Can you identify the vegetable that belongs to the top three in the aggregate nutrient density index, indicating that it provides one of the highest concentrations of nutrients per calorie compared to other foods? It is none other than bok choy (Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis) – commonly known as pak choi or white cabbage – that contains merely 12 calories per cup, yet possesses a powerful array of nutrients.
Belonging to the cruciferous vegetable family alongside kale, Brussels sprouts, and broccoli, Bok choy is a type of Chinese white cabbage that falls under the Brassica genus of plants. Often referred to as pak choi, this vegetable is indigenous to China and is the most commonly eaten brassica vegetable in the country. Nonetheless, people all over the world consume it.
It is possible that you are aware of the importance of including cruciferous vegetables in your diet, but you may be curious about the specific benefits that bok choy can provide.
What are the benefits of bok choy? As a member of the cruciferous vegetable group (or Brassica family), bok choy is not only rich in vitamins and minerals, but also possesses anti-cancer properties. Furthermore, it ranks among the most effective anti-inflammatory foods globally, making it capable of mitigating the risk of heart disease and other health conditions.
If you find kale too bitter and can’t consume collard greens without the addition of salt, consider trying bok choy as your new superfood of choice. Its gentle sweetness and crunchy consistency renders it an excellent accompaniment to any dish, whether eaten raw or cooked, and can serve as a substitute for other dark leafy greens.
The focus of this article is on the advantages and possible drawbacks of consuming bok choy for one’s health, along with some recommendations on how to include it in one’s regular meals.
Bok Choy Nutrition Facts
Why is bok choy a superfood? It’s a part of a powerful group of vegetables known for incredible health benefits through detoxification. Brassica vegetables provide health-promoting phytochemicals, such as vitamins, carotenoids, fiber, soluble sugars, minerals, glucosinolates and phenolic compounds.
Adding Bok choy to your diet is advisable as it is low in calories and packs ample health benefits. These benefits include cancer prevention, aiding digestion, and a rich source of various essential minerals and vitamins.
Bok choy offers an incredibly significant amount of vitamin A and C in each serving. A one-cup serving, for instance, gives you more than three-fourths of your daily requirement for vitamin C and 140 percent for vitamin A. Besides, the vegetable is packed with phytonutrients, antioxidants, calcium, iron, manganese, folate, and can promote the well-being of almost all bodily systems.
The availability of vitamins and minerals in bok choy varies depending on how it is prepared.
Health Benefits
1. Helps Treat and Prevent Cancer
Integrating bok choy into your daily meal plan can effectively reduce inflammation, combat the destructive effects of free radicals, and equip your body with potent weapons to combat ailments. Cruciferous veggies are recognized for their glucosinolates which are sulphur-based elements that may impart a bitter taste.
While being prepared, chewed and digested, these vegetables produce other compounds including indole, nitrile and sulforaphane, which have been shown to possess anticancer properties.
Cruciferous vegetables are considered to be among the best cancer-fighting foods due to their ability to provide cell protection from DNA damage and neutralize cancer-causing agents. These properties are what make the compounds found in these vegetables effective against cancer.
Brassinin, an antimicrobial and antioxidative compound that has been scientifically proven to be a chemopreventive agent, is also present in bok choy. Numerous studies have demonstrated that people who consume cruciferous vegetables several times per week have a reduced risk of various types of cancer, including but not limited to prostate, colorectal, lung, and breast cancers.
2. Provides Antioxidant Power
Ranked in the top three vegetables on the aggregate nutrient density index, bok choy is a food that offers ample nutrients per calorie compared to others. Incorporating bok choy into your diet can potentially aid in weight loss by providing a satisfactory feeling without going overboard on portions, highlighting the significance of adding veggies for appetite regulation.
Although free radicals can cause harm to the body, bok choy, which is rich in antioxidants, is effective in eliminating these molecules that bring disease. A single cup of this leafy green vegetable can offer far more than the recommended daily intake of vitamin A and vitamin C, which are among the most potent antioxidant vitamins available to the body.
Cabbage varieties contain various phytonutrients and phenolic acids, including caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, and myricetin, which stimulate several advantageous antioxidant activities in addition to the typical antioxidants. Several studies suggest that when cabbage is fermented, its antioxidants become more effortlessly absorbed by the body.
3. Reduces Inflammation
This variety of Chinese cabbage contains numerous polyphenols that aid in alleviating inflammation. Moreover, Bok choy is rich in vitamin K which plays a significant role in preventing the onset of undesirable inflammation that can lead to severe health problems if disregarded.
4. Promotes Eye Health
Bok choy, due to its significant levels of vitamin A and beta-carotene, is a strong competitor in sustaining healthy eyesight, although carrots are widely recognized as the vegetable that does so. An individual can attain the daily recommended amount of beta-carotene and more than half of the daily recommended amount of vitamin A by consuming one cup of bok choy.
The Macular Degeneration Association strongly suggests the consumption of a food with high beta-carotene levels for individuals experiencing vision loss from macular degeneration.
Vitamin A is beneficial not only as an antioxidant in preventing infections but also in preventing cataracts by combatting free radicals that cause harm to the eyes and other parts of the body. Foods rich in vitamin A can enhance low-light vision, as well as alleviate dry eyes and other eye-related illnesses.
5. May Support Thyroid Function
Bok choy’s selenium content aids in the adequate performance of the thyroid gland, which is positioned at the lower part of the neck and is essential for regulating metabolism and development. Research indicates that insufficient selenium in the blood is associated with thyroid issues like hypothyroidism, autoimmune thyroiditis, and goiter (thyroid enlargement).
