WRAPPING THE LEGS IN CABBAGE LEAVES CAN RELIEVE ARTHRITIS, JOINT PAINS, SWELLING AND INFLAMMATION.

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WRAPPING THE LEGS IN CABBAGE LEAVES CAN RELIEVE ARTHRITIS, JOINT PAINS, SWELLING AND INFLAMMATION.

Francis Appiah: ND- ongoing-Nyarkotey University College of Holistic Medicine and Technology, Medical Journalist and Medical Laboratory Technologist

Franapp Holistic Medical Centre-FHMC

Summary: The efficacy of cabbage leaf cataplasms helps in the treatment of primary symptomatic osteoarthritis of the kneel.

What's Cabbage?

Cabbage is a leafy green, red (purple), or white (pale green) biennial plant grown as an annual vegetable crop for its dense-leaved heads. It is descended from the wild cabbage (B. oleracea var. oleracea), and belongs to the "cole crops" or brassicas.

Nutrients and Phytochemicals

Raw cabbage is 92% water, 6% carbohydrates, 1% protein, and contains negligible fat (table).

In a 100 gram reference amount, raw cabbage is a rich source of vitamin C and vitamin K, containing 44% and 72%, respectively, of the Daily Value (DV). Cabbage is also a moderate source (10–19% DV) of vitamin B6 and folate, with no other nutrients having significant content per 100-gram serving (table).

Anti-inflammatory and antioxidants properties

Crushed cabbage leaves are one of the most

widely used anti-inflammatory remedies in Polish folk medicine. Cabbage, due to its specific properties, has been used in natural medicine mainly for rheumatic pain, vein and lymphatic vessel inflammation, bruises, sprains, mastitis or gastrointestinal problems

Cabbage contains considerable amounts of bioactive compounds such as glucosinolates, vitamin C, carotenoids, and polyphenol, chlorophyll  and antioxidants like choline, beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin as well as the flavonoids kaempferol, quercetin, and apigenin. 

Many researchers like Chen et al. (2008) were the first to find circulating miRNAs in human serum and also studied how the anti-inflammatory properties in cabbage can help relieve the pains and inflammation of arthritis and joint pains.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a human autoimmune, inflammatory disease affecting 0.5–1% of people, mostly middle-aged, and women 2.5 times more frequently than men. RA has an unknown etiology, possibly involving genetic, environmental and/or infectious factors (Kumar et al., 2016). The immune process in RA is directed to joints, particularly bone, cartilage and synovial tissue (Bullock et al., 2019). Symptoms of inflamed joints, such as swelling, pain, and deformities, lead to progressive disability of the patient (Guo et al., 2018).

Genetic and environmental factors contribute to the loss of tolerance, leading to autoantibody formation (rheumatoid factor or anti–citrullinated protein antibody) which are often observed before the onset of symptoms in RA patients. (Firestein and McInnes, 2017). Both innate and adaptive immune responses are involved in RA pathogenesis, but chronic inflammation is responsible for bone and cartilage degeneration due to osteoclast and metalloproteinase (MMP) activation by the proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1, IL-6). Proinflammatory cytokine released by synovial fibroblasts and macrophages causes synovial inflammation (McInnes and Schett, 2011) and are chemoattractants for other immune cells, recruited to the inflammatory site, leading to exacerbation of inflammation (Smolen et al., 2016).

As there is no efficient treatment for RA, due to its unknown etiology, most therapies are focused on inhibiting the ongoing inflammatory process. Nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), corticosteroids, cytostatic drugs and other disease-modifying drugs are used for RA treatment. 

TNF-α is considered one of the key cytokines in the pathomechanism of RA, contributing to the production of other proinflammatory cytokines, interactions between immune cells and boosting the inflammatory processes damaging the bone and cartilage.

Take Home

Studies have shown that because of the anti-inflammatory properties found in cabbage makes it very effective in relieving joint pains, swelling, Inflammation and arthritis.

Procedure or steps to do wrap cabbage leaves on kneel or joint:

Step 1

Place cabbage leaves, preferably from red cabbage, on a cutting board and cut out the hard stem with a sharp knife. Use a wine bottle, rolling pin or meat hammer to gently bruise the leaves, releasing some of the cabbage juices.

Step 2

Wrap the cabbage leaves in foil and place in the oven for a few minutes to warm them and make the leaves pliable. Test temperature to assure they are warm, not hot, to the touch.

Step 3

Layer the warm cabbage leaves around the painful joint until it is completely encased with the leaves. If leaves feel too hot, allow them to cool for a minute before applying to the skin. Hold the leaves in place by wrapping with self-stick gauze bandage and cover the entire poultice with plastic wrap or aluminum foil to contain the warmth.

Step 4

Leave the cabbage leaves wrapped around the joint for at least one hour, and longer if desired. Using new cabbage leaves, re-wrap the joint at a later time or the next day for continued relief. The poultice can be left on overnight.

Step 5

Unwrap the cabbage leaves when the poultice cools and discard. Hopefully, you will feel less pain in the affected joint. If this home remedy works for you, it is an inexpensive way to treat painful joints without side effects.

Items Needed:

1. Cabbage, preferably red cabbage

2. Self-stick gauze bandage

3. Plastic or foil wrap

4. Oven

5. Rolling pin, wine bottle or meat hammer

Tips on cabbage leaves for arthritis:

According to the 'NYU Langone Medical Center', red cabbage contains anthocyanins, the same compound found in tart cherry juice and blueberries. Anthrocyanins not only gives the cabbage its color, but the antioxidants are known to reduce joint pain and inflammation.

According to Amy Paturel, M.S., M.P.H. in her report, "The 13 Most Powerful Super Foods, both red and green cabbage is being studied by researchers for its anti-cancer properties and the healing effects of cabbage juice on peptic ulcers and other digestive organs.

Warning:

It is rare to experience an allergy to cabbage, but if you have any swelling or itching to the skin where the cabbage poultice is place, remove the leaves immediately. Consult a health practitioner if the irritation continues or worsens.

References:

Munns, A. (2003). Cabbage Leaves: Cabbage Leaves Can Help Inflammation of Any Body Part. BMJ 327, 451. doi:10.1136/bmj.327.7412.451-b

Rogers, K., and Chen, X. (2013). Biogenesis, Turnover, and Mode of Action of Plant MicroRNAs. Plant Cell 25, 2383–2399. doi:10.1105/tpc.113.113159

Samad, A. F. A., Kamaroddin, M. F., and Sajad, M. (2021). Cross-Kingdom Regulation by Plant microRNAs Provides Novel Insight into Gene Regulation. Adv. Nutr. 12 (1), 197–211. doi:10.1093/advances/nmaa095

Brand, D. D., Latham, K. A., and Rosloniec, E. F. (2007). Collagen-induced Arthritis. Nat. Protoc. 2, 1269–1275. doi:10.1038/nprot.2007.173

Bullock, J., Rizvi, S. A. A., Saleh, A. M., Ahmed, S. S., Do, D. P., Ansari, R. A., et al. (2019). Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Brief Overview of the Treatment. Med. Princ Pract. 27, 501–507. doi:10.1159/000493390

http://www.chesapeake.edu/generalinfo/hr/wellness/wellnesstip-9-8-09.pdf

http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/news/health/series/recipes_for_health/cabbage/index.html

http://www.med.nyu.edu/patientcare/library/article.html?ChunkIID=134666

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