The health benefits of purple cabbage include possibly improving your immune function and helping to prevent cancer. Purple cabbage, commonly known as red cabbage, is a member of the Brassica family, which also includes Brussels sprouts and broccoli. It's a low-calorie food made up mostly of water and provides you with vitamins C, A and K. You'll also get health-promoting antioxidants and a small amount of dietary fiber from cabbage.
In 1 cup of raw purple cabbage or 1/2 cup of cooked cabbage, you'll get about 22 calories. If you're trying to lose or maintain weight, cabbage is a great food to keep you on track. It is about 90 percent water by weight. Foods with a high-water and low-calorie content are helpful for weight loss because you can eat a large volume for only a few calories. High-water foods also make you feel full faster and keep you hydrated.
Purple cabbage is a good source of water-soluble vitamin C. From just 1 cup of raw cabbage, you'll get 67 percent of the vitamin C you need daily. Your immune system needs vitamin C to function well. It's also required for synthesizing the protein collagen, which helps maintain strong tendons, ligaments, skin, bones and cartilage, and aids in the healing of wounds. Iron absorption in your intestines is also enhanced by vitamin C, according to "Contemporary Nutrition: Issues and Insights."
Vitamins A and K
Purple cabbage also contains the fat-soluble vitamins K and A. One cup of raw cabbage gives you 33 percent of the vitamin K and 16 percent of the vitamin A you need daily. Vitamin A plays a role in maintaining good vision and healthy skin. According to the Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin A may also help reduce your risk of developing cancer. Vitamin K is essential for proper blood clotting, and it aids in the formation of bone, muscle and kidney proteins.
The pigments responsible for the color of purple cabbage are called anthocyanins. A review published in December 2004 in the "Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology" looked at the research relating to the potential health benefits of anthocyanins. These antioxidants may reduce cholesterol, decrease inflammation, improve immune function and vision, and help to prevent chronic diseases such as cancer by scavenging harmful free radicals in the body. These compounds present a bit of a challenge for scientists to study, as they usually function with other phytochemicals and are not easy to isolate. More research is needed to determine the exact role of anthocyanins in human health.
- Bowes and Church's Food Values of Portions Commonly Used; Jean A. T. Pennington and Judith Spungen Douglass
- Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin A
- Food Lover's Companion; Sharon Tyler Herbst
- Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology: Anthocyanins and Human Health: An In Vitro Investigative Approach
- Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University: The Possible Health Benefits of Anthocyanin Pigments and Polyphenolics
- Contemporary Nutrition: Issues and Insights; Gordon M. Wardlaw
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