With war like situation being developed with China in Ladakh sector, and till date both the countries have suffered few casualties. This situation has enhanced the anti Chinese sentiments in the country. Now there is wide spread call for the boycott of Chinese products available in the market. Secondly there is under current to boycott the Chinese companies for even not awarding any future contracts be in the govt sector or private sector. The central govt has formulated the policy that no Chinese investment can come to India without their approval. I do no know what will be the fate of MOU signed by Maharashtra govt with one Chinese company for the investment of Rs 7000+ Cr. Today there is news item that Govt has told BSNL to modify their tender for 4G equipments so that no Chinese companies can bid. In my opinion it will be very difficult to block all the Chinese firms at the time of Global economy. Agreed some products of day to day requirement, which are manufactured in China, can be boycotted, but total blockade of Chinese products and investment by Chinese companies may not be feasible. The fact is that so many of consumer products of Chinese origin will take time to fizzle out, like cell phones. More than 70% of Indian cell phone market is with Chinese phone, and unless Indian companies come out with the similar products and within same price band, then only Chinese cell phone’s market will diminish. So let us wait and watch for future developments on this issue.
Now coming to health topic of the day, today I am going to write about a vegetable, which may not figure in top 5 vegetables of most people, but is available throughout all seasons in our country. I am talking about CABBAGE or Patta Gobi. It is widely used in salads, burgers, tacos and it can be cooked in various ways to make it into some tasty dishes.
Cabbage is actually one of the healthiest vegetables coming from cruciferous family of vegetables. It is loaded with nutrients, that have lot of health benefits. Consumption of cabbage also reduces the chances diabetes, heart ailments and obesity, it also gives lots of energy. It is also easy to cook and store, and has a longer shelf life than most other vegetables. Few of its benefits are listed below:
Immunity Builder– The fibre in cabbage along with its water content helps keep your gut healthy, and promotes digestion. Eating cabbage prevent constipation, which is major issue in aged people. It also helps remove the toxins through stool and bile, thus keeping you healthy. It bhas been proven that the cabbage also helps build the immunity and works against inflammation.
Anti Cancer Properties– After lots of research it has been proved that cruciferous vegetable consumption helps the chance of cancer. Many people do not like it because it tastes slightly bitter. This is because of a compound called as sulforphane. However it is the very same compound which makes it anti cancer agent. It also contains another compound called apigenin. This chemical has been found to reduce the size of breast cancer tumour, as per recent research. Red cabbage also contains anthocyanin, a powerful anti oxidant that again has been known as effective against cancer.
Heart Health– Flavonoid rich vegetables like cabbage are good for maintain heart health. Additionally certain heart diseases are caused due to inflammation and cabbage also has anti inflammation properties that can prevent this. Apart from this, cabbage contains a high level of polyphenol, that helps prevent platlet build up and reduce blood pressure. All these properties make cabbage a good vegetable to ensure heart health.
Nutrition Facts– Cabbage is called powerhouse of nutrients as it contains Vitamin C, K, B6, Folate, Magnesium, Calcium, Potassium, thiamine and host of antioxidants make cabbage a highly nutritious vegetable. A compound in cabbage has been linked to prevention of muscular degeneration. Certain studies have also indicated that compounds in cabbage can help with skin and hair health. It also helps in reducing blood sugar levels. It ha also been known to interfere with thyroid hormones.
From the above you can see advantages of eating cabbages, so friends even if you do not like start developing the taste for it as it is quite healthy.
Awaiting your views/feed backs/comments
Anil Malik
Mumbai, India
18th June 2020.