- This is why you should all be eating your greens
- Make the most of this seasonal fare – your tummy will thank you for it
Can it really be true that cabbages can cure stomach pain?
I wouldn’t blame you if you thought that this was some kind of lockdown leg pulling…
…Ray Collins losing it…
…however, the science is on my side with this one.
More importantly it’s not just cabbages that have this effect either – kale, broccoli and even the much derided Brussel sprout can all help resolve certain stomach complaints.
Let me explain how, but first a bit of nostalgia…
How sprouts and cabbages can protect you while you sleep
With snow on the ground and Jack Frost in the air my thoughts have begun to turn to the festive season (well it is the first of December today so I think that I am allowed!)
At Christmas, my grandfather was his own worst enemy.
He used the Santa’s visit as an excuse to polish off all the cheap whisky in the house, (especially if it wasn’t HIS house.)
What’s more, he couldn’t resist a single treat offered to him.
Nuts, cake, turkey sandwiches heavily laden with sauces and pickles… you name it, he washed it down.
And it would be entirely OUR fault.
‘Ooh,’ he’d angrily exclaim, swaying to his feet at the end of each night. ‘You lot shouldn’t have fed my all that grub. I’ll never get to sleep tonight.’
And off he’d go to bed, grimacing and rubbing his chest.
I used to think this was just a theatrical gesture, done for our benefit. But these days I know that he was suffering a common digestive problem.
It’s one that he could have avoided, had he known what I’m about to tell you…
Have you heard of GERD?
Now, we all know that going to sleep on a full stomach of spicy food can cause heartburn to flare up and spoil your night, if you suffer from night time heartburn, it may not be bad eating habits that are causing the problem…
It may be GERD.
GERD. (or Gastro Oesophageal Reflux Disease) which is a problem with the ‘food tube’ from your mouth to the stomach – the oesophagus. GERD can be the result of a faulty Lower Oesophageal sphincter valve that is damaged and fails to close properly…
Or it could be a possible stomach problem such as gastritis, peptic ulcers, H.pylori bacterium…
Or your pH levels might be out of balance…
Whatever the problem is, they all increase the pressure in the stomach which forces the Lower Oesophageal sphincter valve to open just enough to allow stomach acids and gases to escape and creep back up into your gut.
If this happens regularly over a period of time, the constant attack of your stomach acids (which should be safely stored away but are escaping) can cause sores to form on your oesophagus, especially at night when you’re lying down and the acids can settle.
This condition is known as erosive GERD… a nasty disease that’s best to tackle as early as possible.
But rather than turning to a prescription drug for help, the honest cabbage could be the answer…
How brassicas can protect you while you sleep
The Coallis Lombarda cabbage is a small, red cabbage that’s been used in natural healing for ages, stretching back to the times of the the MayaQuiché civilization.
From this insignificant wild vegetable scientists were able to isolate a compound which they called vitamin U in the 1950’s.
Of course this wasn’t a true vitamin as it happens but a form of an amino acid called methionine.
The good news is that this ancient compound is found in everyday cabbages, Brussel Sprouts and broccoli.
And that means that your traditional Christmas dinner might be great medicine for your stomach.
Dr. Garnett Cheney, professor of medicine at Stanford Medical School, published a report about the use of ‘Vitamin U’ in the treatment of gastric ulcer.
The results are astonishing…
Of 65 cases reported, 62 were cured at the end of three weeks.
So naturally, when it comes to ways to treat GERD, ‘Vitamin U’ tops the list protecting the gastro oesophageal system and relieving painful heartburn like nothing else (well nothing else I can find).
And of course, being a natural substance, ‘Vitamin’ U helps your body in other ways…
It’s a great local anaesthetic, so it reduces pain naturally, it reduces spasms and it strengthens capillaries.
If you are bothered by frequent NIGHT TIME heartburn (two or more times a week is frequent in my book), you may be suffering from erosive GERD.
Talk to your doctor about it as soon as possible, and in the meantime, use Vitamin U to help relieve the unpleasant symptoms of erosive GERD, and get a good night’s sleep!
But make sure that you enjoy plenty of green leafy vegetables now that they are in season.
