The new cabbage soup diet

A change of diet
Breast cancer rates in former East Germany were significantly lower than in West Germany, but after unification the disease pattern has become more equal. While obviously there were many difference in lifestyles between the two countries, it seems noteworthy that cabbage consumption was much higher in East Germany. This becomes even more meaningful in light of recent research carried out at the University of Illinois that examined why Polish women who have moved to the United States have a higher breast cancer rate than women in Poland. Cabbage is a staple in the Polish diet, but is less popular among Polish Americans. Was this a factor, the researchers wondered? So they stimulated test tube colonies of human breast cancer cells with estrogen and added cabbage extract. The cabbage-treated cells grew more slowly. And it was not a question of using unrealistic amounts of cabbage extract; doses were those achievable by eating normal amounts of the vegetable. Furthermore, the experiments suggested that the effect was due not only to the indole-3-carbinol. Other antiestrogenic compounds also seemed to be present in the cabbage juice.

You may now be ready to head towards the kitchen. Especially when you learn that cabbage is also high in vitamin K, which is receiving attention for its role in strengthening bones. The Nurses' Health Study found that those who consumed moderate to high amounts of vitamin K from vegetable sources had a 30 per cent lower risk of hip fractures. Still need more convincing? Consider the fact that epidemiological studies have shown that there is a lower risk of colon cancer among people who claim to eat cabbage regularly.

Get cooking
There is a trick to cooking cabbage. Do not boil it in water! That's how you release the smelly sulphur compounds. The general rule with cabbage is that the more you cook it, the worse the smell. So just stir-fry the shredded cabbage in a little olive oil until in turns brown, and then cook it in its own steam for a few minutes. Add a little salt, pepper and a touch of sugar. Then dump it on some freshly boiled thin noodles. You couldn't ask for anything better. Try it. It will taste a lot better that steamed Finnish newsprint.

Read more:
• A guide to winter-friendly leafy green veggies
• 100 cabbage recipes
• All about buying, cooking and storing cabbage

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Excerpted from An Apple a Day: The Myths, Misconceptions and Outright Exaggerations about Diet, Nutrition and the Foods We Eat. Published by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. Copyright 2007 by Dr. Joe Schwarcz. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.