Bok Choy is an Asian vegetable popular for its tasty soup and salad. It is a cabbage-like green that you can prepare fast and still eat healthy. Even though you have not cooked with Bok Choy, you have probably encountered it in Chinese restaurants.
Can you eat Bok Choy leaves? Yes, you can eat Bok Choy leaves when raw or cooked. While it tastes like spinach, it possesses a mildly bitter flavor. If you prefer having a crispy moment, you can eat its raw crunchy stalks. For tender chewing, take the cooked wilting Bok Choy.
Whether flopping in a plate of rice or with stir-fries, this vegetable adds great taste to many cuisines. Most people prefer cooking it for improved taste advantages.
What Part of Bok Choy Should You Eat?
For cabbages like sweet potato vines, you can eat all their parts. For others, you need to remove the sections that are disagreeable with human taste.
What part of Bok Choy should you eat? You can eat the whole Bok Choy vegetable. The bottom white bulb and the top dark leafy greens. Both make a healthy and sumptuous meal.
Can You Eat Too Much Bok Choy?
After learning that Bok Choy is a superfood, you are probably thinking eating it often or in large portions may mean you are becoming healthier. Some superfoods have no effect even when you take them in large quantities, while others may prove this idea wrong.
Can you eat too much Bok Choy? You can eat a lot of Bok Choy. However, you may experience some side effects. This vegetable contains an enzyme that can hinder your thyroid function. So, if you take so much of it, you may have an issue.
There is one case where a woman took 2 to 3 pounds of this vegetable every day for several months when raw. She suffered from hypothyroidism that later left her in a coma. Although, she recovered it is vital to note it was a life-threatening case.
Perhaps, it is not a good idea to feast on large amounts of Bok Choy. As they say, too much of something can be poisonous. You better eat the Chinese vegetable in moderation.
Is Bok Choy a Superfood?
A superfood refers to any diet rich in nutrients that benefit your body (immune system or development). While practitioners categorize specific foods as superfoods, all fruits and vegetables belong to this category due to their nutrient supply.
Is Bok Choy a superfood? Bok Choy is a superfood like any other cruciferous vegetables. These vegetables are rich in vitamins, phytochemicals, and minerals.
What are Phytochemicals?
Phytochemical compounds refer to certain chemical compounds that are neither minerals nor vitamins. These compounds have positive health effects like reduced risk of heart disease or cancer.
What are the Health Benefits of Eating Bok Choy Leaves?
Bok Choy has numerous health benefits. They include:
Benefit #1: Cancer Prevention
Bok Choy is a cruciferous vegetable with cancer-fighting compounds. It contains beta-carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin E, which are powerful antioxidants. These three prevent cell damage by radicals; hence they lower your risk of getting cancer.
Bok Choy also has selenium, which slows the growth rate of tumors. Thus, it can curb the progression of cancer. This Chinese cabbage also contains a lot of fiber that keeps your digestive system healthy, preventing colon cancer.
Benefit #2: Lowers Your Risk of Heart Disease
While cases of heart diseases keep rising each day, practitioners urge people to turn to healthy eating. Bok Choy is one of those diets that will make you stand a better chance of not suffering from heart disease.
How does Bok Choy lower the risk of heart disease?
Bok Choy contains vitamin B6 and folate, which eliminate homocysteine from the blood. When homocysteine accumulates in your blood, it can damage your blood vessels and eventually cause heart disease.
Benefit #3: Fights Inflammation
Bok Choy is a rich source of flavonoid quercetin like other dark, leafy greens. This compound and other antioxidants help your body to fight cell damage and body inflammation. Reduced inflammation lowers your chances of developing chronic health conditions like diabetes and cancer.
Benefit #4: Promotes Bone Health
Calcium is essential for strong and healthy bone growth. Not forgetting to mention, our teeth also require enough supply of it to function properly. While we often obtain calcium from dairy, there are leafy alternatives like Bok Choy that contain this element.
If you are allergic to dairy or dislike them, this Chinese cabbage can be a great option. Bok Choy is also rich in phosphorus, vitamin K, magnesium, and iron, crucial for strong and healthy bones.
Benefit #5: Boosts Immune System
Presently, most people are focusing on keeping their health systems strong to fight off any disease-causing agents. If you are on this journey as well, you may want to try Bok Choy. This cabbage contains selenium element, making your immune system strong, enabling it to fight all harmful viruses and bacteria.
Benefit #6: Protects Your Eyes
Our vision is vital in our life since it helps us to operate effectively and at ease. So, you ought to protect it as much as you can. Apart from visiting the optometrist for a regular eye exam, you can eat healthy to keep your vision optimum.
While we often think about carrots anytime, eye health comes to mind, Bok Choy can protect your eyes. It is a good source of beta-carotene and vitamin A, which maintains your eyes health reducing your risk of getting age-related eye problems like AMD (Age-related Macular Degeneration).
Final Thoughts
- Also known as Chinese cabbage, Bok Choy is a cruciferous vegetable. You can eat it when raw or cooked. If you prefer the crunchy moment, the stalks are better when raw. However, if you want it wilting and tender, you can cook it.
- Bok Choy is a great choice of vegetables since you can feast on every part. You don’t have to worry about the unpleasant flavors because it only has a mild bitterness besides a spinach-like taste.
- Similar to other cruciferous vegetables, Bok Choy is a superfood. It contains minerals, vitamins, and phytochemicals that help your body stay strong and healthy.
- Overeating Bok Choy can cause hyperthyroidism, which can cause severe side effects like hindering your thyroid functioning.
- The Chinese cabbage has numerous health benefits like cancer prevention, boosting your immune system, and protecting your eyes’ health.