The question:  Does anyone know the chemical in
cabbage responsible for its antiinflammatory affect?

My best current guess regarding cabbage leaves -

Cabbage contains alpha-linolenic and linoleic acids in the leaf.  These
essential fatty acids are at the start of a metabolic chain that ends in the
production of good guy prostoglandins - sorry don't understand a whole lot
beyond this point but perhaps others have focused on understanding this.

 Have read that essential fatty acids are absorbable through the skin (
perhaps especially the lactating breast with it's pumped up blood supply and,
with engorgement, a stretched-thinner skin ???).

Sinegrin, listed as possibly active constituent of cabbage leaves in
Australian lactation study, does not list in cabbage leaf, only in cabbage
seed ( and mustard seed and horseradish root).

The range of concentrations of EFAs does vary though - e.g. cabbage linoleic
acid 350-4,680 ppm, alpha-linolenic acid 460-6,150 ppm (Duke).  This indicates
that maybe not all cabbage leaves are equally effective, IF the EFAs are the
important constituent.  Of course cabbage contains hundreds of other
phytochemicals to keep in mind, being relatively well-studied.

Other cole veggies also list with similar amounts of EFA's.  Kale lists
linoleic acid 1,380-8,880 ppm, alpha-linolenic acid 1,800-11,585 ppm.  Would
seem that kale might work better and more reliably than cabbage IF indeed the
EFAs are the "active ingredients".


Sheila Humphrey  BSc(Botany) RN IBCLC