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Walk through any produce aisle, and you’ll spot it: a tight, neon-violet cabbage head that often gets passed over for trendier greens. But according to leading physicians, this underrated vegetable may be one of the most important ingredients you can add to your diet today. In fact, purple cabbage is so impressive that experts featured in a recent Plant Based Science London video describe it as a longevity-boosting staple.
This makes the health benefits of purple cabbage a topic well worth paying attention to, not just for nutrition enthusiasts, but for anyone looking for affordable, everyday foods that support gut and immune health.
Plant Based Science London, a channel dedicated to compressing complex nutrition research into digestible educational videos, explores what makes purple cabbage such a nutritional standout – from its fiber content to its gut-repairing compounds, antioxidant profile, and impressive affordability.
Read more: 5 Vegan Cabbage Recipes
Below is a breakdown of the video’s key findings, drawing on insights from endocrinologist Professor Franklin Joseph and Dr. Michael Greger.
Purple cabbage is rising as a ‘nutritional titan’
Professor Franklin Joseph does not mince words. He calls purple cabbage “rich in fiber, low in calories, and packed with compounds that support gut health,” adding that the vegetable “reduces LDL cholesterol, and promotes a healthy immune system.” He also highlights its low price point, saying it’s “an incredible food, especially when you consider the price.”
Purple cabbage contains an unusually dense concentration of polyphenols and anthocyanins – over 36 types, according to Joseph – which play a major role in lowering inflammation and reducing oxidative stress. These pigments, also found in berries, are responsible for the vegetable’s deep purple color and many of its therapeutic effects. Because of its affordability, including it regularly is a practical way to bring more antioxidant power into day-to-day meals.
The video also features a test-tube study using an artificial model of the human gut. Certain purple cabbage varieties reduced markers of gut inflammation by 22 to 40 percent – a striking result for such an inexpensive food.
A gut-friendly, prebiotic powerhouse
One of the reasons the health benefits of purple cabbage matter so much is the vegetable’s impact on the microbiome. As Joseph explains, “The prebiotic fiber in purple and red cabbage nourishes the beneficial bacteria in our gut, fostering a balanced microbiome, which in turn offers a wide range of benefits from digestive health to mental well-being.”
Prebiotic fiber acts as food for good bacteria, helping them thrive. A well-fed microbiome supports immunity, reduces inflammation, regulates mood, and improves digestion, all areas Joseph links directly to cabbage consumption.
He also notes that it “supports detox pathways in your liver” and has been connected to better heart health due to its antioxidant profile.
For a vegetable that costs just a few coins, that’s a remarkable spectrum of benefits.
Why everyone should keep it in the fridge
In the video, Dr. Michael Greger reinforces the vegetable’s status as a must-have. “You shouldn’t get green cabbage. You should get purple cabbage or red cabbage,” he says. It’s all about the anthocyanins, the same compounds in berries, but at a fraction of the cost.
Greger adds, “Everyone should always have one in the crisper at home to slice off shreds to add a pretty, crunchy, delicious, and nutritious garnish to any meal.” He even jokes about forgetting he already had a cabbage and ending up with two, noting, “Cabbage lasts so long in the fridge. What a great vegetable.”
That longevity is one of its biggest practical advantages: buy it once, and it can carry you through weeks of meals.
Toward the end of the video, viewers are reminded not to purchase pre-cut cabbage. Once cabbage is sliced, its antioxidants begin to degrade rapidly, and its nutritional value drops. Buying whole heads preserves both freshness and potency – key considerations when aiming to maximize the health benefits of purple cabbage.
Purple cabbage isn’t glamorous, exotic, or expensive. But according to both clinical experts and nutrition researchers, it may be one of the most powerful foods available in any grocery store. From gut support to inflammation reduction, affordability, and long shelf life, it’s a superfood hiding in plain sight, and one worth making room for in your fridge.
Find more plant-based health and nutrition content on Plant Based Science London’s YouTube channel.
Read more: How To Make Braised Red Cabbage With Apple
