I did not eat cooked cabbage while growing up, probably due to how my mom prepared it. Eating cabbage was a complete nightmare! But “what happens when you eat raw cabbage?” Eating raw cabbage offers a lot of health benefits.
Raw cabbage is a nutrient-dense vegetable with sufficient vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Consuming cabbage may enhance digestion, reduce inflammation, and minimize the risk of certain diseases.
Eating raw cabbage can be a healthy choice for those on a weight management plan because of its high fiber content and low calorific value.
Raw, fresh cabbage could help maintain the cabbage’s highest nutritional value, as heat destroys some of its vital nutrients.
You can eat cabbage raw in coleslaw, salads, sandwiches, and more.
Is It Okay To Eat Raw Cabbage?
Yes, it is okay to eat cabbage raw. Eating raw cabbage is nutritionally beneficial and highly delicious.
Raw cabbage contains a good amount of vitamins K, C, and folate.
These vitamins can enhance your immune system and play a vital role in cell growth, development, and blood clotting.
The low-calorie and high-fiber content of raw cabbage makes it a good component of a weight-loss diet.
You can eat cabbage raw, like most vegetables. Though it may not taste to your liking, some nutrients, like vitamin C, are better preserved naturally because cooking destroys vitamin C.
Although, when you try to eat your cabbage raw, consider the cabbage you have at your disposal. The white, red, and Chinese cabbages could be perfect for you to eat raw.
But other varieties, like savoy cabbage, can be tougher and more unpleasant to eat raw.
However, eating raw cabbage could have certain drawbacks. Like other cruciferous vegetables, cabbage may be challenging to digest, especially for individuals with digestive problems like irritable bowel syndrome.
So there is no excuse not to incorporate this healthful vegetable in your diet—cabbage is beneficial for you when eaten raw. To make eating raw cabbage good for you, wash it thoroughly to remove dirt and properly prepare it, making it safe to eat.
Nutrients In Raw Cabbage
Like many other cruciferous vegetables, cabbage is low in calorific value but high in essential nutrients like vitamins and minerals.
For example, according to the USDA National Nutrients Database, 1 cup (70 g) of shredded raw green cabbage provides approximately the following nutritional value:
- 18 calories
- 4 grams of carbohydrates
- 1.8 grams of fiber
- 0.9 grams of protein
- 26 grams (29%) of the recommended daily value (DV) for vitamin C
- 53 grams (44% and 58%) of the DV for vitamin K for males and females, respectively.
- 30 grams (8%) of the DV for folate
Vitamin C is a nutrient that supports your immune system, bones, and collagen; it also plays a functional role in iron absorption.
Vitamin K plays a fundamental role in the blood clotting process.
Cabbage is a good source of folate and vitamin B6. They both play an essential role in energy metabolism and the support of the nervous system.
Also Read: Nutritional Value Of Cooked Cabbage
What Happens When You Eat Raw Cabbage Everyday?
Eating raw cabbage every day could be a good idea for maintaining your health status.
Raw cabbage is one of the most nutrient-dense vegetables; it contains many essential vitamins, particularly vitamins C and K.
When you eat raw cabbage regularly, it can lower your risk of coming down with certain diseases, fight inflammation, and support your digestive system.
Therefore, eating raw cabbage every day could benefit you immensely.
Benefits Of Eating Raw Cabbage Everyday
Cabbage is a versatile vegetable that is widely eaten raw all over the world.
Cabbage is a good supply of vitamin C. Its content is about 3.5 times that of tomatoes.
Vitamin C, with its antioxidative properties, can aid in defending your body from free radical damage.
Vitamin C is water-soluble, heat-sensitive, and readily oxidized by heat. Cooking cabbage for about half an hour may lead to losing about 50% of its vitamin C content.
Eating raw cabbage can absorb and utilize more vitamin C than cooked cabbage.
Cabbage is a low-calorie vegetable; 100 grams of raw green cabbage will provide 25 calories. Eating raw cabbage may support you in the journey of keeping your weight in check.
Raw cabbage is over 90% water and has a good amount of dietary fiber that may facilitate gastrointestinal peristalsis.
Consuming raw cabbage may help feed the good bacteria in your gut and enhance digestion because it contains insoluble fiber.
Red cabbages are a good source of anthocyanin compounds, which reduce the chance of heart attacks and maintain good health.
