I don’t even know what prompted me to research for the medicinal uses of cabbage. I did apply cabbage leaves once or twice when a friend recommended the treatment for mastitis, but that was it. And I don’t recall that they worked all that well.
That could be due to the fact that cabbage leaves haven’t been demonstrated through clinical research to be an effective treatment for mastitis. At least, I could not find anything on the topic. Cabbage leaves have been proven to relieve engorged breasts, and when one’s breasts are full of milk, mastitis can develop. Maybe that’s where the confusion arose.
One of the most critical uses of cabbage is as a treatment for peptic ulcers. It’s been a traditional remedy for hundreds of years. It was actually put to a scientific test and the results published in back in 1949: cabbage juice, a full glass before each meal, for treating ulcers. Maybe most Americans would choose the pills, especially if insurance is paying. Pills are easier than making juice every meal. But those pills may not always be available and if you can grow your meds, that adds an additional layer of security and self-reliance. In addition, the cabbage juice was shown to be much more effective in hastening the healing of ulcers than conventional therapies of 1949.
Nutritional value. Cabbage is high in vitamin C and K, with red cabbage containing much more than green or white cabbage. Eating several servings of cabbage per week has been shown to reduce the incidence of breast, cervical, colon, and lung cancers.
EFFECTIVE AGAINST
· Gram-positive bacteria
o MRSA[1]
o Staphylococcus aureus[2]
· Gram-negative bacteria
o Escherichia coli O157:H7[3]
o Helicobacter pylori[4]
o Klebsiella pneumoniae[5]
o Pseudomonas aeruginosa[6]
o Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium[7]
· Fungi
o Aspergillus terreus[8]
o Trichophyton rubrum[9]
PREPARATIONS
Juice. Fresh cabbage juice, 1 liter of cabbage juice per day, freshly extracted from about 2 kg of cabbage (May add celery juice, up to 25%, to increase palatability. Salt and pepper may also be added.) Prepare the juice twice per day and served well-chilled. (Apparently, juice stored overnight becomes unpalatable.) Also, it was observed that fresh cabbage in the fall contains much less of the anti-ulcer factor (called vitamin U at the time, now referred to as S-methyl methionine) than fresh cabbage in the spring and summer.[10] Prepare fresh cabbage by removing the bad leaves and washing well. Blend until smooth.
Liniment. Wash, dry, and finely chop fresh leaves. Pack leaves into a canning jar and cover with 91% rubbing alcohol. Shake daily for six weeks and store in a dark cabinet. After six weeks, strain and discard the leaves.
Ointment. In a double boiler, melt together 1 cup coconut or olive oil and 3 tablespoons beeswax. When completely melted, remove from heat and stir in 1 tablespoon cabbage liniment.
Plaster. Grate or grind or use a blender to make a paste of fresh leaves. Apply to the afflicted area and secure in place with a cotton dressing or plastic wrap.
Poultice. Whole cabbage leaves are wrapped around the afflicted area. If possible, chill or freeze the leaves.
MODERN USAGE
· Endocrine
o Breast engorgement in nursing mothers (cold leaf poultice)[11]
o Type-2 diabetes management and prevention (fresh or fermented cabbage leaves)[12]
· Gastrointestinal, fresh cabbage juice, drink 1 liter throughout the day, each day, until symptoms resolve. [13]
o Colitis
o Ulcers, duodenal and gastric
· Musculoskeletal
o Gout
§ Consumption. Red cabbage is slightly higher than green (and higher than cherries) in the cyanidins that reduce uric acid levels.
§ Poultice. Freeze the cabbage leaves before applying them to afflicted areas. As the leaves thaw and warm, they release the enzymes that relieve gout.
o Osteoarthritis
§ Poultice. Keep leaves in place for at least 2 hours. Studies showed this treatment to be as effective as diclofenac.[14]
· Skin
o Wounds (ointment, apply three times per day)[15]
Links to related posts:
[1] R. R. Hafidh, et al., Inhibition of growth of highly resistant bacterial and fungal pathogens by a natural product, Open Microbiology Journal, 2011, Vol 5, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3171003/ (accessed 1 February 2022).
[2] R. R. Hafidh, et al., Inhibition of growth of highly resistant bacterial and fungal pathogens by a natural product, Open Microbiology Journal, 2011, Vol 5, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3171003/ (accessed 1 February 2022).
[3] R. R. Hafidh, et al., Inhibition of growth of highly resistant bacterial and fungal pathogens by a natural product, Open Microbiology Journal, 2011, Vol 5, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3171003/ (accessed 1 February 2022).
[4] Garrett Cheney, Rapid healing of peptic ulcers in patients receiving fresh cabbage juice, California Medicine, January 1949, Vol 70 No 1, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/journals/184/ (accessed 1 February 2022).
[5] R. R. Hafidh, et al., Inhibition of growth of highly resistant bacterial and fungal pathogens by a natural product, Open Microbiology Journal, 2011, Vol 5, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3171003/ (accessed 1 February 2022).
[6] R. R. Hafidh, et al., Inhibition of growth of highly resistant bacterial and fungal pathogens by a natural product, Open Microbiology Journal, 2011, Vol 5, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3171003/ (accessed 1 February 2022).
[7] R. R. Hafidh, et al., Inhibition of growth of highly resistant bacterial and fungal pathogens by a natural product, Open Microbiology Journal, 2011, Vol 5, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3171003/ (accessed 1 February 2022).
[8] R. R. Hafidh, et al., Inhibition of growth of highly resistant bacterial and fungal pathogens by a natural product, Open Microbiology Journal, 2011, Vol 5, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3171003/ (accessed 1 February 2022).
[9] R. R. Hafidh, et al., Inhibition of growth of highly resistant bacterial and fungal pathogens by a natural product, Open Microbiology Journal, 2011, Vol 5, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3171003/ (accessed 1 February 2022).
[10] Garrett Cheney, Rapid healing of peptic ulcers in patients receiving fresh cabbage juice, California Medicine, January 1949, Vol 70 No 1, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/journals/184/ (accessed 1 February 2022).
[11] B. B. Wong, et al., Application of cabbage leaves compared to gel packs for mothers with breast engorgement: Randomised controlled trial, International Journal of Nursing Studies, November 2017, Vol 76, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28941842/ (accessed 2 February 2022).
[12] Jonatan Jafet Uuh-Narvaez, et al., Cabbage (Brassica olearacea v. capitate): A food with functional properties aimed to type-2 diabetes prevention and management, Journal of Food Science, November 2021, Vol 86 No 11, https://ift.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1750-3841.15939 (accessed 1 February 2022).
[13] Garrett Cheney, Rapid healing of peptic ulcers in patients receiving fresh cabbage juice, California Medicine, January 1949, Vol 70 No 1, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/journals/184/ (accessed 1 February 2022).
[14] Romy Lauche, et al., Efficacy of Cabbage Leaf Wraps in the Treatment of Symptomatic Osteoarthritis of the Knee: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Clinical Journal of Pain, November 2016, Vol 32 No 11, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26889617/ (accessed 2 February 2022).
[15] Mariáurea Matias Sarandy, et al., Ointment of Brassica oleracea var. capitata Matures the Extracellular Matrix in Skin Wounds of Wistar Rats, Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Vol 2015, https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2015/919342/ (accessed 2 February 2022).
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