When I was growing up in Bermuda there was not the wide variety of fresh produce that you see today. Bok choy was something I had never seen, but today local commercial farmers grow it, as do many who have small garden plots at home or in community gardens. The Chinese cabbage is an especially good source of beta-carotene with a steamed cup containing the full complement of the recommended daily allowance set in the US.Scientific name: brassica chinensisFamily of: brassicaceaeRelated to: cabbageGrown: in BermudaVitamin content: excellent source of C, K, and A. A very good source of folate and a good source of B6.Mineral content: a good source of calcium, magnesium and manganese.Dietary fibre: a good source with about 1.7 grams in one cup of the boiled vegetable.Omega 3 fatty acids: bok choy does not contain omega three fatty acids.Protein: a good source with 2.65 grams in one cup of the steamed vegetable.Good for: Like other members of the cabbage family, bok choy contains compounds that help protect the body against cancer. One recent study showed that only those cabbages that are cooked for a short time or are eaten raw protect the body against cancer. Bok choy fits this bill as it can be eaten raw or steamed for just a few minutes.In fact one study contends that you can increase the nutritional benefit of bok choy by simply cutting up the white stalks and leaving them for between five and ten minutes before cooking.Apparently cutting the vegetable breaks down cell walls and enhances the activation of myrosinase enzyme. This enzyme slowly converts some of the plant nutrients called glucosinolates into their active form.And it's the active form of glucosinolates that protects against cancer. But heat easily inactivates the myrosinase enzyme. Letting the cut vegetable stand for ten minutes gives the formed compounds time to stabilise. The resultant compounds are able to withstand low or medium heat for a short period of time.Researchers warn that the additional health benefit gained by letting the cut vegetable stand for up to ten minutes, can be lost if the vegetable is then cooked by microwave. Also, adding lemon juice or another form of vitamin C enables the myrosinase enzyme to work optimally, so pour some in when you next steam your bok choy.High in vitamin K, researchers believe it plays a major role in the metabolism of vitamin D. Vitamin D is essential for building strong teeth and bones and thus bok choy is good at protecting against osteoporosis.Like its cruciferous cousins kale and broccoli, which have been featured in Body & Soul recently, bok choy also lowers cholesterol. The fibre in bok choy binds to bile acids and pushes them out in the bowel. The loss of these acids, needed to breakdown ingested fat, causes the body to use some of its stored fat to create more bile acids. As stored fat is cholesterol laden, using it reduces the amount of cholesterol in the body.How to select and store: Choose bok choy with firm white stalks and dark green leaves that are not wilted and free of brown spots. Store in a plastic bag and keep in the fridge. Bok choy stored in this way can last for about three days.