The cruciferous vegetable family is one that includes broccoli and broccoli sprouts, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, cauliflower, bok choy and many similar foods.
It’s one of the healthiest categories of foods in large part because of its anti-cancer properties, its rich vitamin and mineral profile, and its high allotment of phytonutrients, which are compounds that help to reduce inflammation and improve health at the cellular level.
One of the cruciferous vegetables that doesn’t get a ton of attention is cabbage, but that doesn’t mean it’s not without some incredible healing properties.
For starters, cabbage is the main ingredient in sauerkraut — a fermented food that improves digestion, boosts the immune system, fights off disease, especially during cold months, promotes heart health and builds stronger bones.
Cabbage also helps to remove unhealthy estrogenic compounds from the human body, a benefit that is useful for both men and women, while reducing blood clotting, lowering blood pressure, and improving bone health in general.
Cabbage is also 92% water, which means that it’s incredible for hydrating your entire system, something that becomes more important as we age since our bodies tend to lose water over time.
One Cabbage Has Nearly 500% More Antioxidants — Study
Antioxidants are disease-fighting compounds found in foods that typically give them their color.
If you see a berry with a dark blue, red or purple color, it’s a sign of its high antioxidant compound.
These antioxidants help to “scavenge” and protect against disease-causing free radicals, which are unstable atoms that damage cells, which may lead to deterioration and disease over time.
Recent research has shown that red cabbage is incredibly rich in free radical fighting antioxidants, according to researcher Ethan Evers of The Eden Prescription.
Red cabbage has an incredible 470% more antioxidants than green cabbage due to its purplish-red coloring.
This type of cabbage gets its color from anthoncyanins, which are the same compounds that make blueberries blue, and they contain 29% more than blueberries themselves.
These antioxidants are potent cancer fighters, Evers wrote, citing two Pubmed studies that measured the compounds inside of the rarely-consumed vegetable.
According to Evers, recent meta-analyses have shown that people eating diets rich in this particular compound have a 22% lower risk of colorectal cancer and a significantly lower risk of death by heart disease.
Where to Find Red Cabbage
Red cabbage can be found at most supermarkets or farmer’s markets and typically looks purplish in color.
It can also be found in red organic sauerkraut products like this one, which are excellent for eating during the fall and winter months for their disease protective and gut health-boosting properties.
I personally enjoy red sauerkraut in salads and sometimes in bone broth stews during the fall and winter months.
It has a simple, plain taste that takes a little while to chew and digest, but I have found that the health benefits are always more than worth it.
Next time you see purple cabbage or purple sauerkraut at the farmer’s market or grocery store, be sure to give a little extra thought to adding it to your daily diet because of these and other incredible benefits.