Broccoli vs cabbage: more vitamins in one, a cooking lesson from both

The compound broccoli is famous for mostly does not arrive when the plant enzyme is gone. From 11 oz (300 g) of broccoli soup made with that enzyme destroyed, 10 volunteers excreted only 2 to 15 percent of the glucoraphanin as sulforaphane within 24 hours. Cabbage showed the cooking side of this in 12 volunteers. Cabbage microwaved for 2 minutes delivered more of its isothiocyanate into the body than cabbage microwaved for 5.5 minutes, measured as a urine marker and without any health outcome. The cancer data is observational. Pooling 89 observational studies, high intake of broccoli and cabbage together was linked with a 36 percent lower risk of gastric cancer (RR 0.64, 95 percent CI 0.47 to 0.87). Across 12 cohorts of about 700000 people, higher broccoli intake was linked with an 11 percent lower cancer risk. These are associations, and people who eat more vegetables differ in many other ways. We found no trial that feeds broccoli against cabbage on any health outcome.

How much is actually in it

• In a crossover trial of 25 people, 50 g a day of raw Brussels sprouts produced 8.73 pmol/mg creatinine more urinary DIM than the same amount of a low-glucobrassicin cabbage. — 25 subjects fed 1.8 oz (50 g) raw Jade Cross Brussels sprouts or Blue Dynasty cabbage once daily for 3 days each, with washout (n = 25) Evidence B source
  Urinary DIM difference 8.73 pmol/mg creatinine (95% CI 5.36-12.10; P = 0.00002)
• In USDA Foundation Foods sampling, raw broccoli carried 91.3 mg vitamin C per 3.5 oz (100 g), more than twice green cabbage at 40.3 mg, with red cabbage in between at 53.9 mg. — retail samples analyzed for USDA Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30 (n = 5 broccoli samples, 8 per cabbage) Evidence E source
  Broccoli 91.3 mg (56.7-105.0); green cabbage 40.34 mg (34.8-56.3); red cabbage 53.88 mg (45.4-71.4); bok choy 30.3 mg (16.2-43.8)
• Raw broccoli held 102 micrograms vitamin K1 per 3.5 oz (100 g) in USDA sampling, against 59.4 in green cabbage and 32.3 in red cabbage. — retail samples analyzed for USDA Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30 (n = 8 samples per food) Evidence E source
  Phylloquinone broccoli 102.0 ug (76.6-136.0); green cabbage 59.4 ug (41.6-82.9); red cabbage 32.3 ug (15.3-58.1)
• Per 100 g raw, broccoli carried 303 mg potassium and 46 mg calcium in USDA sampling, against 207 mg and 41.8 mg in green cabbage. — retail samples analyzed for USDA Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30 (n = 8 samples per food) Evidence E source
  Potassium broccoli 303.0 mg (272-326) vs green cabbage 207.1 mg (184-267); calcium broccoli 46.0 mg (34-58) vs green cabbage 41.84 mg (23.1-64.1); fiber broccoli 2.4 g

What a real portion looks like

• In the USDA survey food table one cup of raw broccoli and one cup of raw green cabbage both weigh 3.2 oz (90 g), while a whole cabbage head is counted as 900 g. — USDA FNDDS survey foods Broccoli, raw (food code 72201100) and Cabbage, green, raw (food code 75103000) Evidence E source
  1 cup 90 g for both; broccoli floweret 10 g; cabbage leaf 25 g, head 900 g; quantity not specified 45 g for both

What your body absorbs

• From 11 oz (300 g) of broccoli soup with plant enzymes destroyed, people excreted only 2 to 15 percent of the glucoraphanin as sulforaphane within 24 hours. — 10 participants, three-phase double-blind crossover of 300 g soups from three broccoli genotypes, myrosinase denatured (n = 10) Evidence B source
  24 h sulforaphane excretion 2-15% of glucoraphanin consumed, independent of genotype
• In stably anticoagulated volunteers, 150 micrograms a day of vitamin K1 was the lowest dose that lowered INR, and meals of broccoli gave only a short-lived response. — healthy volunteers on individualized oral anticoagulant doses for 13 weeks, incremental vitamin K1 doses 50-500 microg/day and vitamin K-rich meals Evidence C source
  INR threshold 150 microg/day K1; broccoli and spinach meals gave short-lived responses

