Savoy cabbage is a variety of cabbage called Brassica Oleracea and belongs to the cruciferous family like all other cabbages but also mustard and rocket.

The harvest usually begins with the end of autumn from October to the beginning of spring towards the month of April.

Savoy cabbage is a vegetable that loves the cold and tolerates winter frosts well.

In the cultivated fields you can find the cabbage even under a blanket of snow and it will be possible to collect it by cutting the stem at the base.

Its shape is spherical like a ball formed by many leaves that seem to open like a flower. The color is bright green with lighter tones in the center and towards the heart of the ball.

The leaves are thick and wrinkled and also change slightly depending on the variety of cabbage both as a color and as a more or less smooth or wrinkled leaf surface.

Cabbage nutritional composition

The cabbage is rich in vitamins such as vitamin A, C, D, K and many B vitamins .

All these substances give it beneficial properties to make our immune system efficient, to maintain healthy skin and to make the eyes and eyes function properly. They also help blood coagulation and many other physiological functions of our body.

In addition to vitamins, it also contains many mineral salts such as potassium, iron, calcium, phosphorus, manganese, sulfur and zinc.

The cabbage is obviously rich in chlorophyll which becomes an excellent ally for proper cellular respiration since it helps the process of oxygen and cleansing from the body's waste substances.

In addition, the cabbage is rich in fiber which helps intestinal transit and rebalances the sugars and cholesterol circulating in the blood. The presence of fibers also allows a good cleaning from the waste of the body and being also low in calories the cabbage becomes excellent to help in low-calorie and therefore more slimming diets.

The cabbage also contains essential fatty acids such as omega 3 and 6 which are used to keep our body membranes healthy and also to give elasticity you have tendons, tissues and cartilages.

The skin also needs omega 3 and 6 to stay healthy and be toned and hydrated. One serving of cabbage contains more than one hundred milligrams of omega 3 and about 90 milligrams of omega 6.

Finally the cabbage has a high satiating power which makes it an excellent food to feel full and satisfied after a meal without having weighed down with fats or refined carbohydrates.

Cabbage is therefore a satiating food and also rich in many nutritional and beneficial properties for the body.

Cabbage properties

Natural anti-inflammatory

Savoy cabbage is a natural anti-inflammatory that helps the body to flare up and make the inflammatory processes in the body go backwards.

In the case of inflammatory problems such as hemorrhoids, arthrosis, cystitis, arthritis but also heart and autoimmune diseases, the cabbage is able to soothe inflammation and help the healing process.

The use of cabbage in one's diet therefore helps to prevent and alleviate inflammatory problems and maintains body pH towards basicity, thus guaranteeing an unfavorable ground for the development of inflammatory pathologies.

Anti-aging

The cabbage is rich in antioxidants and therefore has a strong anti-aging power given not only by the vitamins A and C present but also by special active ingredients such as flavonoids, indoles, carotenoids, sulforans and polyphenols.

All these substances counteract body oxidation due to the presence of free radicals circulating in our body. Its purifying and detoxifying power of the cabbage also increases this anti-aging effect and is above all effective on the skin.

At one time, in fact, compresses with cabbage leaves were applied to heal rashes and skin irritations as well as in cases of acne or insect bites. Finally, in the cabbage there are isothiocyanates that counteract the degeneration of cellular DNA, especially in the area of ​​the respiratory system and therefore are excellent for increasing the anti-aging effect.

remineralizing

Antianemic thanks to the presence of iron but also mineralizing due to the large quantity of mineral salts it supplies to the body. In case of debilitation, for example after a flu or for sportsmen or even for the elderly, the cabbage is indicated to increase the reserve of mineral salts.

For those with osteoporosis problems or fragility of the skeletal system but also for hair and nails that break, the cabbage becomes an excellent natural supplement to be included in your diet.

Recall that if it is cooked in water many mineral salts and active ingredients will pass into the water and therefore it will be important to also consume this cooking water in order not to lose these precious benefits.

Protective for the cardiovascular system

Savoy cabbage, thanks to the presence of substances such as glutamine, has a direct effect on blood pressure, helping it to remain in the standard regime. Furthermore, the presence of sulforan helps to counteract the onset of fat accumulation along the blood vessels thus preventing cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks, strokes, angina and arteriosclerosis.

antitumor

Savoy cabbage is an antitumor food like other types of cabbage that are broccoli, cauliflower or Brussels sprouts. In particular in the savoy this presence of sulforaphane also gives the ability to inhibit the growth of cancer cells thanks to an effect of strengthening the genes that help repair damaged DNA and even counteracting the reproduction of diseased cells.

The effect of this cellular repair also has positive consequences in other areas of the body such as the cardiovascular system because it acts on blood vessels and even in cases of diabetes because it repairs and protects the arteries from damage caused by hyperglycemic plaque formation.

In addition, in the cabbage there are other substances such as phytoestrogens that are able to counteract the onset of tumors especially those that are formed in the prostate and breast that are often given by a malfunctioning hormonal activity.