8 Surprising Health Benefits of Cabbage (You Will Love No.1)

Cabbage is possibly one of the most unappreciated greens in the vegetable kingdom. Which is a pity, really, because as humble as they are, cabbages are actually loaded with nutritional benefits. Today, I thought I would share with you just 8 surprising health benefits of cabbage. Like the fact that it has powerful cancer-fighting properties. I also put together this simple, but delicious cabbage salad that you could try too.

8 Health Benefits of Cabbage That May Surprise You

1. Cabbage contains sulphur compounds, which is a surprising beauty-enhancing mineral the body craves. Sulphur in your diet helps in the following ways:
- To loosen and shed skin, so that your skin renewal process happens optimally. This supports younger looking skin, as the old skin cells are shed.
- Sulphur is believed to treat skin conditions such as acne and dermatitis.

2. It contains antioxidants that mop up free radicals in the body. Free radicals are notorious for causing the cell mutations responsible for cancer. Eating cabbage protects your body from the damage caused by free radicals.

3. Because it's high in fibre, cabbage is great for your digestive system. It helps prevent constipation and keeps you 'regular'.

4. Cabbage is high in Vitamin C. 1 cup of cabbage contains about 54% of the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI). Red cabbage is known to contain about 30% more Vitamin C than white or green cabbage. This has numerous health benefits in the body, including reducing the risk of developing certain cancers.

5. It's a great complement to a weight loss eating plan, because of its inherent high fibre, low calorie balance. Fill up your plate with some steamed cabbage or a cabbage salad, to help keep you feeling full longer. Your body will love you for it.

6. One surprising health benefit of cabbage is its ability to keep high blood pressure in check. Potassium is what's responsible for this. The advise given to anyone with HBP is that they should lower their salt intake. Research now shows that increasing the intake of Potassium-rich foods is beneficial in lowering HBP. This is because Potassium helps your body excrete excess sodium through urine.

7. Cabbage is rich in Vitamin K, which is critical in helping blood clot, especially when you're wounded. If your blood didn't clot when you got hurt, you would bleed to death.

8. Do you want to look younger, longer? Eat more cabbage in your diet. Vitamin C it contains helps promote collagen production in the body. Collagen is what's responsible for healthy skin and strong bones.

How to Make a Cabbage Salad that Looks & Tastes Great

How do you cook your cabbage? Have you tried this fried cabbage yet?

Eating healthy doesn't mean eating boring veggies and water. Rather, there are many ways to make meals that are both healthy and really delicious. can have someweight nourishing your cells with the right nutrients that will keep you satiated for hours.

My darling friend, eating healthy doesn't demand a lot of effort. Sometimes, just a little twist on a classic recipe can give you a luscious meal that will nourish your cells.

This cabbage salad is easy to make. It's just like coleslaw but healthier, more nutrient-dense ingredients and without mayo! It's bursting with antioxidants and vitamin C, which are key nutrients in healing your cells.

Because it's high in dietary fiber, it's a perfect meal replacement when you want to eat something light. Consider this as a classic coleslaw that has been promoted to the next level! 

Use bright colored veggies like carrots and sweet pepper in addition to the green cabbage. Feel free to use other veggies that you like or what you have in the season like celery, fennels, parsnip, etc.

To add a sweet touch, I used cubes of pear in this cabbage salad. Feel free to substitute the pear with apple, or pineapple chunks. They bring in loads of vitamins and fibre to this delicious cabbage salad.

Adding nuts and seeds is another fun, healthy way to tweak this cabbage salad recipe. Nuts and seeds are full of proteins and healthy fats, bringing a lovely balance to this salad. This is a perfect cabbage salad for weight loss or a meal in a raw eating diet.

What's The Best Cabbage for Coleslaw?

There're different types of cabbage that you can use to make a cabbage salad.

• Jaroma cabbage,
• Pointed cabbage,
• Purple/ Red cabbage, and
• White/ Green cabbage. 

In this mixed coleslaw recipe, I've used a White cabbage. I wanted the mild taste and white/ green color to balance out the rest of the ingredients.

I tried the same recipe with savoy cabbage, but Savoy isn't quite right for coleslaw or cabbage salad. I'd say, stick to regular white cabbage for this recipe.

How to Get the Maximum Health Benefits of Cabbage when it's Cut

I'd advise you to get a small cabbage, and try to use it in the day or 2. This is because once you cut a cabbage, it starts losing its nutritive value, especially Vitamin C.