What cooking and storage change

• In a crossover trial of 12 volunteers, cabbage microwaved for 2 minutes released more allyl isothiocyanate into the body than cabbage microwaved for 5.5 minutes. — 12 volunteers eating cabbage meals lightly cooked (microwave 2 min) or fully cooked (5.5 min), with or without 10 g/d inulin for 21 days (n = 12) Evidence B source
  Urinary allyl mercapturic acid greater after lightly cooked cabbage (P < 0.001); inulin raised bifidobacteria without changing it
• The USDA retention table keeps 85 percent of vitamin C and folate when other vegetables are steamed, against 75 and 65 percent when boiled in water to cover and drained. — USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors Release 6, group Vegetables and Vegetable Products (code 11), methods 3784 and 3775, dated Sep-75 Evidence E source
  Steamed: vitamin C 85%, folate 85%; boiled in covering water and drained: vitamin C 75%, folate 65%

What it does to your health

• Pooling 89 observational studies, high intake of broccoli and cabbage was linked with a 36 percent lower risk of gastric cancer. — 81 articles covering 89 observational studies of cruciferous vegetable intake and gastrointestinal cancers (n = 89 studies) Evidence C source
  Gastric cancer RR 0.64 (95% CI 0.47-0.87) for high broccoli and cabbage intake; all GI cancers RR 0.81 (0.76-0.87) for cruciferous vegetables
• Across 12 cohort studies of about 700000 people, higher broccoli intake was linked with an 11 percent lower cancer risk, and case-control studies showed a stronger link. — 23 case-control studies (31292 people) and 12 cohort studies (699482 people) (n = 730774) Evidence C source
  Cohort RR 0.89 (95% CI 0.82-0.96); case-control OR 0.64 (0.58-0.70)

Safety, limits and interactions

• Adding 18 oz (500 g) of broccoli a day for 12 days raised the caffeine metabolic ratio, a marker of the drug-metabolizing enzyme CYP1A2, by a further 19 percent in 16 volunteers. — 16 healthy non-smokers (14 men, 2 women), home diet, then 6-day standard diet, then 12 days with 500 g/day broccoli (n = 16) Evidence C source
  Caffeine metabolic ratio +19% (P < 0.0005); 2-hydroxyoestrone:16-alpha ratio +29.5% (P < 0.05)
• The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements advises people on warfarin to keep vitamin K intake from food steady, since sudden changes can raise or lower the drug effect. — people taking warfarin and similar anticoagulants Evidence E source
  Consistent intake advised; no fixed limit

What people believe that the data does not support

• The EU register records as non-authorized a claim that the cabbage family, broccoli and cabbage included, is particularly rich in compounds that protect cells and DNA. — EU Register on nutrition and health claims, snapshot 2026-09-21 Evidence E source
  Status Non-authorized; all 5 broccoli-related claims in the register non-authorized

Who this works differently for

• In an 18-person crossover trial with 7.1 oz (200 g) of cooked broccoli a day, eating broccoli daily raised isothiocyanate absorption in people with BMI under 26 but lowered it in those above 26. — 18 adults balanced for BMI and GSTM1 genotype, no-broccoli diet versus 200 g cooked broccoli plus 20 g raw daikon daily for 15 days (n = 18) Evidence B source
  Plasma AUC and urinary excretion higher on daily broccoli for BMI < 26, higher on no-broccoli diet for BMI > 26
• In a 2024 survey of 949 Ethiopian schoolchildren with 37.6 percent goitre, eating cabbage at least once a week was linked with nearly three times the odds of goitre. — 949 children aged 6-12 in Guraferda District, Southwest Ethiopia, an iodine-deficient area (n = 949) Evidence C source
  AOR 2.874 (95% CI 2.012-4.106) for cabbage at least weekly; milk weekly AOR 0.217

