It's no secret that human health determines its diet to a greater extent. The rules of healthy eating have been developed long ago. One of them says that the menu must necessarily include vegetables and fruits. We will talk about the role of Chinese cabbage in a healthy diet in this article.

Characteristics of Chinese cabbage

Chinese cabbage is called 2 varieties of vegetable plants: Beijing cabbage and bok choy. These species have spread to other countries from the territory of China and today are used in the cuisines of many peoples of the world. However, most often these vegetables are used by the Chinese.

Did you know? In China, the cultivation and use of culinary leaf and cabbage began 5 thousand years ago. And in Europe, until the 1970s, culture was little known, until the Japanese developed early hybrids that retained their presentation for a long time.

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Beijing cabbage is more famous and popular in the world than bok choy. This vegetable crop has tender and juicy leaves with wavy or scalloped edges, collected in a socket or in an extended head of cabbage weighing 1.5–2 kg. The color of the leaves is yellow-green.

Recently, on the shelves you can find red cabbage, the leaves of which are purple in color. Beijing vegetable is divided into 2 varieties: leaf and cabbage. Bok choy - kale. She leaves are formed on strong dense stems. They are painted in dark green. Most often, bok-choi is used in their cuisines by the Japanese, Chinese and Koreans.

Leaf and head

Benefit

Both varieties of Chinese cabbage are characterized by a rich vitamin and mineral composition and have a number of useful properties.

• Here's what this vegetable crop is good for:
• strengthens the immune system;
• cleanses the blood;
• accelerates metabolism;
• positively affects the work of the digestive tract;
• relieves depression and chronic fatigue syndrome;
• relieves headaches;
• normalizes blood pressure;
• prevents the development of diseases of the heart and blood vessels;
• relieves constipation;
• improves the balance of intestinal microflora;
• provides elasticity and strength of blood vessels;
• removes excess fluid;
• improves the functioning of the organs of vision.

Chinese cabbage is recommended to eat for the prevention of atherosclerosis, diabetes, gastrointestinal problems, obesity, cancer.

Harm and contraindications

This vegetable can cause harm in case of excessive eating. Some sources advise it to be used to treat certain diseases, such as diabetes. However, in world medical practice, cases have been documented where daily eating of Chinese cabbage in large quantities led to irreversible health problems.

The recommended norm per day is not more than 300 g. Also, a vegetable can cause undesirable reactions from the gastrointestinal tract - disruption of the pancreas and intestines - when it is eaten simultaneously with dairy products and soft cheeses.

• It is contraindicated to eat cabbage with such health problems:
• acute colitis;
• acute inflammation of the pancreas;
• exacerbation of a stomach ulcer;
• poisoning;
• diarrhea;
• exacerbation of gastritis;
• bloating.

Vitamin composition and calorie content

Useful and harmful properties of a vegetable crop are determined by its chemical composition. It contains many vitamins. 100 g contains 30% of the daily norm for a person of ascorbic acid, which is slightly less than in tangerines, and more than in apples. Also in cabbage there are a lot of vitamins B6 (11%), K (36%), folates (20%).

Of the minerals, a vegetable plant boasts a large amount of potassium (9.5%), calcium (7.7%), manganese (9.5%). Magnesium, phosphorus, iron, and copper are also present. This delicious vegetable contains a small number of calories - only 16 kcal is contained in 100 grams, so it can be reckoned among foods suitable for dietary nutrition.

The nutritional value (BJU) of fresh Chinese cabbage is as follows:

• proteins - 1.2 g;
• fats - 0.2 g;
• carbohydrates - 2 g;
• dietary fiber - 1.2%
• water - 94%.

Product Features

There is a category of people who need to use Chinese cabbage with caution or according to a certain scheme. These include people with certain diseases, lactating women and those who are on a diet.

For diseases

There are a number of diseases in which you need to monitor the quantity, quality and composition of products in the diet, for example, gastrointestinal diseases. Consider whether it is useful or harmful to use a vegetable with a stomach ulcer, gastritis and pancreatitis.

If any of these ailments is in remission, and the digestive system copes with the digestion of the described vegetable culture without problems, then there are no contraindications to its use in boiled and stewed form. Fresh vegetable should be discarded.

In the period of exacerbation, eating this product is unacceptable in any form, because the fiber contained in it has an irritating effect on the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines, which can lead to pain, indigestion, diarrhea, vomiting and other undesirable manifestations. The recovery process will be significantly extended in time.

With ulcers and gastritis, it is useful to drink warm cabbage juice before meals, which, thanks to the content of vitamin U, promotes the rapid healing of the mucous membrane.

