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One old Irish blessing says: “May your cabbage leaves always be free of worms”.
The point of this blessing is that cabbage has always been considered such a valuable food and at the same time a medicinal plant that people wished for one another that it would not be damaged by various pests.
Cabbage is low in calories and high in nutritional value. It is a rich source of vitamin C, potassium and vitamin K.
In addition, it has strong anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory effects, which is why it is also part of many traditional medicinal recipes.
Medicinal effects of cabbage on inflammation and joint pain
Cabbage leaves have been used in traditional medicine for centuries to treat swelling, skin abrasions and rheumatic joint pains.
They contain a large share of vitamins, phytonutrients, anthocyanins and glutamine, which are characterized by strong anti-inflammatory properties.
These properties make them a very valuable natural remedy for joint pain in the knees, ankles or fingers.
They even provide relief to patients with chronic joint diseases such as rheumatism, arthritis or gout, for whom conventional treatment does not help.
The best way to apply cabbage leaves is in compresses. And that’s exactly what we’ll talk more about in today’s article.
How to prepare foot compresses from cabbage leaves
To make the compress you will need the following items:
- 1 cabbage (red is best, but it can also be green)
- 1 roll of plastic wrap or foil (foil holds heat better)
Follow these steps:
1. Pull off all the leaves from the cabbage and wash them well in water. Then dry them and cut out the thick veins.
2. Spread the leaves on a wooden pastry board and roll over them with a rolling pin to release their juice.
3. Then place the cabbage leaves along the length of the limb and secure them with the plastic wrap. You can apply them only to the painful joints, but it will be more effective if you make a compress for the entire limb (usually the legs, but it can also be applied to the arms).
4. After completing the compress, secure it with adhesive tape and leave it on for about 1 hour.
5. Repeat the compress 2 to 3 times a day. Always use fresh cabbage leaves for a new compress.
As we mentioned, you can use either green or red cabbage. Red is a bit better because it contains more anthocyanins — substances that reduce inflammation.
Repeat the procedure regularly every day until you experience an improvement in your health condition and a reduction in joint pain.
A few final tips
Although relatively rare, some people may have an allergy to cabbage.
Therefore, if you experience swelling, redness or itching during the application of cabbage leaves, remove the compress immediately.
Afterwards, either do not apply it again or wait a few days and try a different type of cabbage.
Sometimes it can be a reaction to residual pesticide sprays, so try to obtain unsprayed cabbage. Still, always wash it thoroughly to be safe, preferably in lukewarm water with a little vinegar or baking soda.
