Kvass has long been considered a traditional drink in our country, but many are used to making it exclusively from rye bread. In fact, the basis for the preparation of this drink can serve as other products, and in particular cabbage.
Characteristics of the drink
Cabbage kvass is a simple and cheap product rich in vitamins, minerals and other beneficial substances. In fact, such a recipe has been known for a long time, in Russia it was recommended to use it during fasting to prevent depletion of the body.
It is believed that cabbage kvass helped ordinary peasants to maintain working capacity and health, provided that they had a poor diet.
Historical facts
It is known that many sailors used to suffer from a disease such as scurvy, and it was this drink that helped prevent it. Cabbage could be stored on the ship for a long time, and kvass could be prepared from it right while sailing. Such a product provided the sailors with a sufficient amount of vitamin C and other vital substances, which could not be obtained during a long stay at sea in another way.
In addition to enriching the body with useful substances, cabbage kvass is able to saturate the body for a long time, which is still appreciated by many who want to lose weight. In the world there is another name for this drink - regujelac, which is translated into Russian as "anti-aging."
Today, kvass is very much appreciated by raw foodists, because with their lifestyle it is impossible to get all the vitamins necessary for life from food, and the product of cabbage fermentation provides the supply of specific proteins and important vitamin B12 to the body.
The benefits of the drink
The benefits of cabbage kvass include all the benefits of the vegetable itself. The drink is rich in proteins and digestive enzymes, which allows you to quickly remove toxins from the body and establish the intestines. In addition, kvass helps to facilitate sputum discharge for viral diseases of the lungs and colds. This property of cabbage is also applied by applying a cabbage leaf to the chest in the form of a compress when coughing.
The vegetable’s ability to relieve inflammation is also transmitted to the drink. It is believed that cabbage kvass can strengthen the gums and relieve sore throat when rinsing, and when ingested, help to treat diseases of the digestive system and other internal organs. The introduction of a drink in the diet helps to prevent the appearance of ulcers and skin diseases, strengthen nails, hair and give a healthy radiance to a person.
Regular consumption of kvass in moderate amounts allows you to normalize metabolism, helps to lose excess weight, normalizes blood pressure, digestion, and the functioning of the genitourinary system and liver. With all this, the sugar content in the product is minimal, even diabetes patients are allowed to drink it.
Any recipe for cabbage kvass retains nutrients in the drink, such as:
- calcium;
- manganese;
- potassium;
- phosphorus;
- iron;
- B vitamins;
- vitamin C;
- Vitamins E, K, U and many others.
The undeniable benefit of the product is the presence of a high concentration of lactic acid, which nourishes our brain and ensures the formation of the correct microflora of the digestive system.
The harm of kvass
The benefits and harms of cabbage kvass are not comparable. The disadvantages of the drink should include only excessive gas formation and bloating with excessive use by healthy people.
For people with a recent heart attack, pathologies of the intestine, pancreas and kidneys, the product is contraindicated. Also, before use, you should consider the possibility of individual intolerance, but if the vegetable itself does not cause any problems, then with kvass they will not arise.
You should also pay attention to the fact that any kvass is classified as a non-alcoholic beverage, but since it is a fermentation product, a certain proportion of alcohol is necessarily present in it. For kvass, this is 1.5%, so it is not recommended for women to drink it during pregnancy, breastfeeding, and children.
Sourdough Recipe
To prepare a drink using rye sourdough for regular kvass, you should additionally prepare cabbage, water and a little flour.
First you need to mix 3 tablespoons of sourdough, 5 tablespoons of flour and a glass of water. When the mixture starts to ferment and increase in volume, you need to take only 3 tablespoons from it, and put the rest in the refrigerator until next time.
So, the prepared yeast should be poured into 2.5 liters of water mixed with one and a half kilograms of cabbage chopped in a blender. After that, everything is mixed and the container is placed in a warm dark place for fermentation for several days. Periodically, the mixture must be mixed to release carbon dioxide, but only with wooden devices. The finished drink should smell like sauerkraut. It should be filtered and placed in the refrigerator, and the cake should be discarded.
Frolov's recipe
The recipe for cabbage kvass according to Frolov, the famous raw foodist, differs from that described above. To prepare a drink in it, you only need to take cabbage and water. The vegetable chopped into slurry should simply be filled with water and left to ferment in a dark place at room temperature. It is enough to take 1 kg of cabbage on a 3-liter jar, and you need to pour so much water so as not to reach the edge of the container in your palm, since during fermentation the mixture will increase in volume. Such kvass is prepared for at least 1.5 days, provided that it was placed in a warm place. If the can was at room temperature, then leave the drink for 2-3 days. In this case, the jar should be covered with gauze or a napkin to ensure a free exit of gases.
When the kvass is ready, you need to take a few tablespoons of cake from the jar and leave for the next cooking as a sourdough. With her, the next drink will prepare faster. The remaining mixture from the can should be filtered through cheesecloth, squeeze the cake and bottled. Now you can drink kvass, but you need to store it in the refrigerator.
Body strengthening
According to Frolov cabbage kvass has simply miraculous properties. The famous raw foodist assures that with its regular use it is even possible to destroy cancer cells in the body. For this, it is necessary to eat exclusively the product of cabbage fermentation, which will allow the body to nourish with the necessary amino acids, vitamins and minerals, but at the same time completely exclude the nutrition of cancer cells, because their vital activity requires a large amount of glucose, which we get with ordinary food products. The effectiveness of this method can be judged only from the blogs of a famous raw foodist, but in theory it really works.
As for the use of the drink to strengthen and improve the body, you must strictly follow the following recommendations. To improve digestion, strengthen nails, hair and improve the appearance of the skin, kvass should be drunk in the morning before breakfast. If you wish, you can drink kvass at night, but only on an empty stomach.
It’s enough to drink a glass of drink a couple of weeks daily, and the result will already be noticeable, and after a month a few extra kilograms are guaranteed to disappear.
To reduce the blood sugar level in diabetics, cabbage kvass can be drunk in a glass after each meal.
Conclusion
According to reviews, kvass does not have the most pleasant taste, especially on the first day of its use. In the future, the body gets used to a specific product and does not cause any disgust. As for the smell, it resembles sauerkraut and many will like it.
Those who have tested the effect of the product are sure that after drinking a glass of the drink on an empty stomach they do not want to eat for several more hours.
At one time, the famous surgeon Nikolai Sklifosovsky recommended this drink to patients with many diseases, and his equally famous colleague claimed that the product accelerates bone healing due to the high concentration of calcium and helps in the treatment of rheumatic diseases.