Bok choy, known also as pak choi or Chinese cabbage, is a common fixture in Asian cooking. It's a green, cruciferous vegetable full of health benefits. Native to China, the veggie is prized for its flavour and texture. It's a versatile ingredient that can be used in gravies, stir-fries or soups.
Health Benefits of Bok Choy
Bok choy is vegetable royalty, belonging to the family of cruciferous vegetables that have numerous health benefits. Its anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and pro heart health properties make it an ideal addition to a healthful diet.
Here are some health benefits of bok choy:
- Full of fibre, vitamins and minerals
- Powerhouse of antioxidants
- Anti-inflammatory
- Good for heart health
Other health and nutritional benefits of bok choy:
1. Has cancer-fighting properties: Bok choy contains many cancer-preventing compounds like vitamin C and E, folate, selenium and beta-carotene. These are antioxidants that prevent damage from free radicals that cause cancer.
2. Fights inflammation: Being a leafy green vegetable, bok choy is an excellent source of quercetin that can help prevent inflammation in the body and also protect against chronic diseases.
3. Lower risk of heart diseases: Bok choy contains folate and vitamin B6 that remove homocysteine, which causes heart diseases, from the blood. Like every dark green, leafy vegetable, bok choy is good for maintaining overall heart health.
4. Promotes eye health: Beta-carotene and vitamin A present in bok choy are important nutrients to keep the eyes healthy with growing age. They also prevent chronic eye-related diseases from happening. Regular intake of bok choy can improve eye health.
Nutritional composition of bok choy
The nutritional content for 70 grams bok choy
NUTRITIONAL FACT
| MEASURE
|
Calories
| 9
|
Protein
| 1.05 g
|
Carbohydrates
| 1.53 g
|
Dietary Fiber
| 0.7 g
|
Cholesterol
| 0 g.+
|
Polyunsaturated fat
| 0.067 g
|
Calcium
| 74 mg
|
Iron
| 0.56 mg
|
Magnesium
| 13 mg
|
Phosphorous
| 26 mg
|
Potassium
| 176 mg
|
Sodium
| 46 mg
|
Zinc
| 0.13 mg
|
How to cook bok choy
Cooking bok choy is easy if you keep a few points in mind. Since it's a delicate, leafy vegetable, avoid overcooking it since it can compromise its taste, texture and nutrients. Ideally, it should be braised, steamed, stewed or stir-fried . You can also grill it with some fat on high heat for a very short time.
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