Live Longer Habits

Napa or Chinese cabbage, also known as celery cabbage, belongs to the mustard family of vegetables. This variety has large, wrinkled leaves with thick, juicy stems. When eaten raw, it has a sweet, mild flavour and crisp texture, and when cooked, it tastes milder than regular green cabbage. 

Napa cabbage is great in salads and side dishes but is also commonly used in stir-fry, soups, and even pickled. You can easily swap napa cabbage for green cabbage in many Western recipes. With only 20 calories per cup and no cholesterol, napa cabbage is packed with vitamins and minerals. 

Amazing Facts About Napa Cabbage Nutrition:

Vitamin B6

This vitamin is crucial for our metabolism, and one cup of napa cabbage provides 18% of the daily value we need. It helps our bodies make red blood cells and supports brain function while reducing the risk of chronic diseases. 

Vitamin B9

Napa cabbage is high in vitamin B9, also known as folate. One cup gives you about 12% of the daily value for this important nutrient, which is good for your heart and blood health. 

Other B Vitamins

Napa cabbage includes a range of other beneficial B vitamins that can help improve your overall health, such as riboflavin, pantothenic acid, and thiamine. 

Vitamin C

This vital vitamin is excellent for your overall health. Napa cabbage is a fantastic source of vitamin C, helping your body absorb iron and boosting your immune system by encouraging the production of white blood cells. 

Vitamin K

This nutrient is essential for strong bones and helps your body maintain healthy blood calcium levels. It plays a key role in producing proteins that support good bone health. 

Copper

One cup of napa cabbage is rich in copper, which supports healthy brain function and nerve development. 

Iron

Napa cabbage provides about 10% of your daily iron needs, which is essential for healthy red blood cells that carry oxygen throughout your body. 

Calcium

Each cup offers about 8% of the daily calcium value, which is important for strong bones and muscles. Since our bodies can't produce calcium, it's vital to get enough from our diet. 

Manganese

This mineral acts as a powerful antioxidant, helping to protect your body from damage. One cup of napa cabbage gives you about 10% of your daily value of manganese. 

More Antioxidants 

Napa cabbage is also full of various antioxidants that can help reduce bad cholesterol and may protect against cancer. Some of these include isothiocyanates, lutein, sulforaphane, thiocyanates, and zeaxanthin. 

Dietary Fibre

This tasty cabbage is a great source of both soluble and insoluble fibre, which is crucial for good digestion. It helps lower cholesterol and stabilises blood sugar levels. 

Raw vs. Cooked Napa Cabbage

Raw napa cabbage adds a crunchy, mild flavour to salads. It can be used as a topping for burgers or in wraps. Cooked napa cabbage is popular in traditional dishes like kimchi and stir-fries. Both forms are loved by chefs, but which one is better for you? 

Raw napa cabbage is packed with vitamins and minerals, including: 

- 26% of daily value for vitamin A 

- 16% of daily value for vitamin C 

- 50 mg of calcium 

Cooked napa cabbage still offers many essential nutrients: 

- 4% of daily value for protein

 - 10% of daily value for fibre 

- 32 mg of calcium 

While there are nutritional differences between raw and cooked napa cabbage, they aren't significant enough to make one superior to the other. Health experts say that whether raw or cooked, leafy vegetables like napa cabbage are an essential part of a healthy diet.