Detox
Napa Cabbage
A mild, crinkly-leaved cruciferous vegetable best known as the base of kimchi, delivering nearly a quarter of a day’s vitamin C at almost no calorie cost.
Gut Health
Detox
Immunity
Serving
1 cup, shredded, raw (76g)
Calories Per Serving
12
Key nutrients
Vitamin C, folate, vitamin K, fiber
Nutrient density
704
Why it’s worth eating
Napa cabbage, also called Chinese cabbage, is a mild, crinkly-leaved cousin of green cabbage best known as the base of kimchi. It delivers nearly a quarter of a day’s vitamin C and meaningful folate in a single cup, for just 12 calories. Use it raw in slaws, or stir-fry it briefly to preserve its crunch.
What you may notice
Markers worth tracking
How to eat it
Ferment shredded leaves with chili and garlic for 3-5 days to make kimchi, adding live probiotic cultures to the same nutrient base.
Pairs well with
Healthy fats, helps absorb the fat-soluble vitamin K Fermentation (as in kimchi), adds probiotic bacteria without reducing the vegetable’s native vitamin C
Storage
Refrigerate whole heads loosely wrapped in plastic; they keep for 1-2 weeks, longer once cut if stored in an airtight container.
The numbers, per
27%
Vitamin K
1%
Vitamin A
23%
Vitamin C
5%
Calcium
1%
Iron
2%
Magnesium
4%
Potassium
0%
Vitamin B12
0%
Vitamin D
Fiber
0.9g
USDA-verified (FoodData Central)
Evidence
D
HONEST FLAG: no napa-specific whole-food clinical trials. Its principal role is as the base for kimchi (see kimchi row for the fermented evidence and the sodium tension).
Study dose vs. serving
No established food-specific dose-response.
No food-specific human clinical trial located; appears only within pooled cruciferous-vegetable cohort analyses.
Use caution if
You take warfarin or other blood thinners, moderate vitamin K content; keep intake consistent You have hypothyroidism, like other crucifers, raw napa cabbage contains goitrogens; cooking deactivates most of this
Details
Type
Superfood
Season
Autumn
Forms
Fresh, fermented
Price
Budget
Bioactive
Gluconapin-family glucosinolates
Heat stable
No - myrosinase is heat-inactivated. Chop raw and rest, steam lightly rather than boil, or add raw mustard or daikon powder to cooked crucifers to restore conversion.
Watch
Contaminant Watch
Reliability
Research Reliability