Cabbage is a humble, budget-friendly nutritional heavyweight. It provides vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, fibre and potassium, plus glucosinolates (the compounds behind its peppery bite) and, in red cabbage, antioxidant anthocyanins.
Does cabbage have more vitamin C than an orange? Not quite. Gram for gram an orange has more, but cabbage is still an excellent source: a cup of raw shredded cabbage provides around 30 to 40 mg, most of an adult’s daily needs. Red cabbage has a little more than green.
Wellness
Immune health Vitamin C supports normal immune function.
Bone health Cabbage is a great source of vitamin K, needed for healthy bones and normal blood clotting.
Digestive health Cabbage fibre keeps you regular, and fermented cabbage, like sauerkraut and kimchi, adds live cultures for your gut.
Plant compounds Glucosinolates break down into isothiocyanates, and red cabbage is rich in anthocyanins. Diets rich in cruciferous vegetables like cabbage are linked with a lower risk of some cancers and heart disease, as part of an overall healthy eating pattern.
Heart health Potassium and fibre support healthy blood pressure and cholesterol.
Pregnancy Cabbage provides folate, one of the nutrients needed for a healthy pregnancy, alongside the folic acid supplement your doctor will recommend.
Beauty
From the inside Vitamin C helps your body make collagen for firm, healthy skin.
Weight management
A cup of shredded cabbage has only around 90 kJ (22 calories) and plenty of fibre and crunch, making it a brilliant way to bulk up salads, stir-fries and soups.
Cooking with cabbage
This commonplace vegetable should not be ignored for it is both a nutritional heavyweight and a weight loss powerhouse
Enjoy it raw or give it a quick steam or flash-sauté so as not to cook out all those invaluable nutrients
Shred it into your favorite lunchtime salad for some added crunch or make a tangy and tasty Thai-style coleslaw or spicy, pickly Korean kimchi to sideline your mainstage protein of choice
I love to shred it and serve with anchovy, preserved lemon, flat leaf parsley and olive oil dressing
“Cabbage: a familiar kitchen-garden vegetable about as large and wise as a man’s head.” ~Ambrose Bierce
This article is general information about food and wellbeing, not medical advice. Please talk to your GP or a qualified health professional about any health condition, medication or major change to your diet.
