Cabbage

History and Uses:
Wild Cabbage is a scraggly looking plant with tough leaves that grows along the coasts of Europe, and it is the ancestor of all the many different kinds of Cabbage that we eat today, as well as the ancestor of many other vegetables that look and taste quite different from each other, such as Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Kale and Kohlrabi. In the common form of Cabbage that we eat, the leaves are big and grow tightly packed together in the shape of a ball. Some Cabbages have smooth leaves, and some have crinkly leaves. There are red and green varieties of Cabbage, and they can be eaten raw, cooked, pickled or made into coleslaw. Cabbage in supplement form can be used as a source of potassium, beta-carotene, vitamin C, fiber, sulfur and bioflavonoids. In addition to its nutritional value, Cabbage has also been the subject of much recent research into its possible effectiveness in the prevention of malignant disease and as an anti-infective. Cabbage also has analgesic properties and can also be used as a vermifuge.