The increasing popularity of cabbage as a diet-friendly food is owed to the cabbage diet program. This plan has popularized cabbage as a food item which promotes weight loss. The cabbage soup diet plan, along with creative marketing, has induced people to believe that this food can promote weight loss. But the truth is that no food, including cabbage, can promote weight loss. Foods can be low in calories and high in fibre content so you will be consuming lesser food and stay full for longer. So is the case with cabbage.
This food item has very few calories, only 20 calories in a bowl of cabbage soup. So it will be a healthy addition to your weight loss diet plan. However, you must not solely rely on cabbage for the same. In terms of nutrition, cabbage ranks as high as broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower. Cabbage has the fewest calories and no fat as compared to any other vegetable.
Health benefits of cabbage...
This extremely-low-in-calories vegetable is a part of the cruciferous family which is known to reduce cancer risks. Half a cup of cabbage can provide you with 50% of your body's daily vitamin C requirement, 100% of vitamin K and few quantities of magnesium, iron, calcium, potassium and vitamin B6. Though you can try to do the same with a regular serving of fruits and other vegetables, the cruciferous vegetables offer more health benefits. You can further enhance the health benefits of cabbage by fermenting it.
So what's the deal with cabbage and weight loss?
Some people do end up losing weight with regular consumption of cabbage and cabbage soup. But what is the reason behind this? It is known that no food can lead to weight loss. So the key to weight loss is actually consumption of foods which are low in calories and high in fibre. When you fill up on low calorie foods, your overall calorie intake goes down, as a result, you lose weight overtime.
And this is not just for cabbage, whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables can help in doing the same task. So don't just stick to cabbage for losing weight, go for other foods as well. Your diet should be a combination of all healthy foods which together make up for your nutritional requirements. Primarily consuming cabbage soup for a long period of time can lead to deficiencies of some nutrients.
Are there any side effects?
Excess of a highly nutritious vegetable like cabbage can also have its drawbacks. If you are taking blood thinners, then high consumption of cabbage can interfere with your medication. It can also have some unpleasant effects on your digestive system. You may end up with loose stools due to a diet high in fibre.
So to conclude, it can be stated that cabbage is a very healthy food which should be a part of your diet but does not have a strong effect on weight loss. Weight loss linked with cabbage consumption is mostly about losing water weight and a few lean tissues which is short term weight loss.