While it may not be the first leafy green vegetable most of us reach for, Cleveland Clinic experts explain that cabbage can simultaneously lower cholesterol and blood pressure levels. Let’s take a look at cholesterol first. Researchers from a 2016 study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that dietary supplementation of red cabbage microgreens produced significant drops in “bad” LDL cholesterol levels in mice given a high-fat diet.
These benefits can be traced to cabbage’s phytosterols, or natural cholesterol-lowering plant compounds, as well as the vegetable’s fiber content. In 1 cup of shredded raw cabbage, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports that you’ll find 1.75 grams of fiber. Similarly, in 1 cup of shredded, raw red cabbage, you’ll get 1.47 grams of fiber (via USDA). Even a ½-cup serving of shredded, cooked, drained cabbage with no salt added contains 1.42 grams of the nutrient (via USDA). When it comes to fiber, you really can’t go wrong with whichever form of cabbage you choose.