What Are the Benefits of Drinking Red Cabbage Juice?

Mildly spicy with a strong vegetal taste, red cabbage is associated more with soup and coleslaw than with juice. However, this nutrient-packed vegetable can be juiced and added to other vegetable or fruit juices to increase the nutritional content. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends eating between 4 to 6 cups of red vegetables per week for adult men and women. It takes 3 cups of chopped fresh, red cabbage to produce a 1/2 cup of red cabbage juice.

Red cabbage juice is rich in folate. (Image: Goodshoot/Goodshoot/Getty Images)

Vitamin C

Vitamin C helps with the production of collagen, including the production and repair of all tissues in your body. It also helps your body heal wounds, as well as repair and maintain bones and teeth. A natural antioxidant, vitamin C protects your body from free radicals and environmental toxins, which can cause cell damage and death. A 1/2-cup serving of red cabbage juice contains 152 milligrams of vitamin C per serving, which is more than 100 percent of the recommended daily intake for adults.

Potassium

Potassium is an electrolyte and essential mineral that helps control the electrical activity in your heart. It also maintains the acid-base balance in your body, and is needed for healthy body growth and the building of muscle and protein. A 1/2-cup serving of red cabbage juice contains 649 milligrams of potassium. This is almost 14 percent of the recommended dietary intake for adult men and women.

Vitamin K

Vitamin K is essential for helping your blood clot. This reduces the risk of abnormal bleeding and bruising. Vitamin K also helps with maintaining strong bones, reducing the risk of osteoporosis. A single 1/2-cup serving of red cabbage juice contains 102 micrograms of vitamin K. This is 85 percent of the daily adequate intake for adult men, and more than 100 percent of the daily AI for adult women, including pregnant women.

Folate

Folate helps your body's tissues develop, as well as make your cells work. A lack of folate can lead to birth defects, gray hair, diarrhea, and ulcers. Folate is a member of the B vitamin group and, in combination with vitamin B12 and vitamin C, it helps your body use, break down and produce new proteins. A 1/2-cup of red cabbage juice contains 48 micrograms of folate, which is 12 percent of the acceptable intake for adult men and women, and almost 10 percent of the AI for pregnant and breastfeeding women.