The bottom line

On nutrients broccoli leads. Raw broccoli carried 91.3 mg vitamin C per 3.5 oz (100 g) across 5 USDA samples, more than twice green cabbage at 40.3 mg, with red cabbage at 53.9 mg. Broccoli also held 102 micrograms vitamin K1 against 59.4 in green cabbage, and 303 mg potassium against 207 mg. Calcium was close, 46 against 41.8 mg. A cup of either, raw, weighs 3.2 oz (90 g). For vegetables in general, the USDA retention table keeps 85 percent of vitamin C and folate when steamed and 75 and 65 percent when boiled and drained. That table names neither broccoli nor cabbage. In 18 adults eating 7.1 oz (200 g) of cooked broccoli a day with a little raw daikon, daily broccoli raised isothiocyanate uptake in people with a BMI under 26 and lowered it in those above 26. If you take warfarin, the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements advises keeping vitamin K from food steady, since sudden changes can raise or lower the drug effect. In volunteers kept on an anticoagulant, 150 micrograms of vitamin K1 a day was the lowest dose that lowered INR, and broccoli meals gave only a short-lived response. In 16 healthy non-smokers, adding 18 oz (500 g) of broccoli a day for 12 days raised a marker of the drug-metabolizing enzyme CYP1A2 by a further 19 percent. That study was not randomized, and it measured no drug outcome. In 949 Ethiopian schoolchildren from an iodine-poor area, eating cabbage at least weekly was linked with nearly three times the odds of goitre (AOR 2.87). We have no card on pregnancy or on children outside that setting. The EU register lists the claim that the cabbage family protects cells and DNA as non-authorized.

