Cabbage is a humble vegetable which has been eaten for thousands of years. This year, the leafy green has been growing in popularity with the fashion magazine Vogue declaring 2026 “The Year of the Cabbage”.

Here at the Quadram Institute, we study the nutrition of foods and their impact on the gut microbiome so we thought we’d delve into the science of how cabbages benefit our health.

Cabbages contain lots of nutrients

Like other cruciferous vegetables, cabbages contain plenty of nutrients and minerals including , Vitamins A, B1 , B6, B9, C, Potassium, Magnesium, Iron, Manganese and Calcium.

Cabbages are particularly high in vitamin K which is important for blood clotting and bone health.

We are home to the Food and Nutrition National Bioscience Research Infrastructure (NBRI) team who collect, manage and share data on the nutrition of food in the UK including cabbages.

A brassica with plenty of plant bioactives

Along with containing lots of nutrients, cabbages are rich in bioactive compounds.

Bioactive compounds or phytochemicals have not been historically classified as ‘nutrients’ but there is mounting evidence that they may help to promote human health, particularly in relation to chronic disease.

Data from our Food and Nutrition NBRI team’s bioactive database show that cabbages contain many bioactives and that the bioactives vary between types of cabbage.

Savoy cabbage contain 23 bioactive compounds. A common bioactive compound found across all types of cabbage, which is particularly high in savoy cabbages, is glucosinolate. Glucosinolates are broken down in the gut into sulforaphane which has been linked to health benefits including reducing cholesterol and slower cancer progression.

White cabbage contains 15 bioactive compounds and the most abundant bioactive found in white cabbage is carotenoids.

Carotenoids are pigments responsible for white, orange and yellow colours that act as antioxidants too. Some carotenoids are vitamin A precursors; others are required for good visual health, as well as most acting as antioxidants too.

Red cabbage is rich in anthocyanins

Red cabbage is particularly high in bioactive compounds, containing 33 different compounds. This is because red cabbage is rich in anthocynanin compounds which give it its red colour.

Anthocyanins are blue-purple-red pigments found in plants that act as antioxidants, protecting against oxidative stress and inflammation in the body. They offer significant health benefits, including improved cardiovascular health, reduced cancer risk and lower blood pressure.

Here at the Quadram Institute we research anthocyanins found in plant foods to learn more about the mechanisms behind how they benefit our health. This helps to provide evidence linking dietary components to metabolic health and cardiovascular disease.

Full of fibre to feed the gut microbiome

key health benefit of cabbages is that they contain plenty of fibre which help feed our gut microbiome and benefit our health.

Raw green cabbage contains 4.1g of fibre per 100g, making it a great source of fibre.

We do not produce enzymes to fully digest fibre. Instead, fibre passes through the digestive system where certain types, particularly soluble fibre, are fermented by beneficial gut bacteria. This process helps nourish the “good” microbes that live in our gut.

Foods that contain fibres which feed these beneficial microbes are known as prebiotics.

While cabbage is richer in insoluble fiber, it still provides some fermentable fibre, meaning it can contribute to prebiotic intake and support gut health.

Research has showed other benefits of a high fibre diet. People who consume higher levels of dietary fibre have a reduced risk of developing Type II diabetes, heart disease and bowel cancer.

It is recommended that we eat 30g of fibre a day so eating cabbages can help contribute to this.

Using cabbages to create probiotic fermented foods

Along with being a prebiotic, cabbages can be found in several probiotic foods. Probiotics are foods that contain the beneficial live gut microbes themselves.

Cabbage is a key component in many fermented probiotic foods such as sauerkraut and kimchi. Both sauerkraut and kimchi contain beneficial microbes such as Lactic Acid Bacteria. Here at the Quadram Institute some of our researchers are studying Lactic Acid Bacteria and the biology of how they impact our gut microbiome.

Plus, recently our staff and students along with colleagues from across Norwich Research Park got together to make kimchi as part of our first Kimjang event. The event brought together the community across the research park and well asas well as sparked ideas and connections for the Fermented Foods Research Network to learn more about the science of fermented foods.

At the Quadram Institute, our research into the science of cabbages helps us learn more about the beneficial compounds cabbages they contain, the probiotic foods they create and their impact on our gut microbiome and health.