About Cabbages....

I have a confession to make.

Economic recession or not, I bought a $7 Sugarloaf cabbage. Why? It could be any or all of the following reasons:

- Novelty
- From Australia (as opposed to you know where! Hmm maybe even produce from non-youknowwhere countries will one day be declared unsafe! Sigh! One can either at this point in time scoff any attempts to maintain a healthy lifestyle and diet and just live dangerously or embrace organic produce whole-heartedly. As for me however, as always, I'll remain moderate and enjoy every minute to the fullest! :D)
- Healthy indulgence
- Enticing label listing its properties (the sugarloaf is supposed to be sweeter and tastier than other varieties)
- Curiosity (is the Sugarloaf really sweeter?)
- Cheaper than the Savoy cabbage (which looks prettier and fresher with it's rounded shape and texture and mix of crisp green and white) at double the price

Blanched it for the Tauhu Goreng dish I prepared for my friends yesterday. DOUBLE YUMM! I'm quite sure it's not placebo effect when I think the cabbage does taste better than what we used to eat.

REALLY!

In any case, did a search on the net and found the following article on the benefits of cabbage.

FORMULA FOR LIFE
http://www.formulaforlife.com.au/asp/vegetables.asp?cmd=show&vegetableid=14&letter=C

Nutritional Information:
Cabbage, in all varieties, is a low joule food with 80 kJ per 100g (3/4 cup cooked). Cabbage is a rich source of the anti-oxidants indoles. These anti-oxidants may have an anti-cancer role in the human body. Cuttings increase the indole content dramatically.

Cutting causes up to a 400% increase in the amount of potential anti-carcinogenic agents found in cruciferous and Brassica vegetables (cabbage, cauli, brussel sprouts, and broccoli), according to results published in Cancer Letters.

Populations that consume large amounts of these vegetables appear to have lower rates of many types of cancer, in particular of the gastro-intestinal tract. The benefits appear to be linked to a range of compounds including glucosinolates. Glucosinolates are water-soluble and up to 50% may be lost with boiling, but if you chop your cabbage, you stimulate a rapid rise in the presence of these biologically active compounds - an increase up to 400%. Research published in Cancer Letters, a prestigious scientific journal, suggests that cutting triggers a defence mechanisms similar to the wounding by insects and slugs which is known to increase the indole glucosinolates, glucobrassicin and neoglucobrassicin. These indoles appear to be responsible for the anti-carcinogenic activity of the cruciferous vegetables.

So what are you waiting for? Start cutting those cabbage leaves. It's time for a crisp summer slaw! :D