It would be able to significantly reduce the level of bad cholesterol and triglycerides.
Eating fruits and vegetables helps maintain good cardiovascular health. But not all vegetables are equal, as Chinese researchers show in the scientific journal Food & Function. According to them, a family of vegetables is particularly protective for the heart and arteries, much more than other vegetables. One of these vegetables, little consumed in France, would be particularly good for reducing cholesterol, one of the main cardiovascular risk factors.
This vegetable is easily found in supermarkets, greengrocers, markets or even in Asian grocery stores. You have certainly already seen it without paying attention. It is very popular for its slightly spicy taste and its crunchy texture. A star of Asian cuisine, it is grown as a vegetable plant whose stems and leaves are eaten. This famous vegetable is none other than the Chinese cabbage or pak choi. It looks like romaine lettuce or a chard plant with its long, curly green leaves. To demonstrate its cardioprotective effect, the researchers conducted an experiment on 56 hamsters. These animals were randomly divided into several groups, each with a specific diet followed for 56 days: normal diet (A), high-fat diet (B), high-fat diet + the equivalent of 5% of their food bolus in Chinese cabbage (C), high-fat diet + 7% Chinese cabbage (D). On days 0, 28, and 56, blood and liver samples were taken to examine the lipid profile as well as several parameters such as the hamsters’ liver enzymes. The results showed that:
► Group B (who ate fatty foods and no Chinese cabbage) had significantly higher levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides compared to group A.
► Group D – the one that ate the most Chinese cabbage – had significantly reduced levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides and “bad cholesterol” (LDL cholesterol) and higher levels of “good cholesterol” (HDL cholesterol) compared to group B.
► No significant effect on either “good cholesterol” or “bad cholesterol” for group C – the one that ate a little Chinese cabbage every day.
Hamsters supplemented with 7% Chinese cabbage performed best among all other high-fat groups, showing that sufficient consumption of Chinese cabbage could be an excellent alternative to reduce cholesterol accumulation in the body and maintain health. Probably due to its high content of fiber and antioxidants (polyphenols) that help fight the oxidation of bad cholesterol. These results need to be confirmed on a larger scale and adapted to humans.