What are the health benefits of cabbage?

Cabbage can vary in color from green to red and purple, and the leaves can be smooth or crinkled. With less than 20 calories per half cup cooked, it is a vegetable worth making room on your plate for.

Nutritional breakdown of cabbage

According to the USDA National Nutrient Database, one half cup of shredded cabbage (75 grams) contains 17 calories, 4 grams of carbohydrate (including 1 gram of fiber and 2 grams of sugar) and 1 gram of protein. Eating a half-cup of cooked cabbage would provide 47% of your vitamin C needs for the day. It also provides 102% of vitamin K, 8% of manganese, 6% of folate and lesser amounts of vitamin B-6, calcium, potassium and thiamin. Cabbage contains the antioxidants choline, beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin as well as the flavonoids kaempferol, quercetin, and apigenin.

Red cabbage tends to contain more of these compounds than green cabbage.

Possible health benefits of consuming cabbage

Protection from radiation therapy: A compound found in cabbage and other cruciferous vegetables known as 3,3'-diindolylmethane (DIM) has been shown to protect against the harmful effects of radiation therapy. In a study conducted at Georgetown University, rats were given a lethal dose of radiation. Some were left untreated, and others were treated with a daily injection of DIM daily for two weeks. All the untreated rats died, but over 50% of those receiving the DIM remained alive at the 30-day mark. The same researchers did the experiment on mice and found similar results. They were able to determine that the DIM-treated mice have higher counts or red and white blood cells and blood platelets, which radiation therapy often diminishes.

Cancer prevention: Another cancer-fighting compound found in cabbage is sulforaphane. Research over the past 30 years has consistently shown that consuming cruciferous vegetables has been associated with a lower risk of cancer. More recently, researchers have been able to pinpoint that the sulfur-containing compounds (namely sulforaphane) that give cruciferous vegetables their bitter bite are also what give them their cancer-fighting power.

Heart health: The same potent anthocyanins in red cabbage that help protect against cancer have been shown to suppress inflammation that may lead to cardiovascular disease. A recent report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition associated the intake of flavonoid-rich foods with a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease and stated that even small amounts of flavonoid-rich foods may be beneficial. The high polyphenol content in cabbage may also reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by preventing platelet buildup and reducing blood pressure.

Immunity and digestion: A popular way to consume cabbage is in a fermented form such as sauerkraut and kimchi. Chocked full of probiotics, fermented foods are one of the best things you can consume for your immune and digestive systems. Healthy microbes generate an acidic environment to preserve and develop flavor and enzymes in fermentation that make vitamins and minerals easier to absorb.