Applying hot cabbage leaves to the skin provides many anti-inflammatory and analgesic benefits, being useful in relieving pain and inflammation.
The cabbage is a vegetable belonging to the family of Cruciferae family to which belong also other wonderful and delicious vegetables such as is the case of the broccoli or cauliflower. In fact, more than 300 genera and around 3,000 species belong to this family. Despite such an incredible amount, only a few are known to be precisely quite consumed.
In the case of green cabbage, they are vegetables that are mainly native to southern and central Europe. In particular, kale was originally grown in the Alps, specifically on the border between Italy and France. It is also known by the name of cabbage, and it is a delicious food with great nutritional wealth.
From a nutritional point of view, it is a vegetable very rich in vitamins, especially the presence of vitamin C, K and vitamins of group B. It also provides folates, beta-carotenes, minerals (among which iron stands out without a doubt) and fiber.
When we consume cabbage, it becomes a very interesting natural option when it comes to reducing cholesterol and triglyceride levels, thanks to its richness in fiber, folates and antioxidants such as beta-carotenes. Its consumption is interesting in the treatment of peptic ulcers, and it is very interesting when it comes to preventing cancer. It also stands out for its anti-inflammatory action.
Precisely on this occasion we want to look at its qualities as an anti-inflammatory food, since there is a very popular home remedy that consists of heating the cabbage leaves with an iron and applying it externally.
What are the properties of heating a cabbage leaf and applying it externally?
The hot cabbage leaves have an excellent action and effect both anti-inflammatory and analgesic, so they are a simply wonderful natural option when it comes to relieving pain and inflammation when used externally.
It is very useful in case of flank and kidney pain, pain caused by osteoarthritis and rheumatism. In addition, it is a natural remedy widely used by many midwives to help relieve pain and inflammation that appear during breastfeeding.
Heating the cabbage leaf releases a series of anti-inflammatory and analgesic substances that ultimately give it its qualities to relieve inflammation and pain.
Below we highlight its main uses and applications:
- Mastitis: consists of the inflammation of the mammary gland. It usually appears especially during breastfeeding when a duct is obstructed, which in turn can lead to infection of the breast tissue.
- Kidney pain: can appear as a result of cysts, stones (kidney stones), kidney inflammation (nephritis), infections and kidney cancer. Find out more about kidney pain.
- Side pain: can be caused by gastrointestinal disease, liver disease, spinal fractures or infection, disc disease, arthritis, shingles, and cholecystopathy.
- Muscle aches: they can appear due to stiffness, especially due to poor warm-up and stretching.
- Arthritis: consists of the inflammation of one or more joints.
How to apply the hot cabbage leaf?
To enjoy its anti-inflammatory and analgesic qualities, you should only get a dark green cabbage that has a fresh appearance, in good condition. Remove its first leaves and then get the inner ones. Heat the clothes iron a little and carefully pass it over the previously stretched cabbage leaves.
Then, once hot, place the hot cabbage leaves on the area where you feel the pain, leaving it to act until the cabbage leaf cools. You can repeat as many times as you need, until the pain and inflammation go down or disappear.
