SAUTÉED RED CABBAGE

I want you to see how I prepare this Oriental-style red cabbage stir-fry.

One of my favorite vegetables is undoubtedly red cabbage, to tell you the truth, the cabbage family has me in love, its versatility means that during the cold months I can't stop thinking about it to prepare multiple recipes.

One of those recipes is this, the oriental red cabbage stir-fry.

With very few ingredients you get a dish with a powerful flavor and incredible texture, rich in polyphenols, with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant power, which provides prebiotic fiber and vitamin C.

 

 

Why the consumption of purple foods is so beneficial

As I assume you already know, purple foods contain polyphenols, substances with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant power.

Polyphenols act as if they were prebiotic fibers, the reason is that when ingested, 90-95% of polyphenols are not absorbed, which is why they reach the colon and are food for our bacteria.

These are long compounds, too large to be absorbed when consumed, colon bacteria feed on them, break them into smaller pieces, transform them into smaller compounds that can be absorbed with clear anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects.

You can distinguish the foods that contain them by their color, highlighting all that is purple, such as red cabbage, blueberries, red fruits, purple onion, and also tea or red wine. (Be careful with the wine, I am not saying that you have to drink wine every day or that it is the best source of polyphenols, remember that it also contains alcohol!!!).

 

The color of some foods indicates the presence of polyphenols

 

What are polyphenols:

Polyphenols are naturally occurring compounds found in a wide variety of plant-based foods, including fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, tea, wine, and chocolate. They are known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, making them important nutrients for health.

Polyphenols are classified into different categories based on their chemical structure, but they all share the characteristic of having multiple phenolic rings in their structure. These phenolic rings allow them to act as antioxidants, as they can neutralize free radicals and reduce oxidative stress in the body.

Some examples of polyphenols include:

• Flavonoids: Found in fruits, vegetables, tea, red wine, and dark chocolate.
• Hydroxycinnamic acid: found in coffee, tea, cereals and fruits.
• Stilbenes: Found in grapes, nuts, and berries.
• Proanthocyanidins: Found in fruits, such as apples and grapes, and in some nuts, such as walnuts.

Polyphenols have been shown to have many health benefits, including reducing the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. They may also improve skin, brain, and immune system health. Therefore, it is important to include foods rich in polyphenols in our daily diet to maintain good health in the long term.

 

Polyphenols promote the synthesis of SCFA (Butyrate, Acetate, Pronate…)

 

Benefits of polyphenols:

• They increase the ecosystem of the microbiota.
• They promote the synthesis of short-chain fatty acids. (AGCC)
• When bioavailable, they have anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties.
• They fight oxidative stress.
• Reduces blood glucose levels.
• Improves cognitive functions and brain health.
• Reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Foods rich in polyphenols:

• Purple: Red cabbage, purple beans, purple onion, blueberries, blackberries, cherries.
• Green tea and especially Matcha.afé tea
• green leaves
• Sprouts: Like cabbage, bok choy, and kale.
• Nuts and seeds.
• Black rice, red rice and quinoa.
• Capers
• Cocoa
• Herbs: Thyme, rosemary.
• Purple sweet potato.

 

 

How to ensure a sufficient consumption of polyphenols? Varying the diet, the wide variety of foods in our eating routine is essential, we cannot stay with “the usual”.

Certainly, going to the supermarket and automatically buying what you need to get through the week is the easiest, but you have to be aware that this is not enough.

The week must be planned, and in that planning there is an element that must always be included: variety.

 

Eating a varied diet is essential to maintaining good health.

 

One way to include variety in the diet is to try to eat vegetables that are in season, in this way, we will be able to change the foods that we consume with some regularity.

Eating a varied diet is very important because it provides us with a wide range of essential nutrients that our bodies need to function properly and maintain good health.

Each food contains a unique combination of vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, as well as other beneficial compounds, such as polyphenols which I have already mentioned above.

In addition, the variety in our diet helps us avoid nutritional deficiencies. Each nutrient has a specific function in the body, and a deficiency in any nutrient can lead to health problems.

If our diet is limited and does not include a variety of foods, we may not be getting enough of the essential vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients our bodies need to function properly.

On the other hand, a varied diet can also help us maintain a healthy weight and prevent chronic diseases.

Eating a variety of foods can reduce the risk of diet-related diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers.

In addition, a varied diet can help us enjoy food more and avoid the boredom of eating the same foods over and over again.

Variety in our diet can enhance the taste of our meals, make our meals more visually appealing, and allow us to experiment with different flavors and textures.

In summary, eating a varied diet is important for obtaining a wide variety of essential nutrients, avoiding nutritional deficiencies, maintaining a healthy weight, preventing chronic disease, and enjoying food.

This sautéed red cabbage is an example of how to easily include foods rich in polyphenols in your diet.

Look the following video:

 

 

I leave you the full recipe below. I hope you like it! 😉