Brussels sprouts and cabbage: one family, three times the vitamin C

The firmest finding about these two vegetables concerns how the body handles other substances. A meta-analysis of 23 dietary intervention trials in healthy volunteers found that diets rich in cruciferous vegetables, Brussels sprouts and cabbage among them, raised the activity of the enzyme CYP1A2 by 20 to 40 percent and of GST-alpha by 15 to 35 percent. The trials were small and mixed in design, and none tested what that shift means for a specific medicine. On nutrients the two are far from equal. Per 100 g raw, Brussels sprouts averaged 143 mg vitamin C across 8 USDA samples, with a wide spread from 85 to 197 mg, against 40 mg in green cabbage. The UK table gives sprouts 135 micrograms folate per 3.5 oz (100 g), three times the 45 micrograms in green cabbage.

How much is actually in it

• Raw Brussels sprouts averaged 143 mg vitamin C per 3.5 oz (100 g) in USDA samples, about 3.5 times the 40 mg of raw green cabbage. — Brussels sprouts, raw and Cabbage, green, raw; 8 analytical samples each (n = 16) Evidence C source
  Vitamin C 142.9 mg (84.6-197.0) vs 40.34 mg (34.8-56.3) per 3.5 oz (100 g)
• In the UK table, raw Brussels sprouts have 135 micrograms folate and 3.5 g protein per 3.5 oz (100 g), against 45 micrograms and 2.4 g in raw green cabbage. — Brussels sprouts, raw (CoFID 13-177) and Cabbage, green, raw (CoFID 13-510) Evidence C source
  Folate 135 vs 45 ug; vitamin C 115 vs 48 mg; protein 3.5 vs 2.4 g; energy 42 vs 27 calories per 3.5 oz (100 g)
• Vitamin K1 in raw green cabbage is 59 micrograms per 3.5 oz (100 g) in USDA samples but 242 micrograms in the UK table, while UK Brussels sprouts list 153 micrograms. — Cabbage, green, raw (USDA, 8 samples; CoFID 13-510) and Brussels sprouts, raw (CoFID 13-177) (n = 8) Evidence C source
  Cabbage K1 59.4 ug (41.6-82.9) USDA vs 242 ug CoFID; sprouts 153 ug CoFID per 3.5 oz (100 g)

What a real portion looks like

• US survey coding counts one cup of raw Brussels sprouts or raw green cabbage as 90 g, one sprout as 20 g and one cabbage leaf as 25 g. — Brussels sprouts, raw (FNDDS 75102750); Cabbage, green, raw (FNDDS 75103000) Evidence C source
  1 cup 90 g each; 1 sprout 20 g; 1 leaf 25 g; 1 head 900 g

What cooking and storage change

• For vegetables boiled in covering water and drained, the USDA table keeps 75% of vitamin C and 65% of folate, while steaming keeps 85% of each. — Vegetables and Vegetable Products group, other vegetables, boiled (water cover, drained) vs steamed Evidence C source
  Boiled: vitamin C 75%, folate 65%, thiamin 80%, potassium 90%; steamed: vitamin C 85%, folate 85%
• NIH lists Brussels sprouts among the best vitamin C sources and notes that heat and prolonged storage reduce vitamin C, with steaming or microwaving losing less. — General population Evidence E source
  Cooking and storage lower vitamin C; steaming or microwaving lessen losses

What it does to your health

• Observational studies link high intake of broccoli and cabbage with a 36% lower risk of gastric cancer. — 81 observational articles, 89 studies Evidence C source
  Gastric cancer RR 0.64 (95% CI 0.47-0.87); gallbladder cancer RR 0.46 (0.29-0.75)
• In a controlled feeding trial in young men, 11 oz (300 g) of Brussels sprouts a day for 3 weeks did not raise HDL cholesterol or apolipoprotein A-I. — Healthy nonsmoking men aged 20-28, 3 weeks Evidence B source
  No significant change in apo A-I, apo A-II, HDL cholesterol or HDL phospholipids

