Cabbage is a surprisingly rich source of vitamins, with vitamin C and vitamin K leading the list. A single cup of shredded raw green cabbage delivers about 33 mg of vitamin C, roughly a third of what most adults need daily. It also contains B vitamins, small amounts of vitamin A, and a few lesser-known nutrients that round out its profile.
Vitamin C: The Standout Nutrient
Vitamin C is the vitamin most people associate with citrus fruits, but cabbage holds its own. One cup of chopped raw green cabbage provides around 32.6 mg of vitamin C, which covers more than half the daily value. Your body uses vitamin C to build collagen, support immune function, and help absorb iron from plant-based foods. Because vitamin C also acts as an antioxidant, eating cabbage regularly helps protect cells from the kind of damage linked to aging and chronic disease.
Red cabbage pushes the vitamin C content even higher. A one-cup serving of raw chopped red cabbage contains about 50.7 mg, roughly 56% of the daily value. That makes red cabbage one of the more concentrated vegetable sources of vitamin C available at most grocery stores, comparable to half an orange in a single cup.
Vitamin K and Blood Clotting
Green cabbage is a significant source of vitamin K, the fat-soluble vitamin your body needs for proper blood clotting and bone health. A cup of raw green cabbage provides well over 60 micrograms, enough to meaningfully contribute to your daily needs. Vitamin K helps activate proteins that allow blood to clot after an injury and also plays a role in directing calcium into your bones rather than your arteries.
Interestingly, red cabbage contains far less vitamin K than green cabbage. The American Heart Association classifies red cabbage as a low vitamin K food (under 35 mcg per serving), while green cabbage falls into the high category at 60 mcg or more per serving. This distinction matters if you take warfarin or another blood-thinning medication. The key with warfarin isn’t avoiding vitamin K entirely, but keeping your intake consistent from day to day so your medication works predictably. Swinging between large and small amounts of green cabbage from week to week is what causes problems.
B Vitamins in Cabbage
Cabbage contains several B vitamins in modest but useful amounts. Folate (vitamin B9) is one of the more notable, contributing to DNA synthesis and red blood cell production. Vitamin B6, which your body uses to metabolize protein and support brain function, also shows up in measurable quantities. You’ll find smaller amounts of thiamin (B1) and pantothenic acid (B5) as well.
None of these B vitamins appear in blockbuster concentrations in cabbage. You won’t meet your full daily needs from cabbage alone. But because cabbage is inexpensive, versatile, and eaten in large volumes in dishes like coleslaw, stir-fries, and soups, those smaller amounts add up over a normal diet. B vitamins are water-soluble, so your body doesn’t store them for long and benefits from getting them regularly through food.
Red Cabbage and Antioxidant Pigments
The deep purple color of red cabbage comes from anthocyanins, a class of plant pigments that function as antioxidants in the body. Red cabbage contains at least 20 different anthocyanin compounds, many of them in forms that are particularly stable and resistant to breaking down during digestion. Researchers have found that acylated anthocyanins (the chemically reinforced versions found in red cabbage) show especially strong activity against free radicals.
These pigments aren’t vitamins in the traditional sense, but they work alongside the vitamins in cabbage to support cellular health. Red cabbage also contains small amounts of vitamin A, which green cabbage largely lacks. So if you’re choosing between the two for overall nutrient density, red cabbage has a slight edge thanks to its higher vitamin C, its anthocyanins, and the addition of vitamin A to the mix.
How Cooking Affects Cabbage Vitamins
The way you prepare cabbage has a real impact on how many vitamins end up on your plate. Vitamin C is particularly vulnerable. An enzyme naturally present in cabbage called ascorbic oxidase breaks down vitamin C when the vegetable is cut and exposed to air. Heat also degrades it. But the biggest losses come from boiling: more than 50% of the vitamin C leaches out into the cooking water and gets poured down the drain.
If you want to preserve vitamin C, eat cabbage raw in slaws or salads, or cook it quickly by steaming or stir-frying with minimal water. When you do boil cabbage (for soups, for example), using the liquid in the final dish recaptures much of what would otherwise be lost. Vitamin K, being fat-soluble, holds up better during cooking than the water-soluble vitamins. Adding a small amount of fat when cooking cabbage also improves absorption of both vitamin K and vitamin A.
Green vs. Red Cabbage: Quick Comparison
- Vitamin C: Red cabbage wins with about 51 mg per cup versus 33 mg for green.
- Vitamin K: Green cabbage is the clear leader, with 60+ mcg per serving compared to red cabbage’s low levels.
- Vitamin A: Red cabbage contains small amounts; green cabbage has very little.
- B vitamins: Both varieties provide similar modest amounts of folate, B6, and other B vitamins.
- Antioxidant pigments: Red cabbage is rich in anthocyanins, which green cabbage lacks almost entirely.
Neither variety is strictly better. Green cabbage is a stronger choice if you’re focused on vitamin K and bone health. Red cabbage delivers more vitamin C and antioxidant compounds. Using both in your cooking gives you the broadest range of nutrients cabbage has to offer.