With St. Patrick’s Day here, we think of the traditional dinner of corned beef and cabbage. But is this healthy? Did I blow my whole week’s worth of treats just to have a holiday meal? The answer may surprise you.
Meal
The meal itself consists of corned beef, boiled for a while, then mixed with potatoes, carrots, and cabbage. Beef has protein. The vegetables have vitamins and fiber. What good is cabbage?
Cabbage
Cabbage is loaded with nutrients such as manganese, vitamin B6, and folate, and is a good source of thiamin, riboflavin, calcium, potassium, vitamin A, tryptophan, protein, and magnesium. A single serving contains 5 grams of fiber. In terms of nutrients, one cup of cabbage provides about 80% of the daily value for vitamin K, 50% for vitamin C, and 10% for folate, for only 20 calories.
Besides that, cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower contain strong phytochemicals with potential anticancer effects. Science is finding that these compounds can counter ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease that significantly increases the risk of colon cancer. One study revealed an 87% reduction in colon inflammation after five days of observation.
Additionally, when cabbage and other cruciferous vegetables are chopped or chewed, they form a natural compound that switches on a built-in protective system that turns up the body’s antioxidant defenses and turns down inflammatory signals. This process may calm intestinal inflammation and strengthen the gut lining,
