Components:

- Amino acids:

Alanine (Interesting as it takes part in the production of antibodies) Arginin (Essential in the elimination of ammonia, tissue repairing and muscular construction) Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C, essential in the prevention of diseases like scurvy, playing a fundamental role in the formation of the collagen) Cystine (hormones ) Folic acid (Vitamin B) Glutaminic acid (Improvement of the mental conditions, prevents the schizophrenia and vitalizes the organism) Leucine (infantile growth, balance of nitrogen) Niacin (Metabolism of fats, prevention of the hypertension and reduction of the cholesterol) Tirosin (Acts as a neurotransistor and it has much importance in the fight against the depression as well as in the good performance of pituitary and thyroid glands ) Sulfoxide of Methylcisteine S-... etc.

- Ammonia

- Nitrates

- Lutein: Yellow pigment

- Proteins

- Mucilages

- Chemical Elements: Bromine, aluminum, barium, calcium, fluorine, magnesium, phosphorus, Sulfur (in very elevated amounts, it takes part in the bony growth and the toxin elimination of the body)

Medicinal properties:

Internal use

- Diuretic: It aids to eliminate the accumulated liquids in the body, reason why it is effective in diabetes, obesity, uric acid, arthritis, and diseases often associated to the retention of liquids. In this sense it is related to other foods that fulfill the same assignment, like onion, or celery ( Decoction of half an hour with a mixture of tender leaves of cabbage, tender onion and tender celery. Drink the broth at discretion several times a day)

- Anti-diarrheic: In cases of diarrhea it is suggested to take some cups of the preparation mentioned above.

- Anti-bronchial: In order to alleviate bronchitis make a decoction of a cabbage leaf in glass of milk during 15 minutes. Take distributed throughout the meals of the day) the same decoction is useful in influenza, common cold...etc. (4 tablespoons daily of cabbage juice produced by pressing the plant)

- Anti hoarseness: Like onion juice , tender cabbage juice can be used to combat hoarseness, making the voice more clear and pleasant. (Drink half a glass of cabbage juice with a teaspoon of honey before breakfast)

- Anti- ulceric: Because of its glutamine content, cabbage is one of the best natural antacid and some of the best remedies for healing gastrointestinal ulcers (Crush some leaves or grind them in a blender and drink ten tablespoons a day of fresh cabbage juice, divided in 4 or 5 times. It can be sweetened to make it more enjoyable)

- Emollient: For the affections of the skin; pimples, pustules, blisters, burns, cabbage exerts a recovering effect on the skin, specially when it is mixed with just a little bit of olive oil ( crush the fresh leaves and apply them in form of plaster on the affected zone of the skin) It can be considered an alternative method to get rid of acne scarring.

- Anti- inflammatory: Cabbage has anti-inflammatory properties. Applied externally it can relieve pain, such as osteoarthritis joint pain. (Heat a cabbage leaf and apply it on the painful joint)

Food

As food, it is very interesting, because we can assimilate many of the properties previously mentioned. Given its high vitamin C content , it is very suitable for children or in case of convalescence or diarrhea.

It's got a very low level of oxalates, so it is good for those people undertaking diet for kidney stones or gallstones diet.

In general, by the amount of vitamins, essential minerals and acids that cabbage contains, we do not have to neglect to eat it as much as possible, When it cannot be taken fresh, we can go to fermented preparations , whose consumption is advised much more than the fresh ones .

We must consider at the time of cooking cabbages that these plant , like all the vegetables, lose most of their vitamins if we extend to much the cooking time, for that reason it is recommenced to introduce them in a container with little water once it has started boiling , not leaving them there more time than the necessary.

We should use cabbage broth to prepare other meals, because most of the nourishing elements have remained in it .The strong scent that this plant displays when boiling is due to the great amount of sulfur that it contains. For some stomachs it is very indigestible when combined with other foods. Reason why it is advisable to take it in combination with other vegetables and in the main meals , not for supper.

Cabbage and the plant foods similar to them, such as Brussel sprouts, broccoli, coliflowers, etc are very flatulent. This is the reason why some people, specially those with delicate intestines, don't like eating them. They are not recommended for liver disease diet. Very strong flavoured vegetal food, such as cabbage, can provoke nausea or vomiting.

Toxicity: The presence of sinigrine or black mustard salt, and other glycosinolates are the cause of intestinal irritations in many people who take much amount from this plant.

Once collected, the leaves of cabbages. must be eaten ender. They can not be used in phytotherapy as dry plants.

History of cabbage

Cabbage is a plant that has had a fundamental importance in Europe from the antiquity. Very well-known by The Celts and very appreciated by the Greeks that even served it in public meals and it appears to be mentioned in the scripts of playwrights as Epicarmo (VI C BC) whose characters advised their use to cure diseases. At the Roman time, it is mentioned by Cato in its work " De Re rustica" like a remedy for intestinal or pulmonary upheavals and, mainly, to increase the milk production in milking women.

It is very difficult to precise the exactly when cabbage (Brassica Oleracea L.) arrived at America, but certainly this plant had a fundamental paper in this continent by the importance that the native people gave the eatable wild plants. In studies made by colonists, few years after the discovery, (Bernal Diaz del Castillo, in 1538) revealed as the eatable plants, known like quelites played a fundamental role in the life of the natives. Nowadays these plants even have a very important value for the population, specially the urban one, up to the point that 300 species of superior plants are considered to be so, using them as curative vegetables, spices and plants.

For the Aztecs these plants still had more importance than they have nowadays. It seems that the conquerors despised these wild plants and were introducing their own ones. Cabbage, nevertheless, was one of the few that were accepted as substitute of the native plants. Throughout the centuries cabbage has even been considered itself as a real quelite itself.

Nicholas Culpeper (1616 - 1654) in its book " Completes Herbal " considers it such a valuable plant that says the mixed juice of the same with wine helps to improve the bite of the viper. Also, among other things, it affirms that, if boiled with a chicken a pair of times helps to release the obstructions of the liver and spleen. He also reaffirms that the good Cato - mentioned previously - did not take another remedy and aims at proven values like its emollient properties as we will later see in the section of its medicinal uses.

Gardening : ( for more complete information)

More information about natural medicine in the listing above.