- Region
- Europe
- Origin
- Bred from wild cabbage of Europe's Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts. Brassica oleracea
- Other names
- Bloemkool, Kool
Europe · Food · № 68
Brassica oleracea
Food · Europe
Cabbage
Brassica oleracea
A vegetable rich in vitamin C and fibre. In folk medicine cold cabbage leaves are placed on engorged breasts or painful joints; small studies give mixed results.
Safety notes
Safe as food. See a doctor for mastitis (fever, red patch) and for persistent joint complaints.
Preparation
Raw, cooked or fermented (sauerkraut); externally as a bruised, chilled leaf. No dosage is given here.
Use in traditions
Roman writers such as Cato the Elder praised cabbage as a cure for almost everything. Ody describes the cabbage-leaf compress as a European home remedy.
Applications
Use by tradition
How different herbal traditions describe this herb. Amounts are traditional guidelines checked for obvious errors; they are not medical advice. For poisonous plants no dosage is given on purpose.
Herbal medicine worldwide
Attributed effects
Anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antirheumatic, repairs tissue, decongests the liver.
Preparation and amount
Crushed cabbage leaves on arthritic or sprained joints, for mastitis and engorgement, on insect bites and varicose ulcers; lotion of cabbage leaf and witch hazel water for acne; decoction (60 g in 500 ml, 1 hour) for colitis; cabbage syrup 10 ml for cough and asthma; fresh juice.
Natural skin and hair care
Attributed effects
Makes hair soft and glossy.
Preparation and amount
External: broccoli seed oil in a nourishing hair mask.
Folklore and herbal magic
Symbolic meanings from folk use and modern herbal magic. These are handed-down associations, not effects.
Protection, fertility, abundance, prosperity.
- Ways to prepare herbs
- DecoctionCompress, poultice and pasteSyrup, honey and oxymel