Todays specials on the Conspiracy Hot bar include Sweet & Sour Beef w/ Conspiracy Bok Choy(Wheat Free), Sweet & Sour Seitan w/ Conspiracy Bok Choy(Vegan), Vegetable Lo Mein(made w/ Heirloom wheat noodles and Vegan), and Basmati Rice(Vegan & Wheat Free) Its time once again for fun facts with your conspiracy kitchen staff, did you know: Bok Choy: As an increasingly popular member of the cruciferous vegetable family, bok choy is being recognized more and more often for its standout nutrient richness. This member of the cabbage family is one of our highest nutritionally ranked vegetables and it provides good, very good, or excellent amounts of 21 nutrients. Unlike some other members of the cabbage family, these ranked nutrients include omega-3s, as well as the antioxidant mineral zinc. Recent studies have identified over 70 antioxidant phenolic substances in bok choy. These phenolic antioxidants included numerous hydroxycinnamic acids, which have often been referred to as chain-breaking antioxidants due to their method of scavenging free radicals. In this context, bok choy has also been included in some current and ongoing large-scale human studies about dietary antioxidants and cancer prevention. Because of its strong beta-carotene content, bok choy ranks as our 11th richest food in vitamin A. This vitamin A richness places bok choy ahead of some of its fellow cruciferous vegetables, including cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and broccoli. Significant amounts of other carotenoids—for example, lutein—are also provided by bok choy. Antioxidant Benefits As an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin A (in the form of carotenoids), and manganese, and a good source of zinc, bok choy provides us with a concentration of these core conventional antioxidants. Yet, its antioxidant support extends beyond these conventional antioxidants to a wide range of other phytonutrient antioxidants. These phytonutrients include flavonoids like quercetin, kaempferol, and isorhamnetin, as well as numerous phenolic acids (including significant amounts of hydroxycinnamic acids). Its important to understand the unique benefits provided by this diverse array of antioxidants. Different types of antioxidants function in different ways. While all types are helpful in preventing unwanted oxygen damage to our cells and body systems, different types of antioxidants go about this task in different ways, and it is the combination of these types in cruciferous vegetables—including bok choy—that make them so valuable in terms of their antioxidant support. (It is also a key reason why whole, natural foods like fresh bok choy provide you with benefits that antioxidant supplements cannot.) Anti-Inflammatory Benefits Many of the antioxidant nutrients listed above also provide anti-inflammatory benefits. They not only lower the risk of oxygen-based damage to your cells and body systems, but they also lower your risk of unwanted chronic inflammation. While it is a good thing for your bodys inflammatory system to respond promptly to dangers or actual damage, it is not a good thing for it to continuously trigger inflammatory responses when there is not danger or actual damage. Anti-inflammatory phytonutrients in bok choy help prevent this type of continuous and unwanted inflammation from occurring. Yet in addition to these phytonutrients, bok choy also provides you with two additional anti-inflammatory nutrients. The first of these nutrients are omega-3s. Bok choy ranks as a good source of omega-3s in our rating system due to its significant amount of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). About 70 milligrams of ALA are found in one cup of cooked bok choy. While this amount does not put bok choy anywhere close to the top of our omega-3 plant vegetable list, it does qualify bok choy as being about one-half as concentrated in omega-3s as walnuts on a calorie-for-calorie basis. We have yet to see research on bok choys omega-3 content and inflammation, but we would expect this kind of research to show bok choy omega-3s as being helpful in lowering risk of unwanted inflammation. Another anti-inflammatory nutrient provided by bok choy is vitamin K. Bok choy ranks in our Top 15 vitamin K-rich foods and is an excellent source of this fat-soluble vitamin. While best know for its role in bone health and blood clotting, vitamin K has also been shown to help regulate our bodys inflammatory responses, especially in relationship to our cardiovascular system. Other Health Benefits Bok choy has been included in human studies of cruciferous vegetables that have shown decreasing risk of certain cancers when these vegetables were consumed on a frequent basis, usually involving one or more daily servings. At least part of this protection has been associated with the glucosinolate content of the cruciferous vegetables, including bok choy. (Glucosinolates are unique sulfur-containing compounds that have been shown to have cancer-protective properties.) However, we have yet to see a study exclusively focused on bok choy in comparison to its fellow cruciferous vegetables, and we suspect that it would rank on the lower end in terms of its glucosinolate-related benefits since it contains a significantly lower amount of these sulfur-containing compounds than other vegetables in the cruciferous family like Brussels sprouts or mustard greens. Description Bok choy is a member of the cruciferous family of vegetables, which also includes broccoli, kale, collard greens, cabbage, mustard greens, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts. Bok choy is a type of cruciferous vegetable in which the leaves of the plant do not form a head. For this reason, it is often referred to as non-heading and you will sometimes see bok choy being referred to as non-heading Chinese cabbage. Because bok choy means white vegetable in Chinese, you may also hear it being referred to as white cabbage or white-stem cabbage. However, as a practical matter, not all bok choy is white-stemmed. While often white or cream-colored, bok choy stalks can also be varying shades of green. (In fact, it is also possible to find yellow-stemmed and purple-stemmed bok choy.) But regardless of stem color, you can recognize bok choy as a non-headed cabbage with distinct individual leaves that cluster together in a way that is similar to celery stalks. Just as you can find more than one recognizable form of bok choy, you can also find more than one scientific name for this cruciferous vegetable. The most common name is Brassica rapa L. subsp. chinensis. But you may also find bok choy being scientifically referred to as Brassica chinensis (where chinensis is used as a species name rather than a subspecies name). Also, you may occasionally see bok choy being identified as Brassica campestris L. subsp. chinensis. Finally, the English spelling of this vegetables name can also take several different forms. You might see the first word in this food name being spelled as buk, pok, or pak. And you might see the second word being spelled as choi. But like the science names and common names, all of these variations in spelling refer to the same delicious vegetable that has smooth, glossy, spoon-shaped leaf blades that cluster together without forming an actual head. Baby bok choy is also available, and it has a more tender texture and milder flavor. History Bok choy—and other forms of Chinese cabbage—has been enjoyed in China and other parts of Asia for over 1,500 years. And bok choy is by no means a total newcomer to North America either, having been cultivated on the continent for over 100 years. In the U.S., Florida, California, Hawaii, and New Jersey are key states in the commercial production of both headed and non-headed Chinese cabbage, including bok choy. For example, about 4,500 acres of these Chinese vegetables are grown in Florida each year. When evaluated in the marketplace, bok choy is typically included among other Oriental vegetables that include both headed and non-headed varieties of cabbages, mustards, and other cruciferous vegetables. Sited: whfoods/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=152 Now you know and knowing is half the battle, Stay Shiny Conspirators!
Posted on: Mon, 08 Dec 2014 16:01:05 +0000
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