Contrary to popular belief, the Paleo diet is not an all-meat diet. It is, in fact, a high-vegetable diet, and that includes purple cabbage.
The Vitamins
Cabbage may not sound very exciting, but it comes loaded with vitamin C, vitamin K, and various B vitamins. We all know that getting plenty of vitamin C in our diet is essential for immune health and avoiding scurvy. What many people don’t know is that vitamin K is essential for transporting calcium from our blood to our bones. We can drink all the milk we want, but without vitamin K, that calcium will just sit in our arteries and build up plaque.
Antioxidants
Purple cabbage is also high in antioxidants. In particular, the purple coloring lets you know it has polyphenols, a bioactive compound found in plants that has been found to have anti-inflammatory effects and possibly even anti-cancer effects. Mark Sisson recommends eating plenty of blue and purple foods for this reason.
Sulfur
Cabbage is also very high in sulfur, and although sulfur doesn’t get much attention in the press, it’s a vital nutrient. Mark Sisson has a whole post on reasons we should be eating our sulfur-rich vegetables.
