Friday, June 4, 2010

Cabbage and Cyst

Cabbage, Brassica oleracea, is one of the richest when it comes to protective vitamins. Raw cabbage cleans the waste from the stomach and upper bowels which improves digestion and reduces constipation. Cabbage is applied in herbal medicine used to prevent cancer and ulcers. It may also be used to treat engorged (enlarged and tender) breasts and high blood sugar. Hailed as a cancer inhibitor, particularly colon cancer, cabbage also stimulates the immune system, kills harmful bacteria, soothes ulcers, and improves circulation. The outer leaves are a good source of vitamin E, making it good for the complexion. Also rich in vitamin C (raw white cabbage contains as much vitamin C as lemon juice) and sulphur.

Cabbage cyst nematode: Cyst nematode, Heterodera cruciferae, sedentary endoparasites, is not a major pest and its host range is limited to Cruciferae (nearly all genera includes Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower), and some weeds and members of Labiaceae. H. cruciferae has been reported from Europe, Russia, California, and South Australia (Stone and Rowe, 1976; Whitehead, 1998).

There are many cases of occasional epilepsy attacks, many people were saying that had worms in the brain, these people were also suggesting that it is getting very common in India and usually caused by eating undercooked or raw cabbage. I heard about tapeworm and round worms in stomach but never heard about a worn inside a brain. It was difficult to believe that by eating cabbages which I thought was probably the healthiest food one can have. It is an indeed parasitic disease/infection called Cysticercosis which causes this to happen. It happens when the tape worm larvae enter the body and forms cysts. When these cysts are found in brain this condition is called neurocysticercosis.

A very unhealthy, alarming and deadly disease is ringing alarm bells. Entering the body and then sneaking into the brain undetected, invisible organisms are creating havoc with the urban Indian's nervous system. 13 per cent of the epilepsy cases coming to Delhi's hospitals are being triggered by cyst formation in vulnerable areas of the human brain.

So if you thought that salads were healthy, think again. You've got be very careful in washing them. You need to wash them in running water at least thrice. Cabbage, spinach, etc, are increasingly grown in unhygienic conditions. Wash hands with soap and water after using the toilet and before handling food.

Precaution & Suggestions: Some people do tend to suffer digestive distress due to gas from cabbage. Try blanching the whole or quartered cabbage for five minutes, change the water, and then continue cooking in fresh water if necessary. Since cabbage can interfere with the uptake of iodine, those with goiter conditions should consult their physician before eating cabbage. Although consumption of cabbage may aggravate a pre-existing thyroid condition, it is generally not the initiating factor of such a condition.

Do not eat salads at roadside eateries or wedding functions. At home, vegetables like carrot, spinach, radish and cucumber should be washed thoroughly preferably five or six times. Fruits and burgers sprinkled with cabbage outside home should be skipped.