According to a study, incorporating selenium supplements into one’s diet may aid in the management of these conditions as well.
6. May Support Bone Health
Bok choy contains several minerals that contribute to sustaining bone health, such as calcium, phosphorus, zinc, magnesium, and vitamin K.
Collagen synthesis and vitamin D metabolism involve zinc and iron. The protein collagen is integral to joint and skeletal system support as it creates a framework that preserves bone structure and power.
Research has shown that when levels of these minerals are low, it can lead to a decrease in collagen and a higher likelihood of developing osteoporosis, a condition characterized by weakened bones that are more susceptible to breaking.
7. May Promote Heart Health
The presence of potassium, magnesium, and calcium in bok choy facilitates the natural regulation of blood pressure, preventing uncontrolled high blood pressure, which could potentially lead to heart disease.
Folate and vitamin B6 found in bok choy have been shown by studies to prevent the accumulation of homocysteine, a compound that can harm blood vessels and raise the likelihood of heart disease and stroke.
Bok choy contains a wealth of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that have the potential to improve thyroid function, as well as promote heart and bone health, and may also possess anti-cancer properties.
8. Benefits Healthy Skin and Hair
Bok choy contains nearly 75% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C in one serving. Collagen, a crucial protein for maintaining healthy skin and hair growth, requires vitamin C for its production. Adequate levels of collagen, facilitated by vitamin C, promote a youthful complexion and reduce wrinkles. Additionally, bok choy’s antibacterial properties can aid in treating skin ailments such as eczema and acne.
9. Boosts the Immune System
Bok choy is a potent immune system booster due to its high levels of Vitamin C, which acts as a strong antioxidant to support and preserve good immune health. Furthermore, consuming bok choy can enhance the production of killer T-cells as it also contains selenium. By integrating this vegetable into your meals on a regular basis, you can potentially combat various common illnesses throughout the year.
Although bok choy has numerous health advantages, excessive consumption of this vegetable may have negative consequences for certain individuals. Cruciferous vegetables have an enzyme known as myrosinase in their raw, uncooked state, which breaks down the glucosinolates present in these vegetables.
Certain byproducts of glucosinolates could potentially impede the absorption of iodine in your body, which is essential for proper thyroid activity.
A study describes the hospitalization of an elderly woman in intensive care due to her severe hypothyroidism and accompanying coma. The woman had been consuming raw bok choy on a daily basis for several months, with an intake of 14-21 cups (1000-1500 grams).
Although this impact may appear harsh, remember that it is only one exceptional instance. This impact may only be a worry if you consume an abnormally significant quantity of uncooked cruciferous vegetables for a prolonged time.
According to a review, there is scanty evidence about bok choy’s ability to obstruct the thyroid. Nonetheless, the researchers assert that consuming usual portions of bok choy is unlikely to hamper thyroid activity.
In addition, the cooking of bok choy disables the activity of the enzyme myrosinase, eliminating the risk of thyroid suppression. Furthermore, if you are taking blood thinning medication, it is advisable to limit the consumption of bok choy due to its high vitamin K content.
If you experience major fluctuations in your vitamin K consumption, your medicine may not work as well due to vitamin K’s involvement in blood coagulation. To meet your daily vitamin K requirement, you can consume around 70 grams of bok choy that is chopped into loose pieces, which will give you approximately 27%.
You can inquire with your healthcare provider about the safe amount of bok choy to eat if you are taking blood clotting drugs like warfarin.
According to a case study, consuming excessive amounts of raw bok choy might affect the thyroid function, but this is unlikely to be a problem with regular serving sizes. Those who are taking blood thinning medication might want to be cautious with their consumption.
Bok choy is commonly utilized in Asian cuisine, where it is cooked in stir-fries and soups. All sections of the bok choy plant, including the white stems and green leaves, can be consumed. The following are some recommendations for preparing and enjoying bok choy:
- Chop it and sauté it with olive oil, garlic, and ginger as a side dish or to top a grain like rice or quinoa.
- Dice it and add it to an Asian-inspired soup recipe.
- Shred it and toss with other vegetables to make a raw salad.
- Chop it and cook in a pan with bell peppers, carrots, broccoli, and water chestnuts to make a stir-fry.
- Slice lengthwise, drizzle with olive oil and salt, and roast in the oven.
- Use in place of lettuce or other leafy greens on a sandwich.
- Dice it finely and add it to fried rice.
There are numerous methods to incorporate bok choy into your eating habits. Bok choy can be eaten in a variety of ways, such as raw, roasted, or cooked on the stovetop, in dishes like soups, stir-fries, or fried rice. Additionally, bok choy can be included into your diet through various Asian meals and other recipes.
Additional comments
- Bok choy is among the top three foods on the aggregate nutrient density index. This means it’s one of the most nutrient-dense foods out there.
- Some of the biggest benefits of this cruciferous, anti-inflammatory vegetable include helping treat and prevent cancer, providing a high amount of antioxidants, reducing inflammation, promoting eye health, strengthening bones, lowering blood pressure and promoting heart health, aiding in healthy skin and hair, boosting the immune system, and assisting in a healthy pregnancy.
- The major shift in nutrients between raw and cooked bok choy is the level of vitamin C and K depletion when the vegetable is cooked. It’s best to consume it raw to get the most nutrients or at the very least only lightly cook it.
- Although it is available year-round, it’s better harvested and enjoyed in the winter months. When grown in warm temperatures, the plant wilts and its flavor is negatively affected.
- Both the stalks and leaves of this veggie can be eaten, including raw or cooked. Here’s how to prepare bok choy: rinse or rub with a damp towel, chop and quickly saute, grill, steam or boil.