-6, thiamin, potassium.
It also contains the flavonoids such as apigenin, kaempferol and quercetin as well as the antioxidants such as beta-carotene, choline, zeaxanthin and lutein.
Note – Red cabbage contains more of these compounds than green cabbage.
Cabbage also contains plant sterols, which are beneficial in reducing LDL cholesterol. Cabbage contains a compound named phytosterols, which block the absorption of cholesterol in the digestive tract and reduces LDL cholesterol.
It also contains potassium, which relaxes the blood vessel walls that tend to lower the blood pressure.
Interesting Fact – red cabbage is an excellent source of potassium. And potassium keeps the blood pressure in a healthy range.
How to add Cabbage to your Diabetic Diet?
Make sure the leaves of the cabbage are tight and bulky in size. The cabbage with loose leaves indicates that they are old. You can keep the cabbage in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
There are many ways to eat cabbage. You can eat cabbage raw, boiled, steamed, stuffed, or roasted. Ensure that the cabbage is not overcooked, or else it will start to leave a sulfurous odor. The longer the cabbage is overcooked stronger, the smell becomes.
Note – cabbage helps to reduce inflammation due to the presence of antioxidants.
Don’t worry if the cabbage is overcooked because it is safe to eat overcooked cabbage, but it has a sulfurous odor.
Easy tips:
- Add the boiled cabbage into your salads, add the lemon juice, and the dash of salt in it.
- You can also prepare the cabbage juice by adding some other vegetables with it and blending it.
- You can also add cabbage into your dal and curry to get all the benefits.
- Include the vegetable in your diet and add it as a side dish of the cabbage thrice a week.
- Add cabbage into your soups.
- Shred the cabbage into your salads
These are just some ideas to add cabbage to your diet. You can also do more of this and add some tasty cabbage preparations into your diet to reap all its benefits.
Are there any Risks for eating Cabbage, if you have diabetes?
Eating excessive cabbage can also affect the blood sugar level in diabetic patients. Cabbage is indeed an ideal vegetable for diabetic patients, but eating it excessively might increase the risk.
Cabbage is safe if it is taken in medicinal amounts. Overall there is a low-risk factor of adding cabbage into your diet. The absence of vitamin K in the blood increases the risk of excessive bleeding.
Using cabbage for weight loss, many benefits, but the weight lost by adding cabbage soups will return once you start to eat normally again. So try to make an ideal diet by consulting your doctor.
Many people face problems while digesting cruciferous vegetables, so you can also add small portions of these vegetables.
Note – do not forget to add cruciferous vegetables to your diet if you are a diabetic patient as it can do wonders for your health.
It is crucial to add a variety of foods to your diet rather than concentrate on only one food to maintain good health and prevent disease. Add a variety of food items that have low GI (Glycemic Index).
Important note – if you start to eat blood thinners, then don’t suddenly increase or decrease the intake of food items that contain Vitamin K. (Vitamin K helps in blood clotting after injury).
It is essential to add a variety of food items to include in your diet to maintain your health. Given below are the food items with low GI that are safe for diabetic patients:
- Spinach
- Green beans
- Lettuce
- Celery
- Cauliflower
- Eggplant
- Asparagus
- Broccoli
- kale
These healthy options are rich in many nutrients, which will help promote healthy body functions and keep you healthy. Kale is considered the king of all green vegetables because it is rich in many nutrients and provides more amounts of vitamins A and K.
- Cabbage is rich in vitamin c, vitamin k, and other nutrients.
- Potassium-rich cabbage helps in maintaining the blood pressure in the normal range.
- Cabbage contains almost 40% of soluble fiber, which helps lower the LDL (bad) cholesterol by binding it into the gut and preventing its absorption.
- Antioxidants and anti-hyperglycemic properties present in the cabbage helps excessively diabetic patients.
- For diabetic patients, cabbage is an ideal vegetable as it acts as natural medicine.
- Cabbage also contains insoluble fiber, which helps in healthy digestion.
These are some of the essential cabbage facts, which are all necessary for any diabetic patient to look for.
Following your diet is very important for any diabetic patient, but this is the natural way that will help you to get rid of all your medications if you are lucky enough. Add cabbage thrice a week to your diet as the side dish or the main dish and reap all the benefits from this cruciferous vegetable.
Do not forget to add fruits and dry fruits to your diet as they are a rich source of other nutrients.
Always add those food items into your diet, which has low GI so that the blood sugar level remains in the healthy range.
Fact –
- The insoluble fibers present in the cabbage add fuel to the friendly bacteria and promotes regular bowel movements.
- According to the research, adding an extra amount of spinach, cabbage, and broccoli reduces the risk of diabetes.
Vegetables that are low in starch are considered best for diabetes patients because there is a low risk of increasing the blood sugar level. For any diabetic patient, it is essential to prioritize your weight and blood sugar level.
Safety tips for diabetic patients:
- Always be prepared for emergencies.
- Wear shoes in the house and avoid the chance of injury
- Store glucose tablets in your refrigerator and stock some glucose in your car too.
- Make a file- list all your allergies and medical condition, including the medications and dosages and the number of your health care. This will be needed in an emergency so that your emergency responders will get your health information.
These are some of the tips you need to follow and consult the doctor to know more precautions and tips, which are very important to follow. Do not skip any of these tips and add more safety concerns if needed.
References
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29521054/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31034184/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32203940/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30530850/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28546222/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29517782/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18779236/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28753316/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27530474/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26841240/
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I’m really impressed together with your writing abilities and also with the layout for your weblog. Is this a paid topic or did you customize it yourself? Either way keep up the nice high quality writing, it’s uncommon to see a great weblog like this one today.
Thank you so much
I have high blood sugar levels and Ihave been using white cabbage for several months now. I have lost so much weight and my sugar levels stays in range but I drink lots of water after meals. I am gping to start add the red cabbage next purchase
Thanks for the free helpful information
Thanks for your feedback Dawn! I’m glad to hear that white cabbage has been working well for you.
We’re always looking at new ways to help people manage their diabetes and we’re excited to see what happens when you start adding red cabbage into the mix. If there are any other vegetables or fruits that you think might be helpful, please let us know!