Bok choy isn’t simply delicious, and a great way to add colour, flavour, and texture to a number of dishes (but especially stir-fries). First cultivated in China thousands of years ago, it was revered as much for its medicinal and health properties as for its great taste – not for nothing is it officially classed as a superfood.
As a dark, leafy, cruciferous member of the Brassica cabbage family, bok choy is highly nutritious. It's packed with vitamins, minerals, fibre, and antioxidants, but is very low in calories and carbohydrates. According to the USDA, 1 cup of bok choy contains 1.5 grams of carbs, 1.1 grams of protein, 0.7 grams of fibre, and just over 9 calories. There’s almost no fat either.
In terms of vitamins, it’s super rich. That one cup serving contains 64% of the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) of vitamin K, 59% of vitamin C, and 40% of vitamin A. It also contains a healthy amount of folate, a vitamin that plays a key role in the production and repair of DNA, making red and white blood cells, and is thought to help prevent cancer, particularly colon cancer.
There’s plenty of calcium, iron, and phosphorous in bok choy too, compounds that help maintain bone density and strength, while potassium and magnesium regulate, and help lower, blood pressure. Selenium isn’t commonly found in fruit and veg, but bok choy is a great source of this mineral – it prevents inflammation and has been found to improve immune response to infection.
All that vitamin C and vitamin B6 (16% of RDI) helps maintain a healthy heart and blood vessels, and is also beneficial for your skin – Vitamin C promotes collagen’s ability to repair the skin, as well as having antioxidant properties that combat free radicals and sun damage. Boy choy also has an unusually high level of choline (5% of RDI), a compound which has been shown to help regulate sleep, muscle movement, learning, and memory, as well increasing fat absorption and reducing chronic inflammation.
All in all, boy choy is one of the healthiest things you can eat. And did we mention it’s delicious? It’s a win win. Stick some in your cart today, and see the benefits for yourself.
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