Anthocyanins’ anti-inflammatory effects decrease blood pressure and coronary heart disease risk. It also has potassium, which maintains a healthy range of blood pressure.
Also, related: How good is cabbage for you?
Is Eating Raw Cabbage Good For Weight Loss?
Yes, eating raw cabbage is excellent for weight loss! With only 22 calories in 1 cup (89 g) of chopped raw cabbage, its high-fiber and low-fat contents may all work together when eaten raw to help you maintain weight.
Although it’s not a secret that people who eat cabbage soup regularly will lose weight, what is responsible for their weight loss?
It is a known fact that eating foods high in dietary fiber content and low in calories, like raw cabbage, can help you maintain your fullness for a longer time, reduce your daily caloric intake, and allow you to burn a little fat and shed a few pounds.
How Can I Use Raw Cabbage To Lose Weight?
Eating cabbage alone may not lead to weight loss as desired because no single food will unilaterally perform the magic of weight loss.
To enjoy the benefits of eating raw cabbage for weight maintenance, you need to eat your cabbage with other healthy foods like grains and high-fiber foods.
Eating raw cabbage to lose weight would be more efficient if you reduced your calorie intake and exercised healthily and regularly.
Some Common Ways To Eat Raw Cabbage
When consuming raw cabbage, you have a few options to consider. Add sliced cabbage to salads or sandwiches, or turn it into coleslaw. Here we go:
Coleslaw:
Everyone enjoys coleslaw! The most iconic way of using cabbage. Therefore, prepare some of this by grating carrots and various types of cabbage.
You only need to add salt and mayonnaise to make a tasty coleslaw as a side dish with a meal.
Adding a small amount of acid, like vinegar and lemon, is a good idea when preparing coleslaw.
While the mayonnaise produces a flavor that helps balance the bitterness from the raw cabbage, the vinegar, and the lemon counteract the cabbage’s bitterness and soften it.
Cabbage salads:
You can grate some cabbage into a salad, which adds flavor and a crunchy texture.
Refresh your cabbage by dressing it with a lot of citrus juice, like lemon, and fresh herbs to help combat the bitterness in the cabbage.
Sauerkraut:
Although the taste of sauerkraut can be challenging initially, it is fermented fresh cabbage.
Adding beneficial microbes during the fermentation process makes sauerkraut much healthier for you to eat every day.
Naturally, kimchi, a spicy Korean condiment made from fermented cabbage, is another choice for consuming raw cabbage.
Related: Is It Good To Eat Sauerkraut Every day?
Making a smoothie:
For healthy shots of vitamins and minerals, adding raw cabbage to your smoothie can help up the level of nutrients. Drink your freshly prepared smoothie as soon as possible to enjoy its goodness.
However, raw cabbage can be bitter. So, be mindful of the amount of cabbage you use.
Side Effects Of Eating Raw Cabbage
Fresh cabbage is delicious and nutritious. But some individuals find it difficult to digest, especially if they overeat it at once.
Like any vegetable in the brassica family, consuming a lot of raw cabbage may result in gas and bloating, which may be uncomfortable.
For some individuals, overeating raw cabbage can result in diarrhea.
Add garlic or black pepper to your raw cabbage to reduce the gas and bloating.
All cruciferous vegetables, such as cabbage, broccoli, and kale, contain sulfur-containing compounds called glucosinolates.
Glucosinolates are naturally occurring goitrogens found in food sources that may interfere with the thyroid gland’s function and disrupt thyroid hormone production.
Consuming a considerable amount of goitrogenic foods like cabbage, turnips, and cauliflower could lead to the development of goiter.
Cooking these vegetables could reduce the goitrogenic effect.
Therefore, eat your cabbage and other goitrogenic foods in moderation. Eat more iodine- and selenium-rich foods to negate their goitrogenic effects.
Conclusion
Raw cabbage is a delicious and nutritious vegetable that gives your body many essential vitamins and minerals.
Raw cabbage is a low-calorie food and a good source of fiber. Consuming cabbage can help support the normal functioning of your digestive system.
Raw cabbage has a wide range of health benefits. The antioxidants help combat free radicals, and the fiber helps improve your digestion.
Raw cabbage is safe to eat, especially when you don’t have any underlining health challenges like hypothyroidism.
Consuming large quantities of raw cabbage can lead to bloating and stomach discomfort. Therefore, it is best to consume raw cabbage in moderation.