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, in greengrocers, in markets or even in Asian grocery stores. You’ve probably seen it before without paying attention. It is very popular for its slightly spicy taste and crunchy texture. Star of Asian cuisine, it is cultivated as a vegetable plant whose stems and leaves are eaten. This famous vegetable is none other than Chinese cabbage or bok choy. It looks like romaine lettuce or a chard with its long, curly green leaves. To demonstrate its cardioprotective effect, the researchers carried out an experiment on 56 hamsters. These animals were randomly distributed 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 collected to examine the lipid profile as well as several parameters such as liver enzymes of the hamsters. 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 – those who 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, neither on “good cholesterol” nor on “bad cholesterol” for group C – the one who ate a little Chinese cabbage every day.
Hamsters supplemented with 7% Chinese cabbage showed the best performance 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 preserve health. Probably because of its high content of fiber and antioxidants (polyphenols) which help fight against the oxidation of bad cholesterol. These results must be confirmed on a larger scale and adapted to humans.