Red cabbage (aka purple cabbage) is an absolute nutritional powerhouse.
When most people fire up their juicers, however, red cabbage is not the first thing that comes to mind. But it’s slightly spicy taste and numerous health benefits make red cabbage juice a fantastic addition to a health food lover’s diet.
Maybe you’re looking to detox on a juice cleanse. Maybe you’re trying to juice fast for weight loss. Or maybe you’re just looking for a tasty and healthy recipe to make when juicing at home.
Regardless of why you’re here, this red cabbage juice recipe will not disappoint.
Why We Love This Red Cabbage Juice Recipe
“Really vibrant purple, earthy and well balanced.” – Tasting notes from Chef Gary. This delicious and unique cabbage juice recipe was created by Chef Gary FX LaMorte using his Goodnature X-1 Mini.
Where do we start with such a wonderful recipe?
This juice tastes amazing. We’re big fans of the taste of red cabbage in general. But the inclusion of grapes, along with a bit of orange, ginger and lime, leads to a quite unique flavor profile. You’re probably going to want to fire up the juicer and make this one again and again.
Now, let’s move onto the health benefits. We’re not going to list them all (we’d have to write for days to pull that off), but here are the highlights:
- Ultra-rich in powerful antioxidants. In particular, red cabbage has loads of anthocyanins (more on these in a moment).
- Supports your immune system (high levels of vitamin C and more). Every single ingredient is high in Vitamin C. But Vitamin A, Magnesium, Potassium and Vitamin B9-Folate are present in the juice as well.
- Can help reduce inflammation in the body. All five ingredients have anti-inflammatory properties.
- Supports gut health. Drinking cabbage juice is well known as a natural remedy for preventing and healing ulcers.
- Promotes heart, muscle and nerve health. That’s thanks to the large amount of calcium in red cabbage.
- Helps prevent cancer. All cruciferous vegetables (like red cabbage) are known for their anti-cancer properties.
A single glass of this fresh juice is also loaded with enzymes, which help your body break down food and can help with stomach ulcers. Ending with the obvious: this fruity vegetable juice is vegan and gluten-free (people ask).
Anthocyanins in Red Cabbage
Anthocyanins are phytochemicals with antioxidant effects and have been reported as having the ability to support a myriad of health benefits including:
- Lowering blood pressure
- Reducing cancer cell proliferation and inhibiting tumor formation
- Diabetes prevention
These anthocyanin compounds are what give red cabbage its reddish-purple color, allowing for another interesting use — a pH indicator. To quote Compound Chem:
Red cabbage gets its colour from compounds called anthocyanins in its leaves. These anthocyanins are peculiar in that they’re pH-sensitive, and this allows them to be used as pH indicators.
If they are extracted from the red cabbage leaves by boiling the cabbage in water, the resulting solution can be added to different substances to test them.
The pH of the solution they are added to can affect the structure of the anthocyanin molecules, subtly changing them in a way that causes them to appear a different colour, as shown in the graphic [below].
So not only are anthocyanins a powerful antioxidant that’s great for your body, it also is what gives red cabbage the special ability to test pH levels of liquids.
Related recipe: Cabbage Green Juice with Leafy Greens
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