White cabbage

Cruciferous - Brassicaceae (Crociferae). Parts used: leaves.

Botanical description.

There is no need to tell anyone what a head of cabbage looks like, but this plant is very interesting. From the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea to Ireland, the so-called kale grows wild, which man began to use for food in prehistoric times, and it is from this that all currently known varieties of cabbage originate. In any case, cabbage is considered one of the oldest cultivated plants, and its endless variety of forms are so different in appearance that it is difficult to believe in a common ancestor.

Let's compare, for example, cauliflower and Chinese cabbage, kohlrabi and rutabaga, cabbage of different colors. Cabbage is widely used as a vegetable crop, but only relatively recently has it become known that white cabbage is also a wonderful medicinal plant.

Collection and preparation.

In autumn, the heads of cabbage are cut and stored.

Active ingredients.

The chemical composition of cabbage is not too different from other vegetables (mineral salts and trace elements, vitamins, sugar, starch, fiber, some bitterness and organic acids). Particularly worth mentioning is the substance due to which cabbage helps with stomach ulcers, this is the so-called antiulcus factor, discovered in 19SO by Cini. This substance was classified as a group of vitamins and called vitamin U. In addition, cabbage contains mustard oil glycosides.

Healing effect and application in scientific and folk medicine.

Traditional medicine constantly praises cabbage as a cure for stomach ulcers (juice!). This has been tested by science and the results are amazing. But external use, strongly recommended by traditional medicine, perhaps still needs to be discussed.

Cabbage juice is obtained by squeezing fresh cabbage leaves. It has a pleasant smell and delicate taste. Raw juice or a more primitive option - mashed leaves (oIt is hardly worth recommending the latter, since the presence of fiber can, on the contrary, cause an exacerbation of the disease. - Note, transl.) - have a beneficial effect on diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, especially gastric ulcers and duodenum. This has been established in practice in large US hospitals. American doctors already reported in 1956 ("California med." 84:39) that X-ray studies clearly showed faster healing of ulcers after treatment with cabbage juice. This was confirmed by Swiss clinics.

The patient receives light food and, as needed, drinks fresh raw juice after meals (about 1 liter per day). Sensations such as sour belching and pain disappear very quickly. The course of treatment lasts 4-5 weeks. In most cases, cabbage juice is well tolerated by patients. Sometimes, however, there is bloating, but it can be easily removed by adding caraway tea to the juice.

Cabbage juice also has a beneficial effect on inflammatory processes in the small and large intestines. Numerous additional studies have again confirmed that cabbage juice is well tolerated and has a healing effect due to the antiulcus factor, which has a special protective effect on the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines. This substance is also found in other green plants, but it is most abundant in cabbage.

I don’t need to prove how healthy salads from different varieties of cabbage are, but not everyone knows that sauerkraut occupies a special place. I recommend that anyone eat sauerkraut regularly, as it creates favorable conditions for the growth of beneficial intestinal bacteria. The most important substance in sauerkraut is lactic acid. Regular and plentiful consumption of fresh or sauerkraut leads to improvement in bronchitis, intestinal sluggishness, eczema, sciatica, inflammation of the veins and even rheumatism.

It is not for nothing that cabbage leaf was highly valued as a medicine back in Ancient Greece and