admin | December 11, 2016 | Health |
Did you know that a regular consummation of only one food can save you from getting a stomach cancer, which is one of the deadliest forms of malignant diseases?
Well this is true. Namely you can consume this food throughout the year, in summer you can consume it fresh and in winter you can consume it as sauerkraut. Yes, we are talking about cabbage.
To our ancestors, sauerkraut was one of the main winter food and a great source of vitamin C. Today, we still follow the tradition of making sauerkraut for the winter. It is true that many traditions are dying out, but this cannot be allowed to happen, because the sauerkraut is extremely nutritious and beneficial.
Sauerkraut has always been appreciated, especially as a remedy. The manner of its preparation comes from the Slavs, and is used to this day. It is known that the seafarer James Cook and his crew consumed sauerkraut as a prevention of the very hazardous scurvy. Sebastian Kneipp used sauerkraut to treat diabetes, gout, burns and inflammation.
The healing properties of the sauerkraut go beyond the healing properties of many known plants.
One hundred grams of raw sauerkraut contains even 20 mg of vitamin C. It also contains vitamin A, folic acid, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, calcium, potassium, sodium, fiber, and protein. It is an excellent source of vitamin B12, due to which is especially recommended for vegetarians and vegans.
Red cabbage is up to seven times more healing than white cabbage, and its color indicates that it contains a medicinal anthocyanins.
What makes sauerkraut different from the raw one are the probiotic bacteria. Sauerkraut is the original fermented food that is naturally rich in probiotic cultures.
Besides being delicious, sauerkraut is very healthy, because it contains phytonutrients that protect your body from stomach cancer. That is why it is often recommended by doctors to people who have problems with digestion and generally have a sensitive stomach.
These are the healing properties of the sauerkraut:
- It can heal skin damaged by excessive exposure to UV rays, and it can additionally rejuvenate it
- relieves stress
- improves mood
- helps create red blood cells because it is rich in vitamin B12
- helps in building bones
- boosts immunity
- a beneficial effect on the digestive organs, stomach and intestines
- helps eject harmful substances from the organism
- lowers high cholesterol
Preparing sauerkraut at home:
Necessary ingredients:
- 15 kg of cabbage
- 0.5 kg of salt
- six laurel leaves
- tablespoon of peppercorns
- pieces of quince (to get the yellower color)
- optionally you can add caraway, fennel, grapes or apples
Preparation:
Take a plastic barrel and in it you need to put a layer of sliced cabbage. Then on top of this layer you need to put some salt and spices. Keep doing this until you have used up all of the ingredients. Now what you need to do is fill the rest of the barrel with water. Make sure that the water is covering the cabbage.
Then you need to seal the barrel nicely. You need to keep this barrel at room temperature until the cabbage gets sour, which usually takes about a month. Then you need to move this barrel to a cooler place such as basement and keep the temperature around and no more than five degrees. If the barrel is not full all the way to the top, take a plastic bag, fill it with water and use it as a weight to press down the cabbage.
Source: Cuisine & Health