• Clean and remove the outer-hard leaves and reserve them to make a vegetable broth.
• Place the cabbage on a chopping board, the core facing up.
• Make sure to have a very sharp knife, so you don't strain your hand while cutting.
• Cut the cabbage into quarters, starting from the core going down. This helps you avoid waste, because you're just cutting up what you need to use. If you want some more cabbage, simply cut up another quarter.
• Hold one quarter in your left hand, and then use a sharp knife or vegetable peeler to shred it. Aim to get nice thin slices, which make the salad easy to chew and aesthetically pleasing.
• Don't shred the hard parts and the thicker ribs. You can set them aside for your vegetable broth, too.

Tips to Enjoy the Health Benefits of Cabbage in a Salad

• Shredded cabbage, especially in salads, is best served immediately to avoid nutrient loss. The more cut veggies and fruits are exposed to light, the more they lose their nutrients, especially vitamin C. This cabbage salad is particularly rich in Vitamin C, so you want to make it as close to serving time as possible.
• Squeeze a lemon or lime on the grated carrot and pear to avoid oxidation (turning brown).
• Replace your apple cider vinegar with balsamic vinegar. Balsamic vinegar enhances the flavor, making this cabbage salad amazingly delicious! Also, not everyone can handle the high acidity of Apple Cider Vinegar.
• You can add garlic and raw onions if your guests don't mind them.
• Add fruits like pear, apples and raisins instead of adding sugar or honey if you want some sweetness in your salad. This helps keep it healthy.
• Also note that the longer this cabbage salad sits, the more liquid it will release, and the less fresh and crunchy it will be. Trust me, a soggy salad is as unpalatable as soggy paper. Just one more reason to serve it immediately.

Now, my dear, next time you pass white cabbage on the veggie aisle, don't dismiss its value. I hope the 8 health benefits of cabbage that I've shared have inspired you to try different cabbage recipes. Please pick a green cabbage on your next shopping trip and try this salad out!

I would love to get feedback from you. Let me know in the comments how yours turned out, and if your family liked it.

Talk soon.

I love you, Githu.

Get more healthy salads 

• Colorful cauliflower salad with fresh coconut
• Easy roasted beets salad with onions
• Amazing cucumber quinoa salad with tempeh
• The most delicious black lentils salad

Print Recipe

5 from 9 votes

Weight loss cabbage salad with balsamic vinegar

Make this delicious weight loss cabbage salad that's bursting with high vitamin C and a touch of balsamic vinegar to serve as a side dish or as an entree.

Prep Time20 mins

Total Time20 mins

Course: entree, Salad

Cuisine: American, anti-inflammatory, French, healthy, Mediterranean, Vegan

Diet: Diabetic, Low Calorie, Vegan

Keyword: cabbage salad, cabbage salad recipe, coleslaw, mix coleslaw, vegan coleslaw

Servings: 2 people

Calories:

Author: Githu

Cost: €8

Equipment

• Chopping board
• Sharp knife
• Vegetable peeler
• vegetable grater
• A large bowl
• big spoon

Ingredients

• 1 small green cabbage
• 1 medium carrot
• 1 medium celery stalk with some leaves on
• a handful of cilantro leaves
• 1 pear (ripe but firm)
• a small piece of fresh ginger
• ¼ cup Mixed nuts of your choice
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
• 1 lemon

Coleslaw dressing

• 125 grams yogurt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• ground pepper (just a little)
• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt (unprocessd)

Instructions

• Clean the veggies and pear
• Remove the outer hard leaves of the cabbage, keep them to make a broth
• Place the cabbage on the chopping board the core facing up
• Wish your sharp knife, cut off a wedge or quarter of the cabbage, starting from the core going down
• Place your bowl in your clean sink, hold the piece of the cabbage with your left hand, slightly inside the bowl
• Now, using a vegetable peeler, shred the cabbage as shown in the blog post
• Shred very thinly and avoid the hard part. This way your coleslaw/cabbage salad will be easier to chew
• Get about 2 cups of shredded cabbage
• Chop the celery with its leaves, add them into the bowl
• Grate the carrot add in the bowl with cabbage
• Dice the pear, add it in the bowl
• Squeeze the lemon on the carrots and the pear to avoid oxidation
• You can chop roughly the nuts, (if you want to) add them into the bowl
• In a small bowl, add and mix all the ingredients of coleslaw dressing, whisk them gently to make a creamy sauce
• Pour the sauce on the ingredients in the bowl
• Mix well but gently
• Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary
• Serve and sprinkle with pumpkin and sesame seeds
• Enjoy your cabbage salad, thank you for sharing this recipe.