The benefit of cabbage to support gastric health

When Josephine first came to see me with gastritis and stomach discomfort she was rather mystified when I asked her to go and start juicing cabbages every day.

Benefits of the humble cabbage to support gastic health

Cabbage has a wide range of health benefits and as a juice is very effective for healing a damaged stomach lining and is used for ulcer treatment.  It has been used for many years for its inexpensive and therapeutic healing properties.

I like using red cabbage as it contains a powerful antioxidant known as anthocyanin, this has many health benefits including skin care, reducing cancer and boosting the immune system.

I regularly make this raw salad, you can serve it as part of a meal, alongside a BBQ or just with a nice piece of cooked fish.

Beautiful in colour, it looks stunning when served.

Red Cabbage Slaw

100g pumpkin seeds

2 large carrots grated 

200g baby spinach leaves, thinly sliced 

1 red onion thinly sliced 

½ red cabbage core removed and thinly sliced 

1 green/red/yellow pepper thinly sliced

Serves 8 – if you want to make a smaller quantity just half the ingredients.

Dressing: 6 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, Pinch or ¼ tsp dried chilli flakes, 1-tablespoon runny honey, Salt and pepper

Turn the oven onto 200c and roast the pumpkin seeds for 5 minutes

In a bowl whisk together the red wine vinegar, olive oil, chilli and honey.  Season with salt and pepper and mix well.

Place the carrots, spinach, onion, cabbage, pepper and pumpkin seeds into a bowl and toss together to mix.

If making the day before, don’t add the pumpkin seeds until ready to serve. When ready to serve toss the dressing into the salad and sprinkle over the pumpkin seeds.

Thank you Emma for another delicious and healthy recipe. I can vouch for the fact that the humble cabbage is, in my opinion, a miracle cure. When I first started having stomach problems caused by gastritis I was in France. I was in considerable discomfort but did not want to consult a doctor there as I would almost certainly have been given antacid tablets which I had tried and they did not agree with me.

My only option was the cabbage so a friend drove me to the nearest supermarket and I filled up one of those large supermarket trolleys with cabbages. In fact, I took all they had on the counter and we had to ask the assistant to bring more. When I got back to the flat I proceeded to juices my cabbages. Cabbage juice drunk neat has a very strong taste so I would advise mixing it with carrots, celery, apple, pear or any other vegetable or fruit that you fancy. It definitely works. After a week of drinking a glass of juice morning and afternoon my stomach felt considerably better.

I have been asked by some readers what supplements I take. It is difficult to recommend specific supplements as it depends on the individual and their requirements. How I like the current one I am taking each morning which is the Terra Nove Life drink I also take Vitamin D in liquid form, which is pretty essential if you live in the northern hemisphere and don’t get much sun in the winter months.

The juicer that I use is the Phillips HR1836/01 Viva Collection juicer from Johnlewis&partners. It is not one of the most expensive and I find it easy to use so would hightly recomend it

Disclaimer: We are not medical practitioners. If you have any health issues we would advise you to seek advice from your doctor.