Purple Cabbage, a Weight-Loss Vegetable: Benefits and Effects, Eating It Raw, and a Food Pairing Guide

Purple cabbage is one of the common foods in many weight-loss meals. Purple cabbage is also known as red cabbage, purple wild cabbage, or purple kohlrabi, and is commonly called purple package cabbage. Its nutrition is very rich, so what are the benefits and effects of purple cabbage? Can purple cabbage be eaten raw? What foods can purple cabbage be paired with? Who should not eat purple cabbage?

1. Benefits and Effects of Purple Cabbage

1. Delays body aging

Eating more purple cabbage in daily life can delay body aging, because purple cabbage not only contains a large amount of anthocyanins but is also rich in vitamin C. Both are natural antioxidant components that can increase the activity of human tissue cells and also reduce the damage of free radicals to human tissue cells. Regularly eating purple cabbage can reduce the occurrence of oxidation reactions in the body and inhibit the generation of free radicals.

2. Prevents skin diseases

Purple cabbage contains a large amount of sulfur, a substance that can act directly on human skin, both eliminating skin inflammation and relieving pain and itching. Eating more purple cabbage in daily life can reduce the occurrence of many skin diseases. In addition, people with eczema and dermatitis who eat more purple cabbage will also find it promotes recovery from their condition.

3. Prevents fetal malformations

Purple cabbage is the most suitable healthy ingredient for pregnant women. It not only supplements the pregnant woman's body with rich nutrition but also allows her to absorb abundant natural folic acid. This substance both maintains the pregnant woman's health and promotes fetal development. It can effectively prevent fetal malformations and can also prevent adverse symptoms such as restless fetal movement and threatened miscarriage.

4. Weight loss

The iron contained in purple cabbage can increase the oxygen content in the blood, which is beneficial for the body's consumption of fat, so people who need to lose weight should eat more purple cabbage.

5. Promotes appetite

According to scientific research, eating brightly colored foods helps promote appetite. The bright purple of purple cabbage can enhance a person's sense of pleasure and increase appetite, making it very suitable for people with poor appetite.

2. Can Purple Cabbage Be Eaten Raw?

Because purple cabbage may be sprayed with pesticides during the growing process, it is recommended that before making cold dressed purple cabbage, you had better first treat the purple cabbage using the method below.

Peel the purple cabbage off leaf by leaf, put it into lightly salted water and soak for 15-20 minutes, then take it out, rinse it clean, and cut it into fine shreds. Next, you can make cold dressed purple cabbage using your favorite method. Although this cannot completely remove pesticide residues, it is still much safer than just washing it and eating it directly. This treatment method is suitable not only for cold dressing but also for various ways of eating it such as stir-fried purple cabbage.

If you feel uncomfortable without blanching it, you can also put the purple cabbage, peeled off in sheets, into boiling water and blanch it for about 15 seconds. Remember that it must go into the pot in whole sheets to blanch, and the blanching time must not exceed 15 seconds. Once blanched, immediately take it out and rinse with cold water, then drain it and cut it into shreds for cold dressing. This is the blanching method with the smallest loss of nutrition and taste.

The worst treatment method is to first shred the purple cabbage, then soak it in lightly salted water or blanch it. The result is that the water-soluble nutrients in the purple cabbage are all lost into the water.

3. What Foods Can Purple Cabbage Be Paired With?

1. Purple cabbage can be eaten with wood ear mushroom. Eating these two foods together has the effects of tonifying the kidneys, strengthening the bones, and benefiting the brain.

2. If purple cabbage is eaten with green pepper, this promotes gastrointestinal peristalsis.

3. If purple cabbage is eaten with dried shrimp, this not only strengthens the body but also has anti-cancer and disease-fighting effects.

4. Who Should Not Eat Purple Cabbage?

1. Weak constitution

People with a weak constitution should not eat purple cabbage. The biggest characteristic of people with a weak constitution is low immunity, making them especially prone to illness. If you have such symptoms, it shows that you are not suited to eating purple cabbage. Because purple cabbage is a mildly diuretic and dampness-draining agent, eating purple cabbage will make people with a weak constitution even weaker. Therefore, people with a weak constitution should not eat purple cabbage.

2. Chronic diarrhea

People with chronic diarrhea should not eat red beans. Because purple cabbage is very rich in cellulose, and cellulose can promote intestinal peristalsis, people with chronic diarrhea who eat too much purple cabbage are prone to diarrhea, bloating, abdominal pain, and gastrointestinal discomfort. It easily aggravates gastrointestinal diseases. Therefore, people with gastrointestinal inflammation or chronic diarrhea are not suited to eating purple cabbage.