The many benefits of red cabbage and red beets

There are many reasons why red cabbage and red beets are such popular foods. Both red cabbage and red beets are delicious, nutritious and low in calories. In addition, the compounds found in red cabbage and red beets are thought to play an important role in the prevention of many forms of cancer.

New research has placed the focus on the benefits of red cabbage and red beets on the many phytochemicals these foods contain, in particular the presence of indole-3-carbinole (I3C0, sulforaphane and indoles. These compounds are thought to play a role in the activation and stabilization of the detoxification and antioxidant processes in the body.

The benefits of red beets and red cabbage

In particular, indole-3-carbinole (I3C) is thought to play a role in reducing the risk of breast cancer, and one small study showed a remarkable 50% reduction in the incidence of breast cancer. These compounds, found abundantly in red cabbage and red beets, are thought to play a role in how estrogen is produced and utilized in the body, and this is thought to play a role in reducing the incidence of breast cancer in those who consume these foods.

In addition to the prevention of breast cancer, red cabbage and red beets are thought to play an important role in the prevention of lung cancer, stomach cancer and colon cancer. In addition, red cabbage and red beets are known to be rich sources of vitamin C, an antioxidant which plays a vital role in reducing the presence of free radicals in the body.

In addition, all types of cabbages and related vegetables, including broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts and bok choy, are rich sources of calcium. In addition to calcium, however, red cabbage and red beets are also rich sources of flavonoids. It is these flavonoids which are responsible for the rich purple coloring of both red cabbage and red beets, and it is these flavonoids which give both red cabbage and red beets their strong antioxidant health benefits. As a matter of fact, red cabbage and red beets are among the richest sources of flavonoids in the vegetable world.

Other health benefits

In addition to their possible role as cancer fighters, red cabbage and red beets both are being studied for their possible role in the treatment of peptic ulcers. For many years the juice of the red cabbage has been used as a very effective way to treat peptic ulcers. It is thought that the high concentration of the amino acid known as glutamine is responsible for the ability of red cabbage and red beets to treat this common stomach condition. Glutamine is used to provide nutrients to the cells that line the small intestine and the stomach, and this fact may be responsible for the effectiveness of cabbage juice at treating ulcer conditions.

When shopping for red cabbage, it is a good idea to choose those heads with the richest, reddest leaves, since the compounds that give red cabbage is rich flavor also provide its nutritional benefits. Likewise, those red beets with the richest and heartiest color are thought to provide the greatest nutritional value.