2 Reasons You Should Be Juicing Cabbage

Cabbage might not be the first thing you think about when you hear the phrase “fresh juice”, but it has lots of health benefits and really doesn’t taste as bad as it sounds. Much like green drinks, the reason you should be juicing cabbage is that you get the healthy benefits of the phytonutrients without having to eat loads of fiber. Now, cabbage is a healthy food and you should eat it, but for two specific applications, it is very beneficial to juice.

The two main areas people address with cabbage juice are ulcers and cancer. Raw cabbage is a powerful food, and raw cabbage juice (made to taste better with some apples) is a super food.

Ulcers: Cabbage Juice Can Combat

Cabbage has been studied extensively for its ability to help with ulcers. There is a famous study that was conducted at San Quentin in which patients who had ulcers showed remarkable benefits from cabbage. They recovered at a rate of 92 percent after three weeks. The relief is considered even better than with typical antacids. It should be noted that the study used cabbage juice for the treatment of antacids, not cabbage in the whole raw form.

The researchers referred to vitamin U, which stands for glutamine, which isn’t technically a vitamin, but rather an amino acid. This is what was found to be beneficial in treating the ulcers.

This study would not surprise many who study folk medicine. Cabbage, particularly cabbage broth or soup—before people have juicers—was a popular method to treat indigestion and other stomach problems. However, cooked cabbage is inferior to raw cabbage juice. It’s just that, at the time, people did not have access to juicers like they do now. Many countries in Europe have a long tradition of using cabbage (Russia, Ukraine, Romania, Poland) but also India, China, Russia, and Japan. Many countries (Germany, Korea) chose to ferment the cabbage in dishes such as sauerkraut and kimchi.

Cancer Prevention: The Cabbage Connection

Cabbage—raw, fermented, of very lightly cooked—has been linked to a decrease in cancer and in many cases the slows or stops the process of angiogenesis (this is the spread of new blood vessels to cancer tumors).

There is an enzyme in cabbage called Myrosinase. Studies have shown that a diet high in foods tht contain this enzyme have a lowered risk of cancer.

(For those interested in the food chemistry, myrosinase itself doesn’t prevent cancer, but it does convert into a chemical called Isothiocyanate, which is directly linked to defeating cancer. A very detailed, technical explanation of isothincyante’s roll is covered here at the Linus Pauling institute.)

The risk of eating cooked cabbage is that the enzyme will be destroyed, thereby eliminating all of the benefit.
A very telling study is the one where Polish women’s risk of breast cancer increased 3 fold after moving to the USA. The cabbage consumption was significantly lower in the USA population.

How to Juice Cabbage And Make It Taste Good

Cabbage actually doesn’t have a strong flavor so you can make the juice taste good really easily. The two ingredients I would suggest you add to the juice for the best flavor would be granny smith apples and an organic lemon (peel included).

I would experiment with the mixture, going light on cabbage at first to see if you get any gas. If you are using a masticating juicer, then chop up some organic cabbage. You don’t have to shred it, simply slice it enough to fit into the chute. Make sure to get organic cabbage. You can’t use a manual juicer to make cabbage juice, and I wouldn’t recommend the a standard  juicer. Instead, opt for something such as an cold press, squeeze style device. I have a good overview of auger juicers here.

 

Is Red Cabbage Good To Juice Too?

A lot of people wonder if you can juice red cabbage. Or if juicing red cabbage is better than juicing green cabbage. I wrote a whole article on juicing red cabbage which covers a lot of this info.

I would suggest that it’s a good compliment to green cabbage. The extra color in red cabbage is why most people want to know if it’s better to juice. And I would suggest that yes it’s a good indicator of increased antioxidant benefits.

Again, what I would suggest is that you choose an organic cabbage. And don’t buy a bag of mixed or shredded cabbage. It’s at too high a risk for contamination.

If you buy a whole head of cabbage, it doesn’t have to be too large. The cabbage can be smaller than what you normaly see on tv. There are smaller sized cababges that you can use. And of course, if you are buying organic cabbage to juice, you don’t have to juice the the head of cabbage.

What I would suggest is to buy a whole head of cabbage, and cut of sections (wedges) and then wash them and then keep the rest of the cabbage head in the crisper draw of your fridge.

I don’t think that cabbage is a bad flavor, but it’s also not a really great tasting juice. I would improve it by either adding pineapple or else lemon juice.

If you would add a lemon, the best method to add it would be to juice the whole lemon. You can juice the whole lemon including the skin.