“If it wasn’t for the smell that covered the place while making Sauerkraut!” When many people say ‘white cabbage’, these words are first spilled from their lips. However, sulfur compounds that produce unpleasant smells when cooking make white cabbage more valuable. Rich vitamins, minerals and strong ingredients make it one of nature’s miraculous nutrients.
Nutrition and Dietary Experts state that white cabbage, which can be made in all kinds from juicy dishes to salads, stuffing and Sauerkraut, is a must-consume food.
Thanks to its sulphurous compounds, vitamins A, C and K, white cabbage, a vegetable with a very strong antioxidant properties, has a protective effect against many diseases. However, it should be used with caution by people who use blood thinners. Again, some substances in its structure slow down the functioning of the thyroid glands. Therefore, it should not be consumed too much by people with hypothyroidism, i.e. people whose thyroids are underworked. It is convenient to consume it twice a week.
Nutritionist and Dietitians wrote about the benefits that come with white cabbage, gave a recipe for white sauerkraut, which you will easily make at home.
1- White cabbage protects against infections
White cabbage, which is much stronger in content than many vegetables in terms of vitamin C, protects against infections, strengthens immunity. 100 grams of white cabbage meets 40 percent of daily vitamin C needs. Although its vitamin C content decreases as it is cooked, waited and processed, it still benefits.
2- Strengthens nerves
White cabbage is also a vegetable with a high content of vitamins of group B, such as thiamin, riboflavin and niacin. Vitamins of group B are extremely beneficial, especially for the nervous system. It also has immune-boosting properties. When you consume as many as 1 serving of white cabbage or salad, you can meet 10 percent of your daily vitamin B needs.
3- Helps slimming
White cabbage, which is quite low in calories, is a very suitable vegetable for diets. There’s 24 kcal of energy in 100 grams. Especially when consumed raw, the calorie return to the diet is less. White cabbage, which is rich in fiber, keeps it full for a long time. Do not forget to add a small amount of fat to it when preparing its food, both for the absorption of vitamins K and A, which dissolve in fat, and for a long time to keep the stomach full without leaving quickly.
4- Lowers high blood pressure
White cabbage, which is a vegetable that helps to remove water from the body with fiber and certain substances in its structure, thus ensures good circulation, decreased edema, removal of sodium from the body along with water, and therefore lowering blood pressure. Food or salad can be easily consumed by people with high blood pressure and edema.
5- Protects bones
White cabbage, a strong source of calcium, is a few steps ahead of other vegetables with this feature. You can complete 10 percent of your daily calcium needs with 100 grams of white cabbage. Thus, the raw or cooked white cabbage, which supports the robustness of both tooth and bone tissue, does not affect its calcium content.
6- It activates the intestines
Sulfur compounds, which produce unpleasant odors, especially when cooking, allow white cabbage to work the digestive system well. In addition, thanks to the pulp, which is more densely located in the leaf parts, it is a vegetable that has a high ability to increase intestinal movements.
7- Protects against cancer
Nutrition and Dietary Experts say “White cabbage, a vegetable with high antioxidant capacity, fights against free radicals and protects against cancer. It also protects against diseases that suppress immunity, liver diseases, diabetes and obesity.”
8- Sauerkraut have probiotic feature!
By making your pickle, you can give white cabbage probiotic properties. But salt added to the pickle can lead to a decrease in the amount of probiotics. Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that live in the intestines. They protect the body against many diseases by ensuring that the intestines are healthy. Only to remember is to prepare the pickle with vinegar and when it ripens, both eat its cabbage and drink its juice.
Sauerkraut recipe
Chop and wash 3 kg of cabbage to the desired size, then rub well with salt. Firmly place the cabbages, which are filtered until morning, in a clean 5 kg glass jar without using the filtered water.
Put 5-6 cloves of garlic and carrot slices if you like. Add 7-8 pieces of chickpeas to the jar, then pour 1.5 cups of vinegar into the jar. Fill with boiled and chilled water, in which you add 4 tablespoons of rock salt. You can consume it in a dark place after 2 weeks of soaking at room temperature, taking care that there are no air bubbles in it and that it does not get air after closing the lid.