Safety, limits and interactions

• A meta-analysis of 23 dietary intervention trials found cruciferous-rich diets, including Brussels sprouts and cabbage, raised CYP1A2 activity by 20-40%. — Healthy volunteers in 23 dietary intervention trials Evidence B source
  CYP1A2 activity +20-40%; GST-alpha +15-35%
• In 17 patients allergic to cabbage, 5 reported anaphylaxis, and a skin test with the lipid transfer protein Bra o 3 was positive in 12 of 14. — 17 patients allergic to cabbage and controls (n = 17) Evidence C source
  5 of 17 anaphylaxis; Bra o 3 skin test positive in 12 of 14 (86%)
• A meta-analysis of 29 Ethiopian market studies found parasites on 52.9% of raw cabbage samples and bacteria on 20.0%. — 29 studies, 6659 vegetables and fruits from farms and markets, Ethiopia (n = 6659) Evidence C source
  Cabbage: parasites 52.9%, bacteria 20.0%; all produce 48.76% (95% CI 40.78-56.74)

What people believe that the data does not support

• The EU did not authorize a claim that Brassicaceae vegetables such as cabbage and Brussels sprouts protect cells from oxidative damage or help eliminate toxins. — EU health claims register Evidence E source
  Status: non-authorized

Who this works differently for

• NIH advises people on warfarin to keep vitamin K intake consistent, because sudden changes can raise or lower the anticoagulant effect. — People taking warfarin and similar anticoagulants Evidence E source
  Consistency of intake, not avoidance

What is still unknown

• A meta-analysis of 18 prospective studies linked higher Brussels sprouts intake with more hypertension, based on only 2 to 5 studies. — 18 prospective studies, 451 291 participants (n = 451291) Evidence C source
  Positive association for Brussels sprouts and cruciferous vegetables (n = 2-5 studies); vegetables overall RR 1.00 per 200 g/day

The bottom line

US survey coding counts a cup of either vegetable, raw, as 90 g, and one sprout as 20 g. Cooking takes a share of the vitamins. For vegetables in general, USDA retention factors keep 75 percent of vitamin C and 65 percent of folate after boiling in covering water and draining, and 85 percent of each after steaming. Those group factors date from 1975 and were never measured on sprouts or cabbage. NIH adds that storage and heat both reduce vitamin C, and that steaming or microwaving lose less. The evidence on disease is observational. Pooled observational studies link high intake of broccoli and cabbage with a lower rate of gastric cancer (RR 0.64, 95% CI 0.47 to 0.87), an association that overall diet may explain. A meta-analysis of prospective cohorts found higher Brussels sprouts intake linked with more hypertension. That result is unresolved because it rests on only 2 to 5 studies, and the authors call the subtype results mixed. In a controlled feeding trial, healthy young men who ate 11 oz (300 g) of Brussels sprouts a day for 3 weeks showed no significant rise in HDL cholesterol or apolipoprotein A-I, and the abstract does not say how many took part. A claim that this plant family protects cells from oxidative damage or helps the body eliminate toxins went to the EU and was not authorized. That means the evidence was judged insufficient at the time, which is different from proof of no effect. Who should be careful. If you take warfarin or a similar anticoagulant, NIH advises keeping vitamin K intake consistent, because sudden changes can raise or lower the drug's effect. How much vitamin K cabbage holds is itself uncertain: 59 micrograms per 3.5 oz (100 g) raw in USDA samples, 242 in the UK table, with UK sprouts at 153. The CYP1A2 finding above is a question for the person prescribing any medicine that depends on that enzyme. In one clinical study of 17 patients allergic to cabbage, 5 reported anaphylaxis, and a skin test with the cabbage protein Bra o 3 was positive in 12 of 14. Raw cabbage in Ethiopian farms and markets carried parasites in 52.9 percent of samples and bacteria in 20.0 percent, in one country, with washing and cooking not assessed.

Sources

1. bsc-daily-r4-01 · composition dataset
   Brussels sprouts, raw (USDA FoodData Central, Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30): Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid 142.9 MG, range 84.6-197.0 (median 146.0), samples 8; Cabbage, green, raw: Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid 40.34 MG, range 34.8-56.3 (median 39.65), samples 8
   USDA FoodData Central, Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30 (Brussels sprouts, raw; Cabbage, green, raw) · checked 2026-09-30
2. bsc-daily-r4-02 · composition dataset
   Brussels sprouts, raw (CoFID 2021, code 13-177): Folate 135 ug; Vitamin C 115 mg; Protein 3.5 g; Energy 42 kcal; Cabbage, green, raw (code 13-510): Folate 45 ug; Vitamin C 48 mg; Protein 2.4 g; Energy 27 kcal
   CoFID 2021 (Public Health England), codes 13-177 and 13-510, Open Government Licence v3.0 · checked 2026-09-30
3. bsc-daily-r4-03 · composition dataset
   Cabbage, green, raw (USDA FoodData Central, Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30): Vitamin K (phylloquinone) 59.4 UG, range 41.6-82.9 (median 58.2), samples 8; Cabbage, green, raw (CoFID 2021, code 13-510): Vitamin K1 242.00 ug; Brussels sprouts, raw (CoFID 2021, code 13-177): Vitamin K1 153.00 ug
   USDA FoodData Central Foundation Foods 2026-04-30; CoFID 2021 codes 13-510 and 13-177 · checked 2026-09-30
4. bsc-daily-r4-05 · portion data
   Brussels sprouts, raw (FNDDS 75102750, fdc_id 2709772): 1 cup 90 g; 1 sprout 20 g; Cabbage, green, raw (FNDDS 75103000, fdc_id 2709773): 1 cup 90 g; 1 leaf 25 g; 1 head 900 g
   USDA FNDDS, FoodData Central survey foods, codes 75102750 and 75103000 · checked 2026-09-30
5. bsc-daily-r4-04 · retention factors
   USDA R6 Retn_Code 3775 VEG,OTHER,BLD,WATER COVER,DRAINED: vitamin_c_mg 75%; folate_total_ug 65%; thiamin_mg 80%; potassium_mg 90%; Retn_Code 3784 VEG,OTHER,STEAMED: vitamin_c_mg 85%; folate_total_ug 85%
   USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors, Release 6 (2007), Retn_Code 3775 and 3784 · checked 2026-09-30
6. bsc-daily-r4-14 · agency fact sheet
   The vitamin C content of food may be reduced by prolonged storage and by cooking because ascorbic acid is water soluble and is destroyed by heat [6,8]. Steaming or microwaving may lessen cooking losses.
   NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, Vitamin C Fact Sheet for Health Professionals · checked 2026-09-30
7. bsc-daily-r4-09 · meta-analysis (observational)
   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 2026-09-30
8. bsc-daily-r4-11 · RCT
   One study examined the effect of replacing 300 g glucosinolate-free vegetables with 300 g Brussels sprouts/d for 3 wk. ... There were no significant increases in plasma apo A-I, apo A-II, HDL cholesterol, or HDL phospholipids.
   Am J Clin Nutr, 1996 · checked 2026-09-30
9. bsc-daily-r4-07 · meta-analysis
   Cruciferous vegetables represented in the literature included broccoli, Brussels sprout, cabbage, cauliflower, radish, and watercress. ... The meta-analyses performed demonstrated a significant effect on CYP1A2 and glutathione S-transferase-alpha (GST-α), with consumption of Cruciferae increasing the activities of these enzymes by 20-40% and 15-35%, respectively.
   Clin Pharmacol Ther, 2020 · checked 2026-09-30
10. bsc-daily-r4-08 · clinical study
    Five of them referred anaphylactic reactions when eating cabbage, and in another 5 patients, cabbage allergy was further confirmed by double-blind placebo-controlled food challenge. ... Skin prick test with Bra o 3 showed positive results in 12 of 14 cases (86%).
    J Allergy Clin Immunol, 2006 · checked 2026-09-30
11. bsc-daily-r4-13 · meta-analysis (observational)
    Lettuce (61.0%), salad (57.4%), spinach (54.2%), and cabbage (52.9%), were the vegetables most contaminated by parasites, while salad (73.8%), green pepper (35.3%), lettuce (26.0%), and cabbage (20.0%), were the most contaminated by bacteria.
    BMC Infect Dis, 2025 · checked 2026-09-30
12. bsc-daily-r4-12 · regulation
    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 2026-09-30
13. bsc-daily-r4-06 · agency 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 Fact Sheet for Health Professionals · checked 2026-09-30
14. bsc-daily-r4-10 · meta-analysis (observational)
    Inverse associations were observed for apples or pears, blueberries, raisins or grapes, avocado, broccoli, carrots and lettuce, while positive associations were observed for cantaloupe, Brussels sprouts, cruciferous vegetables, and total and fried potatoes (n = 2-5).
    Eur J Nutr, 2023 · checked 2026-09-30