Sources

1. brcb-r4-04 · randomized crossover trial
   Urinary DIM was consistently and significantly higher after Brussels sprouts feeding than after cabbage feeding, as evidenced by an average difference of 8.73 pmol/mg creatinine (95% confidence interval, 5.36-12.10; P = 0.00002).
   Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev, 2014 · checked 2026-09-28
2. brcb-r4-11 · reference dataset
   Broccoli, raw | Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid | 91.3 MG | range 56.7-105.0, median 99.3, 5 samples || Cabbage, green, raw | Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid | 40.34 MG | range 34.8-56.3, 8 samples || Cabbage, red, raw | Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid | 53.88 MG | range 45.4-71.4, 8 samples
   USDA FoodData Central, Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30 · checked 2026-09-28
3. brcb-r4-12 · reference dataset
   Broccoli, raw | Vitamin K (phylloquinone) | 102.0 UG | range 76.6-136.0, 8 samples || Cabbage, green, raw | Vitamin K (phylloquinone) | 59.4 UG | range 41.6-82.9, 8 samples || Cabbage, red, raw | Vitamin K (phylloquinone) | 32.3 UG | range 15.3-58.1, 8 samples
   USDA FoodData Central, Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30 · checked 2026-09-28
4. brcb-r4-13 · reference dataset
   Broccoli, raw | Potassium, K | 303.0 MG | range 272.0-326.0, 8 samples || Cabbage, green, raw | Potassium, K | 207.1 MG | range 184.0-267.0, 8 samples || Broccoli, raw | Calcium, Ca | 46.0 MG | range 34.0-58.0, 8 samples || Cabbage, green, raw | Calcium, Ca | 41.84 MG | range 23.1-64.1, 8 samples
   USDA FoodData Central, Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30 · checked 2026-09-28
5. brcb-r4-15 · reference dataset
   Broccoli, raw | FNDDS 72201100 | 1 cup 10205 = 90 g | 1 floweret 60782 = 10 g || Cabbage, green, raw | FNDDS 75103000 | 1 cup 10205 = 90 g | 1 leaf 61116 = 25 g | 1 head 60849 = 900 g
   USDA FNDDS, Broccoli raw 72201100 (fdc_id 2709643) and Cabbage green raw 75103000 (fdc_id 2709773) · checked 2026-09-28
6. brcb-r4-06 · randomized crossover trial
   The percentage of sulforaphane excreted in 24 h relative to the amount of glucoraphanin consumed varies among volunteers from 2 to 15%, but does not depend on the broccoli genotype.
   Mol Nutr Food Res, 2018 · checked 2026-09-28
7. brcb-r4-08 · controlled clinical trial
   The short-lived response after meals of spinach and broccoli suggested an inefficient bioavailability from these 2 sources.
   Blood, 2004 · checked 2026-09-28
8. brcb-r4-03 · randomized crossover trial
   AMA excretion was greater following consumption of lightly cooked cabbage irrespective of prebiotic treatment (P < 0.001).
   Br J Nutr, 2007 · checked 2026-09-28
9. brcb-r4-14 · reference dataset
   VEG,OTHER,STEAMED | Retn_Code 3784 | vitamin_c_mg 85% | folate_total_ug 85% || VEG,OTHER,BLD,WATER COVER,DRAINED | Retn_Code 3775 | vitamin_c_mg 75% | folate_total_ug 65%
   USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors, Release 6, 2007, codes USDA-RETN-R6:3784 and 3775 · checked 2026-09-28
10. brcb-r4-01 · meta-analysis of observational studies
    High intake of broccoli and cabbage was associated with a decreased risk of gastric cancer (RR: 0.64; 95% CI: 0.47-0.87) and gallbladder cancer (RR: 0.46; 95% CI: 0.29-0.75).
    Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, 2024 · checked 2026-09-28
11. brcb-r4-02 · meta-analysis of observational studies
    The results suggest an inverse association between broccoli consumption and the risk of cancer both in case-control studies (OR: 0.64, 95% CI from 0.58 to 0.70, p < 0.001; Q = 35.97, p = 0.072, I2 = 30.49%-moderate heterogeneity; τ2 = 0.016) and cohort studies (RR: 0.89, 95% CI from 0.82 to 0.96, p = 0.003; Q = 13.51, p = 0.333, I2 = 11.21%-low heterogeneity; τ2 = 0.002).
    Nutrients, 2024 · checked 2026-09-28
12. brcb-r4-07 · controlled clinical trial
    When shifting to diet C the mean CMR increased a further 19% (P < 0.0005).
    Carcinogenesis, 1996 · checked 2026-09-28
13. brcb-r4-09 · fact sheet
    People taking warfarin and similar anticoagulants need to maintain a consistent intake of vitamin K from food and supplements because sudden changes in vitamin K intakes can increase or decrease the anticoagulant effect [45].
    NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, Vitamin K Health Professional Fact Sheet · checked 2026-09-28
14. brcb-r4-16 · regulatory register entry
    POL-HC-6819 Brassicaceae (Cruciferae) (Common Name : Botanical family that include broccoli, couliflower, cabbage, Bruxelles sprouts etc.) Are particularly rich of protective compounds that protect cells and DNA from oxidative damage/are particularly rich of compounds that help our body to eliminate toxic substances Non-authorised
    EU Register on nutrition and health claims, claim POL-HC-6819, snapshot 2026-09-21 · checked 2026-09-28
15. brcb-r4-05 · randomized crossover trial
    For subjects with BMI >26 kg/m2 (median), plasma AUC and urinary excretion rates of total metabolites were higher on the NB diet than on the DB diet, whereas for subjects with BMI <26 kg/m2, plasma AUC and urinary excretion rates were higher on the DB diet than on the NB diet.
    Br J Nutr, 2018 · checked 2026-09-28
16. brcb-r4-10 · cross-sectional
    Female gender (AOR = 1.614, 95% CI: 1.199, 2.172), mothers with non-formal education (AOR = 1.93, 95% CI: 1.437, 2.592) (AOR = 1.93, 95% CI: 1.44, 2.592), rural residence (AOR = 2.291, 95% CI: 1.162, 3.239), storing salt near heat sources (AOR = 1.407, 95% CI: 1.042, 1.900), low food diversification status (AOR = 4.928, 95% CI: 3.332, 7.289), and consuming cabbage at least once a week (AOR = 2.874, 95% CI: 2.012, 4.106) were positively associated with Goitre, while consuming milk at least once a week (AOR = 0.217, CI: 0.145, 0.324) was negatively associated with Goitre.
    Front Public Health, 2025 · checked 2026-09-28