Cabbages: A natural relief for stomach ulcers

(Credit: Sauda Nabatanzi)

The smooth leafy vegetable is usually included as either cooked or raw in salads or food.

The choice for adventure is yours.

Cabbages can grow all year round as long as they are well monitored and taken care of. They thrive with consistent moisture and rainfall, with partial daylight, according to Yiga Busulwa, a farmer in Zirobwe.

In Uganda, cabbages are known for mainly two seasons: March to May and September to December.

Busulwa says cabbages take about two-and-a-half months until they can be harvested. Fully matured cabbages are loaded with a lot of health benefits to the human body.

"Freshly made cabbage juice is a very effective home remedy for peptic ulcers as it does well with maintaining stomach pH," says Rachael Kazibwe, a nutritionist in Nakawa.

She explains that cabbages contain natural medicinal compounds which strengthen the stomach lining's resistance to acid attacks.

How to make cabbage juice

For medicinal purposes, Kazibwe stresses that after washing and slicing the cabbage, it should be soaked in lukewarm water with a small quantity of salt or vinegar (if you can afford it).

This helps to ensure that the vegetable is thoroughly free of dirt and other impurities that might be still clinging on.

Place in a blender, add some water and blender to form the juice.

On how often it should be taken, Kazibwe says it depends on how severe one's ulcers and other stomach disorders are.

At Kawempe, Kalerwe and Nakawa markets, cabbages range between sh1, 000 and sh1, 500 for the medium and big sizes respectively.

The small ones range between sh500 and sh700.