It’s another gorgeous day to discover the different health benefits of napa cabbage.
Napa cabbage is fairly common. Some of its other names are Napa, Brassica Rapa, and Chinese Cabbage.
Here is my list of the health benefits of napa cabbage.
1. Napa Cabbage Supports Your Daily Nutritional Needs
Napa cabbage isn’t very popular as other leafy vegetables when it comes to nutritional content but adding it to your meals is very easy.
It’s a good source of vitamin C.
You’ll also get minerals like calcium, iron, magnesium, and sodium.
It also contains dietary fiber and protein.
Some sources say that it also contains vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, and B9. Copper, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, and zinc are also mentioned.
2. May Have Anti-inflammatory Qualities
Napa cabbage is another vegetable that’s said to help reduce inflammations.
This can be helpful with chronic inflammations as well as relieving the effects of arthritis.
3. Napa Cabbage May Help Manage Diabetes
Napa cabbage contains manganese that may help you deal with overly high blood sugar levels.
According to this research (Manganese Supplementation Protects Against Diet-Induced Diabetes) conducted on animals, manganese helped in improved insulin secretion.
4. May Help Reduce Blood Pressure Levels
Napa cabbage contains minerals that help reduce blood pressure levels naturally.
This vegetable contains calcium, magnesium, and potassium that were noted to have positive effects in decreasing blood pressure.
5. Napa Cabbage May Help Support The Heart’s Functions
Because napa cabbage is a source of different B vitamins, it’s said to help support the functions and the health of the heart.
To be more precise, certain B-vitamins help recycle homocysteine.
High levels of homocysteine in the blood can lead to inflammation of the blood vessels.
6. Is Good For Your Skin
Vitamin C is needed in the production of collagen. And collagen is used in supporting the body’s skin system.
Adding napa cabbage to your diet will help you with this because it’s a good source of vitamin C.
7. Napa Cabbage Helps Boost The Immune System
As mentioned earlier, napa cabbage is a good source of vitamin C.
Vitamin C is very popular in strengthening your body’s immune system, especially against the common coughs and colds.
It also helps in optimizing the absorption of iron in your body. Iron helps with resisting infections and fighting viruses.
8. May Help With Weight Management
Like most of the green leafy vegetables, napa cabbage is low in calories with good dietary fiber contents.
This means that adding more of it to your diet will help you feel fuller while not hurting your efforts in losing weight.
9. Napa Cabbage May Support The Health Of The Brain
Copper is important in the development and functioning of the brain.
Consuming napa cabbage can help with your body’s copper needs.
It’s said to be food for the brain. It helps stimulate neural pathways.
10. Contains Antioxidants
Vitamin C can act as an antioxidant in the body.
Eating napa cabbage can give you good amounts of vitamin C.
Antioxidants help fight free radicals that can cause cell damage to your organs which can lead to different kinds of chronic diseases.
Other antioxidants that are said to be contained in napa cabbage are carotenes, isothiocyanates, and lutein.
11. Napa Cabbage May Help Strengthen Bones And Teeth
When we talk about strong bones and teeth, we usually think of calcium.
Phosphorus is another important mineral that’s used for the development and health of bones and teeth.
Napa cabbage is said to have both nutrients which makes it a good addition to your diet to support bones and teeth.
12. May Help Support Eye Health
Napa cabbage contains vitamin A and lutein which are both well-known in keeping your eyes healthy and preventing certain eye diseases.
Adding this vegetable to your diet may be helpful especially as we age.
13. Napa Cabbage Is Helpful With Premenstrual Symptoms
Foods that contain iron like napa cabbage may help reduce or relieve premenstrual symptoms.
Some of these can be dizziness, hypertension, and mood swings.
This study (Women’s Iron Intake May Help To Protect Against PMS) can tell you more about the benefits of iron consumption.
14. Is Good For Your Digestion
Since napa cabbage is a source of fiber, it helps optimize the digestive process.
This can promote normal bowel movements that can prevent constipation and diarrhea.
Furthermore, good digestion helps with better absorption of nutrients.
Here’s a non-leafy vegetable that’s still good for your digestion.
Have you heard of daikon? You can check my article about daikon’s health benefits here.
15. Napa Cabbage May Help Control Asthma
Napa cabbage contains magnesium which may help ease asthma attacks.
Magnesium can help relax the bronchial muscles which can then help regulate breathing.
Conclusion
These are just some of the different health benefits of napa cabbage.
I like using napa cabbage in soups and just stir-frying them with other vegetables.
I didn’t even realize that it can help with my arthritis condition as it has anti-inflammatory qualities. This is my favorite health benefit on the list.
Which health benefit of napa cabbage on the list is your favorite?
Like always, please make sure to talk it over first with your doctor or medical professional if it’s safe for you to consume cabbage.
I think that it’s relatively safe but you should still check just in case you have certain conditions that will not allow you to eat napa cabbage.
If you think that it’s valuable to know the health benefits of napa cabbage, please share it with your family and friends.
Thank you!
Image Source: wikipedia.org