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Home > Nutrition > Raw Vs Cooked Cabbage: Which Is Healthier?

Raw Vs Cooked Cabbage: Which Is Healthier?

July 11, 2023
4 min read
By Shiza Khan, M.Sc. – Clinical Nutrition & Dietetics | Dietitian/Nutritionist

In this article:

  • Benefits of Cooked Cabbage
  • Is There a Disadvantage of Cooking Cabbage?
  • How to Cook Cabbage
  • Practical Takeaways

Some vegetables can be eaten both raw in salads or cooked as a side dish depending on your preference and taste. And though they taste delicious raw and can offer health benefits, (1) cooking has additional benefits, making it the better choice.

raw vs cooked cabbage – which is healthier?

Cruciferous vegetables including cabbage are one such group where cooking them is better than eating them raw.

This article will explore why.

Benefits of Cooked Cabbage

Studies have found these benefits associated with consuming cooked cabbage.

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1. Increases antioxidant activity

Cabbages are rich sources of beneficial polyphenols and antioxidants that can impact health positively. They also contain an enzyme called myrosinase, which releases the antioxidants from their bound form.

One study found that steaming has been found to preserve the most antioxidant activity of cabbage. (2) Steaming also reduced the nitrites bound to nutrients and decreased their availability to the body. (2)

Another study evaluating red cabbage found that microwaving followed by steaming retained a higher level of antioxidants than other cooking methods. (3)

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2. Improves digestibility of cabbage

Many people find it hard to digest cabbage due to its high fiber content, and thus they experience symptoms of gas and bloating.

Cooking cabbage by steaming not only softens the fiber but also makes it easier for bile acid to digest cabbage. (4)

Is There a Disadvantage of Cooking Cabbage?

are there any disadvantages of cooking cabbage?

The biggest disadvantage of cooking cabbage is its reduction of vitamin C content. (5) About 1 cup of raw cabbage contains 32.6 mg of vitamin C, (6) whereas 1 cup of cooked cabbage has 28 mg of vitamin C. (7)

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However, you can consume other richer sources of vitamin C, such as kiwi, oranges, and guava, to fulfill your vitamin C requirement.

How to Cook Cabbage

Steaming has been identified as the ideal cooking method for the least amount of nutritional losses. You can steam cabbage leaves in the following way:

  1. Wash cabbage leaves and chop them as desired.
  2. Place a colander over a pot of simmering water and add the chopped cabbage pieces.
  3. Cover and steam for 5–7 minutes until the leaves turn soft and translucent.
  4. Remove and let drain.

You can use steamed cabbage in salads or as toppings for your meals. In addition, you can steam whole leaves and use them as wraps.

Practical Takeaways

practical takeaways regarding consuming cooked cabbage
  • Cooked cabbage is healthier than raw cabbage as steaming or microwaving increases its antioxidant availability.
  • Steaming also makes cabbage easier to digest. It reduces the amount of nitrites that bind to nutrients and prevents their absorption.
  • Cooking also reduces the vitamin C content of cabbage; however, you can eat other vitamin C-rich foods to fulfill your daily requirement for this vitamin.
References
  1. Feng Q, Kim JH, Omiyale W, et al. Raw and cooked vegetable consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease: A study of 400,000 adults in UK Biobank. Frontiers in nutrition. February 21, 2022. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8901125/.
  2. L; OOC. The impact of domestic cooking methods on myrosinase stability, glucosinolates and their hydrolysis products in different cabbage ( brassica oleracea) accessions. Foods (Basel, Switzerland).  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34945460/.
  3. Wu W, Chen J, Yu D, Chen S, Ye X, Zhang Z. Analysis of processing effects on glucosinolate profiles in red cabbage by LC-MS/MS in multiple Reaction Monitoring Mode. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland). August 26, 2021.  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8433700/.
  4. MH; KTM. Steam cooking significantly improves in vitro bile acid binding of collard greens, kale, mustard greens, broccoli, green bell pepper, and cabbage. Nutrition research (New York, N.Y.).  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19083431/.
  5. Ahmed FA, Ali RFM. Bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity of fresh and processed white cauliflower. BioMed research international. 2013.  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3793502/.
  6. Cabbage, raw. Cabbage, raw nutrition facts and analysis. https://www.nutritionvalue.org/Cabbage%2C_raw_nutritional_value.html.
  7. Cabbage, without salt, drained, boiled, cooked. Cabbage, without salt, drained, boiled, cooked nutrition facts and analysis.  https://www.nutritionvalue.org/Cabbage%2C_without_salt%2C_drained%2C_boiled%2C_cooked_nutritional_value.html.
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