Brassica oleracea Cabbage

This leafy veggie will surprise you with its myriad health benefits.
from Magic Foods
For centuries, Russian peasants sustained themselves on this leafy veggie. But even if your fridge is full of other foods, you should still consider eating cabbage. Its very low in calories (just 16 calories per 1/2 cup cooked) and high in fiber. Together, these two attributes spell weight loss, which should benefit your blood sugar. Add to that the fact that cabbage is way low on the GL scale, and youve got a Magic winner. And eating cabbage doesnt mean spooning up pale stew; if you prepare it right, cabbage can be a culinary delight. This veggie doesnt just help you lose weight. Cabbage (especially the red variety) is also a surprisingly excellent source of vitamin C, which some experts believe may reduce the risk of developing diabetes. Red cabbage offers another bonus: Its rich in natural pigments called anthocyanins, which new research suggests may help boost insulin production and lower blood sugar levels. Finally, cabbage is often prepared with vinegar, which can help lower the GL of your whole meal. Health Bonus Cabbage contains sulphoraphane, which has potent anticancer properties. One study of women found that those who ate the most cabbage and its cruciferous cousins, like broccoli and Brussels sprouts, had a 45 percent lower breast cancer risk than women who ate the least. Cabbage may also help guard against lung cancer. Fermented cabbage, a.k.a. sauerkraut, may have even higher levels of anticancer compounds, a result of the fermentation process. Just beware of sauerkrauts high sodium content; rinse it before heating. Glycemic Load: Very low

http://www.rd.com/health/healthy-eating/cabbage-for-weight-loss-and-more/

Antidiabetic effect of Korean traditional Baechu (Chinese cabbage) kimchi in a type 2 diabetes model of rats.
Islam MS, Choi H.

Source
Department of Food and Nutrition, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea. sislam1974@yahoo.com

Abstract
The present study was conducted to examine the antidiabetic effects of two dietary dosages (0.5% and 2.0%) of freeze-dried Korean traditional Baechu (Chinese cabbage) kimchi in a high-fat (HF) diet-fed, streptozotocin (STZ)-induced type 2 diabetes (T2D) rat model. Five-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed HF diet for 2 weeks and then randomly divided into four groups of eight animals: normal control (NC), diabetic control (DBC), kimchi low (KML) (0.5%), and kimchi high (KMH) (2.0%) groups. Diabetes was induced by an intraperitoneal injection of STZ (40 mg/kg of body weight) in all groups except the NC

group. After 4 weeks of feeding of experimental diets, serum insulin concentrations and Homeostatic Model Assessment pancreatic beta-cell function were increased and blood glycated hemoglobin was decreased in the kimchi-fed groups compared to the DBC group, while a significant (P < .05) difference was observed only in the KMH group for serum insulin concentration. Lower fasting blood glucose and better glucose tolerance were observed in the KMH group compared to the DBC and KML groups; however, differences were not significant. Food intake, body weight gain, Homeostatic Model Assessment insulin resistance index, and serum lipid profiles were not significantly influenced by kimchi-containing diets. Data of this study suggest that dietary Baechu kimchi has some antidiabetic effects even when fed with a HF-containing diet. Better results are possible if it is consumed with normal or low-fat rather than HF-containing diet.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19459728

Spinach and cabbage 'may reduce risk of type 2 diabetes'

Eating extra cabbage, broccoli and spinach may reduce the risk of developing type two diabetes, researchers have found.
A diet rich in leafy green vegetables was associated with a 14 per cent reduced risk of developing the condition, a study by a team at University of Leicester has found. There are around two million people in Britain with type two diabetes and some do not know they have it. A diet high in fruit and vegetables generally has been found to reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease but it had not been known whether there was a beneficial effect in diabetes. Patrice Carter, a research nutritionist at the University and lead author, wrote in the British Medical Journal online that a lack of fruit and vegetables is thought to account for 2.6m deaths worldwide in 2000. The team analysed six research studies involving more than 220,000 people.

It was concluded that eating 1.15 servings of leafy green vegetables a day resulted in a 14 per cent reduced risk of type two diabetes when compared with people who ate less than half a serving per day. This was the equivalent of eating 122 grams of leafy green vegetables per day.

However there was no significant link between overall consumption of fruit and vegetables and the condition although the trend suggested eating more portions was beneficial. Mr Carter wrote: "there are several possible mechanisms that could explain the benefit of consuming green leafy vegetables in the diet. "Our results support the evidence that foods rather than isolated components such as antioxidants are beneficial for health. "Results from several supplement trials have produced disappointing results for prevention of disease, in contrast with epidemiological evidence. "Results from our meta-analysis support recommendations to promote the consumption of green leafy vegetables in the diet for reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes. The results support the growing body of evidence that lifestyle modification is an important factor in the prevention of type 2 diabetes. "The potential for tailored advice on increasing intake of green leafy vegetables to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes should be investigated further." However in an accompanying editorial, Professor Jim Mann from the University of Otago in New Zealand, and Research Assistant Dagfinn Aune from Imperial College London, were cautious about the results. They said that the overall message of increasing fruit and vegetable consumption must not be lostin a plethora of magic bullets', even though leafy green vegetables are included in that. It was too early to reach a conclusion about leafy green vegetables on their own, they said. Dr Iain Frame, Director of Research at the charity Diabetes UK said: We already know that the health benefits of eating

vegetables are far-reaching but this is the first time that there has been a suggested link specifically between green, leafy vegetables and a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes. "However, because of the relatively limited number of studies collated in this analysis it is too early to isolate green leafy vegetables and present them alone as a method to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. "Diabetes UK would be concerned if focusing on certain foods detracted from the advice to eat five portions of fruits and vegetables a day, which has benefits in terms of reducing heart disease, stroke, some cancers and obesity as well as type 2 diabetes.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7953745/Spinach-and-cabbage-may-reduce-risk-oftype-2-diabetes.html

The nutritional benefits of cabbage are instrumental especially for people that have diabetes as well as dealing with a weight problem. Cabbage is known to reduce the risk of developing diabetes and assist in weight loss along with many other leafy green vegetables, some of which include spinach and broccoli. Studies have shown that a person that includes more than one serve per day of leafy green vegetables into their diet can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 15%. Cabbage contains a rich source of vitamin C, which reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes; cabbage is also very low in calories and high in fibre, which in turn helps promote weight loss. Red cabbage has a natural pigment that can boost insulin production and is rich in anthocyanins. Be aware that sauerkrauts are high in sodium, but the fermentation of this cabbage has higher levels of anti-cancer compounds. The nutritional benefits of cabbage are tremendous for all of us, but can be very helpful for people that have diabetes.

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