Bok Choy - Nutrition

Bok choy is also called Chinese mustard cabbage.  It has a mild flavor, and can be eaten raw in salads (like any cabbage), stir-fried, or added to soups. It is extremely low in calories (13 for 3 1/2 ounces)

Cabbage-Family Vegetables May Reduce Cancer Risk

Including Chinese stir-fries in your family's diet could help reduce their risk for cancer.

Vegetables in the cabbage family like Chinese bok choy contain protective phytochemicals called glucosinolates that help the body eliminate carcinogens," said Dr. Janice Stuff, an assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine and a CNRC nutrition scientist.

According to Stuff, the traditional Asian diet is rich in cabbage-family vegetables, also called cruciferous vegetables, and contains nearly three times the level of protective glucosinolates as the typical American diet.

Did you know? Chopping cruciferous vegetables like broccoli increases the activity of protective glucosinolates, while prolonged cooking decreases glucosinolate levels. Stir-frying and light steaming have little effect on the compound's concentrations.

"Research suggests that consuming just two servings a day of cruciferous vegetables could cut the risk for certain types of cancer, including prostate and esophageal cancers, by nearly 50 percent," she said. Other cruciferous vegetables include broccoli and broccoli sprouts, Brussels sprouts, horseradish, mustard greens, collard greens, cauliflower, cabbage, horseradish, kohlrabi, rutabaga, watercress, and Japanese wasabi. 

By Rhonda Parkinson, About.com

Photos: Donna Ellis for Beasley Farm