Kohlrabi — the name easily reveals where this vegetable is native to and also widely consumed. In fact, it is sometimes referred to as “German turnip”, although other people call it “turnip cabbage”. A cruciferous vegetable just like kale, broccoli, cabbage and other members of the brassica family, kohlrabi is undeniably good for you.
Most of the time, kohlrabi is thought of a root vegetable. However, that’s a mistake — the bulbous structure is actually the base of the stem and not a part of the roots.
Aside from the bulb, the stem as well as leaves of kohlrabi are also consumed. They are even usually used as alternatives to certain cruciferous vegetables for cooking, such as bok choi and kale. When it comes to the taste, kohlrabi is so easy to love — the bulb kind of tastes like the stem of broccoli, and it has the consistency of an apple.
With so many ways to serve kohlrabi on the table — as addition to fresh garden salads, stir-fry vegetables, etc. — you are not going to have a difficult time introducing it in your diet. And you really should consume kohlrabi on a regular basis because it offers an assortment of health benefits, some of them are:
Better Immunity
Did you know that there’s more vitamin C in kohlrabi that oranges? This is the reason why adding more kohlrabi in your diet on a regular basis can help save you from being down with the cold or flu. In this day and age when the world is spinning so much faster, ending up with an illness is definitely not an option.
Lovelier Skin
Vitamin C is also important for keeping your skin healthy. It’s also something that helps slow down the aging of skin. It’s for the fact that vitamin C neutralizes free radicals and encourages the synthesis of more collagen. So in a way, eating kohlrabi is like employing an effective anti-aging product but without unfavorable side effects and risks.
Reduced Cancer Risk
Thanks to the loads of antioxidants present in kohlrabi, your risk of having deadly cancer can be considerably reduced. Antioxidants zap excess free radicals before they damage healthy cells and cause them to mutate. Also, kohlrabi is a cruciferous vegetable, and it’s no secret that veggies in the cruciferous family are cancer fighters!
Lowered Blood Pressure
One of the many nutrients present in kohlrabi is potassium, and this is exactly why the vegetable from Germany is very good at keeping high blood pressure or hypertension at bay. Potassium helps in lowering the blood pressure by causing the blood vessels to become wider, a process known in the medical world as vasodilatation.
Sharper Eyesight
There are also good amounts of vitamin A in every serving of kohlrabi. Due to this, the regular consumption of this vegetable helps ensure that your eyes are protected from being damaged. If you cannot imagine living a life in which you cannot see anything or anyone around you, then make sure to add kohlrabi in your everyday diet.
Tougher Bones
Calcium in kohlrabi is a major role player in the prevention of osteoporosis, a disease characterized by bones that are weak and brittle, thus are very prone to becoming fractured. However, it’s not just your bones that can become so much stronger when you consume calcium-rich kohlrabi, but also your pearly whites.
Reduced Anemia Risk
Finally, every serving of kohlrabi also supplies your body with iron. It’s of utmost importance for your diet to consist of foods that are rich in the said mineral. Otherwise, you may have a shortage of red blood cells (RBC) which can impede the ability of your blood to transport much-needed oxygen to the various parts of your body.
