Here at Jones we are natural optimists. We hope 2021 will bring a return of our health, our freedoms and for the lifeblood to return to our economy, factories, high street, hospitality and travel industries. It seems like we have a few more months to hang in there During these last few weeks, we’ll have to pay extra special attention to our mental and physical wellbeing. To that end, we want to put in a good word for slaw – what are the health benefits?
To begin with, what is slaw?
The word comes from the Dutch word “koolsla”, meaning “cabbage salad”. It entered the English language via New York in the 18th Century. The main ingredient that is common to all recipes is raw, shredded cabbage. Being deliciously crunchy, sweet and light it goes with pretty much any meal as a side. What is more, we are blessed with amazing quality cabbage in Britain. Simon Naylor, from Naylors farms says that “The crunch and taste of British Cabbages cannot be replicated elsewhere”. With this amazing quality local product in season through winter, there is no need to wait for barbecue season to come along…. we believe it can form an ideal part of your healthy January.
So, slaw – what are the benefits? We say that ‘nature has the answer’ and you’d be amazed at how much a good slaw can pack in as part of a balanced healthy diet. Fresh, raw, seasonal cabbage can be quite the health hero. It is a cruciferous vegetable (along with broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, kale and garden cress) and is rich in fibre, folates and vitamins C, E and K.
Slaw – what are the benefits number 1
Insoluble fibre in cabbage is just what the gut ordered. Eating enough fibre (RDA 30g) is challenging to achieve day in day out. A 120g portion of cabbage gives you a very useful starter for 10%. The fibre passes through the stomach undigested giving friendly bacteria species like bifidobacterial and lactobacilli food to digest in your gut (meaning that cabbage is a natural “prebiotic”). A well-tended “microbiome” is believed to help regulate the immune system, create important vitamins and produce 90% of the body’s serotonin (the natural feelgood hormone that helps to regulates the brain). See our Science page for more.
In addition, fibre helps maintain a ‘full feeling’ for longer, which is helpful for those of us looking to avoid snacking.
Slaw – what are the benefits number 2
Cabbage, carrots and spring onions are packed with a range of antioxidants, including vitamin C. Vitamin C is often associated with citrus fruit, but cruciform vegetables like cabbage are a very rich source too (as is parsley by the way….. never let a garnish go uneaten!). Just 100g of raw cabbage provides 60% of your RDA so is an exceptionally useful source of Vitamin C. Anti-oxidants such as Vitamin C are needed to balance out free radicals. Excess free-radicals can cause ‘oxidative stress’, damaging DNA, lipids and proteins. In turn, this can increase the risk of a number of diseases including cancer. Plucky little Vitamin C really is one of the good guys.
As a little tip, don’t buy halved or quartered heads of cabbage as the vegetable begins to lose vitamin C from the moment it is cut.
Slaw – what are the benefits number 3
Folate is important for red blood cell creation and cell division (hence its importance during pregnancy). A 100g portion of raw cabbage will give you approximately 11% of your daily recommended allowance of 400mcg. Deficiency of folate is believed to be a cause of fatigue and lowered levels of serotonin (that natural feelgood hormone again!). Put another way, folate is sometimes used as a natural treatment for depression in combination with vitamin B12.
Slaw – what are the benefits number 4
Cabbage contains phytochemicals, which are chemicals made by plants to protect themselves against infection and predators. Work is ongoing to demonstrate their benefits to humans, so are seen as research chemicals but have been used for generations as traditional remedies (or poisons!). Cabbage contains sinigrin (a glucosinolate) which recent studies show to bring anti-cancer and cardiovascular benefits.
We make no outlandish claims here, but it’s pretty uncontroversial to state that cabbage can form a very useful part of a healthy and balanced diet for most people. As a watchout, excessive uptake of glucosinolates may disrupt uptake of iodine, which is required for the thyroid to function properly.
Slaw – what are the benefits number 5
Most slaw is made from raw, shredded vegetables. Ours is made from fermented cabbage with carrots. The process creates a delicious, extra crunchy slaw rich in “lactobacteria”, similar to the friendly bacteria in your gut. We never heat treat any of our products…. as we say, they are raw, live and unpasteurised. This means we don’t kill the lactobacteria and as a result our slaw is both prebiotic (feeds the good bacteria) and probiotic (contains the good bacteria).
To make the best possible slaw with the best possible flavour, we also add in turmeric and a pinch of pepper. And as with all of our fermented vegetable range, we will only use organic ingredients. It is just as important to us what is excluded from our slaw, as to what is included. We source and grow in accordance with the soil association standards. By being small but committed part of the organic revolution we believe we are able to give peace of mind that our product doesn’t contain agrochemical residuals, however harmful they may one day prove to be.
Links:
If you would like to have a go at making your own, BBC Good Food has gone wonderfully coleslaw potty.
If you are a slaw-abiding citizen then try our Organic Fermented Turmeric Slaw. The compelling condiment. Use as a side to any dish or as a guilt free snack.
Find out more about the Soil Associations campaign to reduce pesticides in our food chain
Photo by Drahomír Posteby-Mach on Unsplash
