Red Cabbage and Younger Skin?!
Cabbage is a member of the mighty Brassica family, and it’s rich in vitamin C, folate and anti-cancer indoles. It is great for eczema as it is alkalising and contains no salicylates or amines!
But it’s worth swapping to the red variety as red cabbage has double the amount of dietary fibre than regular white cabbage and it contains protective purple pigments. These pigments are caused by a group of antioxidants called anthocyanins, which are powerful flavonoids that have a skin-protective effect against UV sunlight when consumed frequently.
Anthocyanins also help to protect blood vessels from oxidative damage, and their anti-inflammatory properties activate the production of collagen for healthy skin.
Anthocyanins also have to ability to block glycation and AGE formation (advanced glycation end products), which degrade collagen and elastic fibres in the skin and play a role in skin ageing.
It is recommended to steam or stir-fry cabbage as cooking deactivates the goitrins (which can affect the thyroid). Eat red cabbage about three times a week. You can add it to any meal where you are steaming or stir-frying vegetables.
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At Eczema Life, we recommend nutritionist Karen Fischer's low food chemical program (The Eczema Detox) along with additive-free supplements for skin health and wellbeing. Click on the images to view more details: