Cabbage salad: raw cabbage, an unnamed dressing and a deli counter risk

The largest body of evidence on this page is about cruciferous vegetables as a group, and cabbage is only one of the six that were tested. A meta-analysis of 23 dietary intervention trials found they raise the activity of the liver enzyme CYP1A2 by 20 to 40 percent and of GST-alpha by 15 to 35 percent. Not every one of those trials was randomized, and what the change means for health is unknown. On the plate, a 220 g cup of cabbage salad in the US FNDDS database carries about 99 calories, 58 mg vitamin C and 590 mg sodium, and the database does not say which dressing it assumes. Slaw is raw cabbage, which matters for one old worry. A 2024 systematic review of 123 laboratory, animal and human studies concluded that brassica vegetables in the daily diet, with adequate iodine, do not harm thyroid function. Only two of those studies tested cabbage itself in people. One found no significant antithyroid effect. The other is a single case of severe hypothyroidism after months of eating up to 3.3 lb (1.5 kg) of raw Chinese cabbage a day.

As people eat it, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

How much is actually in it

• Cabbage salad carries 26.6 mg vitamin C per 3.5 oz (100 g) in FNDDS, about 58 mg in a 220 g cup. — FNDDS food code 75141040, Cabbage salad, NFS Evidence E source
  26.6 mg/100 g; about 58.5 mg per 1 cup (220 g)
• Cabbage salad carries 269 mg sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g) in FNDDS, about 590 mg in a 220 g cup. — FNDDS food code 75141040, Cabbage salad, NFS Evidence E source
  269 mg/100 g; about 592 mg per 1 cup (220 g)
• Cabbage salad carries 44.8 micrograms of vitamin K (phylloquinone) per 3.5 oz (100 g) in FNDDS, about 99 micrograms in a 220 g cup. — FNDDS food code 75141040, Cabbage salad, NFS Evidence E source
  44.8 ug/100 g; about 98.6 ug per 1 cup (220 g)

What a real portion looks like

• One cup of cabbage salad is counted as 220 g in FNDDS, which at 45 calories per 3.5 oz (100 g) gives about 99 calories per cup. — FNDDS food code 75141040, Cabbage salad, NFS Evidence E source
  1 cup = 220 g; 45 calories/100 g; about 99 calories per cup; unspecified portion 3.9 oz (110 g) = about 50 calories

What your body absorbs

• In a randomized crossover trial of 25 adults eating 1.8 oz (50 g) raw vegetable daily for 3 days, urinary DIM, a marker of indole-3-carbinol uptake, was 8.73 pmol/mg creatinine lower after a low-glucobrassicin raw cabbage than after Brussels sprouts. — 25 adults, 50 g raw cabbage or Brussels sprouts once daily for 3 days (n = 25) Evidence B source
  Mean difference 8.73 pmol/mg creatinine (95% CI 5.36-12.10), lower after cabbage
• In a dose-ranging feeding trial of 45 adults eating Brussels sprouts and/or cabbage for 2 days, urinary DIM rose with glucobrassicin dose and plateaued between 200 and 300 micromol. — 45 adults, Brussels sprouts and/or cabbage at 25-500 micromol glucobrassicin once daily for 2 days (n = 45) Evidence B source
  Dose-response R2 = 0.68; plateau at 200-300 micromol glucobrassicin
• Myrosinase, the plant enzyme that turns glucosinolates into isothiocyanates, is inactivated by cooking. — 255 middle-aged Japanese adults (JPHC-NEXT validation study) (n = 255) Evidence C source
  —

What cooking and storage change

• A systematic review of over 100 food-chemistry studies found processing strongly changes glucosinolate content in Brassica, with steaming preserving the most among boiling, blanching and steaming. — over 100 studies of Brassica glucosinolate content Evidence D source
  Steaming > blanching/boiling for glucosinolate retention (no pooled figure)
• The same review cautions that eating raw brassica vegetables in high amounts may raise the risk to the thyroid, while cooking reduces this effect. — 123 in vitro, animal and human studies (n = 123) Evidence C source
  Direction only: raw, high intake raises risk; cooking lowers it

What it does to your health

• In a crossover trial of 46 adults, 10 days of mustard and cabbage did not change DNA strand breaks or urinary 8-oxodG compared with control. — 46 adults, controlled diet, 10 days per treatment (n = 46) Evidence B source
  % DNA in tail 5.3 (mustard/cabbage) vs 4.8 (control), not significant; transient rise at 3 h gone by 6 h
• A dose-response meta-analysis of 17 observational studies linked higher cruciferous vegetable intake with lower colon cancer risk. — 17 studies (7 cohort, 10 case-control), 97,595 patients (n = 97595) Evidence C source
  OR 0.80 (95% CI 0.72-0.90), highest vs lowest intake

Safety, limits and interactions

• Among 100 ready-to-eat vegetable products in Croatian supermarkets, including 19 cabbage salads, Listeria species were found in 20% and Listeria monocytogenes in one sample of cut red cabbage at under 100 CFU/g. — 100 retail ready-to-eat minimally processed vegetable samples, Osijek, Croatia (n = 100) Evidence C source
  Listeria spp. 20/100; L. monocytogenes 1/100 (cut red cabbage, <100 CFU/g)
• In the same Croatian survey of ready-to-eat vegetable salads, 24% of packs lacked shelf-life information and 60% lacked storage instructions. — 100 retail ready-to-eat minimally processed vegetable samples, Osijek, Croatia (n = 100) Evidence C source
  24% no shelf life; 60% no storage conditions
• In Lublin retail shops in 2022-2023, Listeria monocytogenes was detected in 6.1% of minimally processed ready-to-eat vegetable mixtures and salads. — ready-to-eat sprouts, vegetable mixtures and salads, Lublin, Poland, 2022-2023 Evidence C source
  6.1% of RTE mixtures and salads positive for L. monocytogenes
• In a randomized crossover trial of 36 non-smoking adults on 6-day controlled diets, the brassica vegetable diet increased CYP1A2 activity measured with a 200 mg caffeine dose. — 19 men and 17 women aged 20-40, non-smokers, no medication, four 6-day controlled diets (n = 36) Evidence B source
  CYP1A2 activity higher on brassica diet vs basal (P < 0.04); size not given in abstract
• The FDA advises a two-hour limit at room temperature for foods needing refrigeration and a refrigerator at or below 40 F (4 C). — General population (home food handling) (n = -) Evidence E source
  No more than 2 hours at room temperature, refrigerator at or below 40 F

What people believe that the data does not support

• A 2024 systematic review of 123 in vitro, animal and human studies concluded that brassica vegetables in the daily diet, with adequate iodine, do not harm thyroid function. — 123 in vitro, animal and human studies (n = 123) Evidence C source
  No adverse thyroid effect at usual intake with adequate iodine
• The EU did not authorize the claim that foods containing glucosinolates help strengthen the body's defenses. — EU Register on nutrition and health claims Evidence E source
  Non-authorized
• The EU did not authorize a claim that Brassica vegetables provide particular protection against oxidation. — EU Register on nutrition and health claims Evidence E source
  Non-authorized

Who this works differently for

• CDC names coleslaw as an example of a deli salad, a food group it lists among ready-to-eat sources of Listeria. — US consumers; Listeria guidance page Evidence E source
  —
• A meta-analysis of 23 dietary intervention trials, including cabbage among the vegetables tested, found cruciferous vegetables raise CYP1A2 activity by 20-40% and GST-alpha by 15-35%. — 23 human dietary intervention trials (broccoli, Brussels sprout, cabbage, cauliflower, radish, watercress) (n = 23) Evidence B source
  CYP1A2 +20-40%; GST-alpha +15-35%
• In a 4-week randomized trial of 75 IBS patients, traditional advice that included cutting gas-producing foods such as cabbage helped 46% of patients halve symptom scores, similar to 50% on a low-FODMAP diet. — 75 adults with IBS (Rome III), Sweden, 4 weeks (n = 75) Evidence B source
  IBS-SSS reduction >=50%: 46% traditional vs 50% low-FODMAP (P = .72)
• FDA counts pregnant women and their unborn or newborn babies, adults over 65 and people with weakened immune systems as the high-risk groups for serious effects of listeriosis. — pregnant women and their unborn or newborn baby, adults over the age of 65, people with weakened immune systems Evidence E source
  Named as high-risk groups susceptible to the serious and adverse effects of listeriosis
• NIH lists vegetables, especially green leafy vegetables, as a main food source of vitamin K and advises people on warfarin to keep their vitamin K intake consistent, since sudden changes can raise or lower the drug's effect. — people taking warfarin and similar vitamin K antagonist anticoagulants Evidence E source
  Sudden changes in vitamin K intake can raise or lower the anticoagulant effect

What is still unknown

• Only two human studies have tested cabbage itself on the thyroid. One found no significant antithyroid effect and one case of severe hypothyroidism followed months of up to 3.3 lb (1.5 kg) raw Chinese cabbage a day. — human evidence on cabbage and thyroid within a 123-study review (n = 2) Evidence C source
  No significant effect in a radioiodine-uptake study; one case report of severe hypothyroidism at up to 1.5 kg/day raw

The bottom line

The same review adds that raw brassica eaten in high amounts may raise the risk to the thyroid while cooking reduces it, and it gives no threshold. Cooking also inactivates myrosinase, the plant enzyme that turns glucosinolates into isothiocyanates, so a raw salad is the form where that step can still happen. How much reaches you depends on the cabbage. In a randomized crossover trial of 25 adults eating 1.8 oz (50 g) of raw vegetable a day for 3 days, urinary DIM, a marker of indole-3-carbinol uptake, was 8.73 pmol/mg creatinine lower after a low-glucobrassicin cabbage variety than after Brussels sprouts (95% CI 5.36 to 12.10). The health data are thin and mostly indirect. A meta-analysis of 17 observational studies with 97,595 people linked the highest cruciferous intake with lower colon cancer odds (OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.72 to 0.90). That is an association, and cabbage was not looked at on its own. In a crossover trial of 46 adults, 10 days of mustard and cabbage did not significantly change DNA strand breaks. The EU refused to authorize the claims that glucosinolate foods strengthen the body's defenses and that brassica vegetables give particular protection against oxidation, which means the evidence fell short. Who should be careful. Bought slaw is a ready-to-eat food, and CDC names coleslaw as an example of a deli salad, a group it lists among sources of Listeria. Among 100 ready-to-eat vegetable products in Croatian supermarkets, 19 of them cabbage salads, Listeria species turned up in 20 percent, and Listeria monocytogenes in one pack of cut red cabbage at under 100 CFU/g. That survey covered one city with small subgroups, and 24 percent of its packs had no shelf life printed. In shops in Lublin in 2022 and 2023, 6.1 percent of ready-to-eat vegetable mixtures and salads carried L. monocytogenes, in a preliminary study that did not separate out cabbage salads. FDA counts pregnant women and their unborn or newborn babies, adults over 65 and people with weakened immune systems as the high-risk groups for serious effects of listeriosis. For foods that need refrigeration, FDA advises a two-hour limit at room temperature and a refrigerator at or below 40 °F (4 °C). A cup also holds about 99 micrograms of vitamin K. NIH lists green leafy vegetables as a main food source of vitamin K and says people on warfarin and similar anticoagulants need to keep their vitamin K intake consistent, because sudden changes can raise or lower the drug's effect. We found no study of cabbage salad itself with these drugs.

Sources

1. cbsl-daily-r8-02 · food composition dataset
   Cabbage salad, NFS [2709816] Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid 26.6 MG per 100 g
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, food code 75141040 Cabbage salad, NFS (fdc_id 2709816) · checked 2026-10-02
2. cbsl-daily-r8-03 · food composition dataset
   Cabbage salad, NFS [2709816] Sodium, Na 269 MG per 100 g
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, food code 75141040 Cabbage salad, NFS (fdc_id 2709816) · checked 2026-10-02
3. cbsl-daily-r8-04 · food composition dataset
   Cabbage salad, NFS [2709816] Vitamin K (phylloquinone) 44.8 UG per 100 g
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, food code 75141040 Cabbage salad, NFS (fdc_id 2709816) · checked 2026-10-02
4. cbsl-daily-r8-01 · food composition dataset
   Cabbage salad, NFS [2709816] Energy 45 KCAL per 100 g; 1 cup 220 g
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, food code 75141040 Cabbage salad, NFS (fdc_id 2709816) · checked 2026-10-02
5. cbsl-daily-r8-09 · randomized crossover trial
   Twenty-five subjects were fed 50 g of either raw "Jade Cross" Brussels sprouts (high glucobrassicin concentration) or "Blue Dynasty" cabbage (low glucobrassicin concentration) once daily for 3 days. ... 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 2026-10-02
6. cbsl-daily-r8-10 · randomized trial
   Forty-five subjects consumed vegetables, a mixture of brussels sprouts and/or cabbage, at one of seven discrete dose levels of glucobrassicin ranging from 25 to 500 ... Urinary DIM excretion increased predictably with increasing glucobrassicin dose and plateaued between 200 and 300
   Cancer Prev Res (Phila), 2016 · checked 2026-10-02
7. cbsl-daily-r8-11 · validation study
   Although myrosinase is inactivated by the cooking process, no studies have incorporated the effect of cooking into the estimation of dietary ITC intake or evaluated the validity.
   Eur J Clin Nutr, 2022 · checked 2026-10-02
8. cbsl-daily-r8-12 · systematic review (food chemistry)
   The authors also conclude that food processing can influence significantly the final content of GLS, considering the most popular methods: boiling, blanching, steaming, the latter can be considered as the most favorable to preserve highest level of GLS and their deriviatives.
   Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, 2021 · checked 2026-10-02
9. cbsl-daily-r8-14 · systematic review
   However, it should be underlined that eating raw vegetables, especially in high amounts, may increase the risk of the negative impact on the thyroid, while the cooking process reduces this effect.
   Int J Mol Sci, 2024 · checked 2026-10-02
10. cbsl-daily-r8-18 · randomized crossover trial
    Adults (n=46) consumed AITC, AITC-rich vegetables [mustard and cabbage (M/C)] or a control treatment with a controlled diet for 10 days each. ... Ten-day intake of neither AITC nor M/C resulted in statistically significant differences in DNA strand breaks
    J Nutr Biochem, 2013 · checked 2026-10-02
11. cbsl-daily-r8-19 · meta-analysis of observational studies
    Consumption of CV was found to be inversely correlated with CC risk (odds ratios [OR] = 0.8; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.72-0.90) in the pooled analysis using a random-effects model.
    BMC Gastroenterol, 2025 · checked 2026-10-02
12. cbsl-daily-r8-05 · cross-sectional prevalence survey
    The collected samples were cut iceberg lettuces (24 samples), other leafy vegetables (11 samples), delicatessen salads (23 samples), cabbage salads (19 samples), salads from mixed (17 samples) and root vegetables (6 samples). Listeria species was found in 20 samples (20 %) and Listeria monocytogenes was detected in only 1 sample (1 %) of cut red cabbage (less than 100 CFU/g).
    World J Microbiol Biotechnol, 2013 · checked 2026-10-02
13. cbsl-daily-r8-06 · cross-sectional prevalence survey
    The study showed that these products are often improperly labeled, since 24 % of analyzed samples lacked information about shelf life, and 60 % of samples lacked information about storage conditions.
    World J Microbiol Biotechnol, 2013 · checked 2026-10-02
14. cbsl-daily-r8-07 · cross-sectional prevalence survey
    In the minimally processed RTE mixtures and salads, L. monocytogenes was detected in 6.1% of samples.
    Ann Agric Environ Med, 2024 · checked 2026-10-02
15. cbsl-daily-r8-17 · randomized crossover trial
    Using a randomized crossover design, we examined the effect of various vegetable diets on cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A2, N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) and xanthine oxidase activity in humans. Men and women, non-smokers, on no medication and 20-40 years of age ate four 6-day controlled diets: basal (vegetable-free) and basal with three botanically defined vegetable groups.
    Carcinogenesis, 2000 · checked 2026-10-02
16. sf-left-r2-2 · agency advice
    Stick to the "two-hour rule" for leaving items needing refrigeration out at room temperature. ... Keep the refrigerator temperature at or below 40° F (4° C).
    US FDA, Are You Storing Food Safely? (consumer update) · checked 2026-10-08
17. cbsl-daily-r8-13 · systematic review
    The vast majority of the results cast doubt on previous assumptions claiming that brassica plants have antithyroid effects in humans. Instead, they indicate that including brassica vegetables in the daily diet, particularly when accompanied by adequate iodine intake, poses no adverse effects on thyroid function.
    Int J Mol Sci, 2024 · checked 2026-10-02
18. cbsl-daily-r8-21 · regulatory decision
    POL-HC-7196 Glucosinolates Foods containing glucosinolates help strengthen our body's defences. Non-authorised
    EU Register on nutrition and health claims, claim POL-HC-7196, snapshot 2026-09-21 · checked 2026-10-02
19. cbsl-daily-r8-22 · regulatory decision
    POL-HC-8053 Vegetables (fresh, frozen, canned, bottled, dried, juiced) -vegetables help protect the body’s cells; -protect you from free radicals; -protect your cells and tissues from oxidation; -antioxidants help strengthen our body's natural defences against oxidative stress; -people should consume a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, choosing among colours present in nature, to incorporate the various phytochemical and maximise protection; -Brassica vegetables (e.g. X) provide particular protection against oxidation. Non-authorised
    EU Register on nutrition and health claims, claim POL-HC-8053, snapshot 2026-09-21 · checked 2026-10-02
20. cbsl-daily-r8-08 · agency guidance
    Examples of deli salads include coleslaw, potato salad, tuna salad, and chicken salad.
    CDC, How Listeria Spread: Deli Foods and Prepared Meats, 2024 · checked 2026-10-02
21. cbsl-daily-r8-16 · 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 2026-10-02
22. cbsl-daily-r8-20 · randomized controlled trial
    Subjects were randomly assigned to groups that ate specific diets for 4 weeks-a diet low in FODMAPs (n = 38) or a diet frequently recommended for patients with IBS (ie, a regular meal pattern; avoidance of large meals; and reduced intake of fat, insoluble fibers, caffeine, and gas-producing foods, such as beans, cabbage, and onions), with greater emphasis on how and when to eat rather than on what foods to ingest (n = 37).
    Gastroenterology, 2015 · checked 2026-10-02
23. sf-listeriarisk-cabsalad-1 · agency advice
    Pregnant women and their unborn or newborn baby, adults over the age of 65, and those with weakened immune systems, are all considered to be high-risk groups that are susceptible to the serious and adverse effects of listeriosis.
    Listeria (Listeriosis), US Food and Drug Administration, At-Risk Groups · checked 2026-10-08
24. sf-vkw-r1-10 · agency advice
    Food sources of phylloquinone include vegetables, especially green leafy vegetables, vegetable oils, and some fruits. ...These drugs antagonize the activity of vitamin K, leading to the depletion of vitamin K-dependent clotting factors. 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 2026-10-08
25. cbsl-daily-r8-15 · systematic review
    Despite the high popularity of cabbage in the human diet, only two studies reported its effect on humans, while the majority of studies reported the impact of different varieties of the vegetable on animal thyroid function (Table 3). ... The consumption of cabbage did not cause significant antithyroid activity [7]. A case study of a Chinese woman with diabetes described t several months of overconsumption of raw Chinese cabbage, up to 1.5 kg a day
    Int J Mol Sci, 2024 · checked 2026-10-02