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Quick, Nurse, Fetch Me The Sauerkraut!

Not long ago, cabbage was seen as an almost worthless food, fit for consumption only by the poor. That wasn’t always the case, though. Once, this leafy vegetable was held in the highest esteem.

In fact, Ancient Greeks and Romans attributed almost magical healing powers to the cabbage, and believed it could cure just about any illness. None other than Hippocrates, the “Father of Medicine” from whom we got the “Hippocratic Oath,” swore by the merits of cabbage, and often prescribed the plant, boiled with salt, as a remedy for various afflictions. 

Greek mathematician Pythagoras, best known as the father of the “Pythagorean Theorem” in geometry, composed entire books about the virtues of cabbage. An old anecdote relates that the philosopher Diogenes ate cabbage every day on the recommendation of Pythagoras, while Aristippus, another Greek philosopher, refused to allow cabbage in his kitchen. Diogenes lived to the ripe old age of 90, while Aristippus died when he was only 40. Coincidence? Maybe …

If so, though, the ancient Romans weren’t taking any chances. They used cabbage, both internally and externally, to treat various illnesses. Roman soldiers even applied cabbage leaves to their wounds.

Around that same time, the Egyptian pharaohs customarily ate large quantities of cabbage before a night of heavy drinking. They believed it would allow them to drink alcohol without feeling the effects. Perhaps this is why, to this day, many consider cabbage with vinegar a good hangover remedy.

Closer to our own times, British explorer Captain Cook – best known for making the first European contact with Newfoundland, Hawaii, and Eastern Australia – swore by the medicinal value of sauerkraut (cabbage pickled in brine). In 1769, his ship doctor used it for compresses on soldiers who were wounded during a severe storm, a move that has been credited with preventing gangrene.

Whether or not you believe in the healing properties of cabbage, this tasty and nutritious plant has plenty going for it. Raw cabbage can improve digestion and reduce constipation, protect against colon cancer, stimulate the immune system, kill harmful bacteria, soothe ulcers, and improve circulation. It’s also rich in vitamins C and E.

 Like cabbage as sauerkraut?