That humble cabbage in your vegetable shelf can help you fight diabetes

Winter is the season of cabbages and cauliflowers. While cabbage may not be your hot favourite in these wintry days, this vegetable will definitely help you control your diabetes levels.

We all know that the burden of diabetes is growing all over the world and it will keep increasing. The 2019 facts and figures about this hormonal disorder alone is more than a wake-up call. This year's data by the International Diabetes Foundation come up with the following statistics:

• 463 million adults in the age bracket of 20-79 years, were affected by diabetes
• This figure will escalate to 700 million by 2045 this will rise to 700 million
• People between 40 and 59 years of age are mostly affected by diabetes
• 232 million: The number of people with undiagnosed diabetes
• The death toll of diabetes was 4.2 million

A diet rich in vegetables and fruits is a powerful weapon against high blood sugar levels and cabbage is known to be one of the best veggies for tackling this condition. Cabbage isn't your favourite vegetable, we know and the reasons are valid too: It's smelly, it's unappealing and if not cooked right, can be very tasteless too. But if you are a diabetic or suffering from metabolic syndrome, then cabbage is that one vegetable that should be on your grocery list without fail. Yes, cabbage can do wonders to treat diabetes naturally, and probably get you off medications too (if you are lucky enough). Did you know okra or ladies finger can also help fight diabetes naturally?

Controls blood sugar

Cabbage has a lot of antioxidant and antihyperglycemic properties that make it a medicine for diabetes. In a study done on rats in 2008, cabbage extracts fed to them for 60 days lowered blood sugar levels and also helped to control fluctuations and keep the readings in the safe range. Here are 10 home remedies for diabetes that really work.

It helps to lose weight

Cabbage is low in calories and high in fibre content, so it becomes an ideal vegetable to choose for diabetics. It is also low on glycemic index with a rank of 10 (anything below 55 is considered low). GI is an indicator of how fast the carbohydrates will raise the blood glucose levels in your blood. A food item with a high GI means it will raise the levels quickly as compared to food with low GI. So bring cabbage to your table as often as you can. Here is a sample diet plan for diabetes to control blood sugar levels.

Improves kidney functions

Since cabbage can help keep blood sugar level in control, it also helps to maintain the kidney functions. When a diabetic has extremely high blood sugar levels (over 600 mg/dl), the kidneys try to get rid of the extra blood sugar by eliminating it through urine. This leads to excessive loss of body fluids, resulting in dehydration. Dehydration causes the blood to become thicker and further increases the blood sugar levels which makes it difficult for the kidneys to rectify it. This is why diabetics are more prone to kidney failures. Here are five other reasons for kidney damage that you need to know.

How to eat it:

• A simple way to include cabbage in your diet is to prepare the vegetable as a side dish at least thrice a week.
• If you dislike the preparation, add cabbage to your dals and soups to reap its benefits.
• Prepare cabbage juice by chopping the vegetable and blending it on a high speed.
• Add boiled cabbage to your salads with a dash of salt and lemon.