Veggie Fact of the Day

Photo courtesy: http://www.spaweekblog.com/

Purple Cabbage, often known also as Red Cabbage gets its color, like most other purple fruits and vegetables from a family of pigments known as Anthocyanins. At least 36 different varieties of anthocyanins have been identified in purple cabbage. These chemicals have high anti-cancer potential. In fact, some varieties of anthocyanins have been shown to be double in strength to the antioxidant effects of vitamin C. Red cabbage is also a good source of indoles, compounds that may reduce the risk of breast cancer by altering estrogen metabolism.

In size, shape and weight, the purple cabbage is quite similar to its pale green counterpart. Typically each head of cabbage is heavy for its size due to the densely packed leaves. each leaf is dark red to purple in color and may have white portions on the inside which become evident when one cuts into it. 

Purple cabbage is fat and cholesterol free like almost all the fruits and vegetables we eat (with the exception of a limited few like nuts, seeds and avocados). It is a wonderful source of Vitamin C - with each cup containing close to 85% of the RDA. Other vitamins include A, E and K. It also contains large quantities of sulfur, and other minerals that work as cleansing agents for the digestive system. It is also a great source of Calcium. And there is also evidence that red cabbage juice may have therapeutic value in the treatment of ulcers. due to its high concentration of the amino acid glutamine. So eat up .. eat your greens and reds and purples too!!