In moderation, Chinese cabbage can be eaten by diabetics. It does not affect the level of glucose in the blood and slows down the absorption of carbohydrates from other products. Also, diabetics are allowed to eat fresh, boiled, stewed and pickled vegetables. Its fresh glycemic index is 15 units.

When breastfeeding

Women who breastfeed need to carefully monitor their diet, since almost all products pass into breast milk, which means that the baby’s digestive system, which is not yet able to cope with, is still inadequate. Naturally, nursing mothers are concerned about the question of whether it is possible to use Chinese cabbage for HS.

In a small amount, this product can be entered into the menu after the baby is 3 months old. A nursing woman should include Chinese cabbage in the diet, starting with small doses - 50 g per day and gradually increasing its amount, while constantly monitoring the condition of the child.

First you need to try the vegetable cooked by heat treatment - in a stew or boiled form without spices. Fresh product can be introduced after 1-2 weeks. But the woman during this period needs to refuse to use pickled and salted vegetables. A product prepared in this way can impair the taste of breast milk and lead to allergic reactions in infants.

Important! If the baby has skin rashes or abnormalities in the digestive tract - flatulence, diarrhea, bloating, colic - the use of the vegetable should be stopped immediately.

For weight loss

Of course, every person who wants to lose weight or strictly follows his menu and figure should know whether it is possible to eat cabbage with diet food. Nutritionists do not just allow it to be eaten, but even recommend it, since it refers to products with a negative calorie content. This means that the body spends more calories to digest the vegetable than it receives when it is received.

There are many diets where one of the components is Chinese cabbage. Losing weight with it is obtained due to the fact that it relieves hunger for a long time, accelerates metabolism and helps to eliminate toxins from the body.

When compiling a diet menu, you should pay attention that the vegetable in question goes well with cucumbers, spinach, celery, sweet pepper, tomatoes, zucchini, all kinds of herbs, lots of fruits and berries.

Did you know? American John Evans - a lover of growing giant vegetables - managed to grow some of the largest types of cabbage in the world. White-skinned weighed 34.4 kg, broccoli - 15.8 kg, Brussels - 14.1 kg.

For dressing fresh salads, you should use olive oil, vinegar, yogurt, low fat sour cream, lemon juice. In order to quickly and effectively lose weight, nutritionists advise cabbage dishes to replace dinner: this will not overload the body with calories before bedtime.

Selection and storage tips

Despite the fact that Chinese cabbage can be grown almost all year round, unscrupulous producers can fill it with nitrates, so the choice of vegetable must be done carefully. So, you should refuse to buy a plant that has such characteristics:

• too green leaves;
• too yellow leaves;
• wet leaves with signs of rot, fungal damage, damage;
• sluggish, dry, dry leaves;
• too tight or loose heads of cabbage;
• there is condensation on the food film.

The vegetable should look healthy, appetizing and have a fresh aroma. The leaves should be elastic, dense, yellow-green. Chinese cabbage can be stored for a long time. Unripe heads of cabbage are sent for storage, which are distinguished by elasticity, density and a fresh look of leaves. Leaves must be completely dry.

Important! The lighter the leaves of Peking cabbage, the juicier they are.

There are several ways to store a vegetable:

• in the refrigerator with wrapped film, paper;
• in cool and dark conditions;
• in the basement or cellar.

It is not recommended to save cabbage next to apples - this affects the taste of vegetable leaves. In the refrigerator, the vegetable can be stored for up to 2 weeks, in the freezer - up to 3 months. In room conditions, it will be suitable for use for 2 days.

Cooking Features

Salads and starter cultures are prepared from Chinese cabbage, dishes are decorated with it, used for stuffed cabbage, pancake fillings. Heads of cabbage are allowed to cook soups, side dishes, pickled seafood. The leaves have a sweet taste, making them well suited to spicy meat dishes.

When consumed simultaneously with fatty foods, cabbage leaves help it digest faster and better. Fresh, they blend well with olive oil and sesame seeds. Oil is made from bok-choy seeds, the leaves lend themselves to stewing, boiling, frying, pickling, add to the first dishes.

Important! To replenish the body with the necessary vitamins and elements, a fresh product should be preferred. After heat treatment, cabbage will lose a number of valuable elements, in particular, a large amount of vitamin C.

So, Chinese cabbage is a valuable vegetable crop that has a number of beneficial effects on the human body. It is suitable for preparing many delicious dishes. Juicy leaves perfectly complement the diet of any person, saturating his body with the necessary elements. However, before you regularly use the product, you should make sure that you are not on the list of persons to whom it is contraindicated.