While touted as a way to lose extra pounds in a short amount of time, the cabbage soup diet is a type of fad diet. Many diets that promise fast results, including fad diets, simply don’t work as well as other proven long-term weight loss methods, such as those outlined by the Mayo Clinic, like the Mediterranean or DASH eating plans. (2) Not to mention, the numerous restrictions set forth by the diet could make you lose out on vital nutrients and disrupt your metabolism. Still, the prospect of eating a lot of cabbage soup for a short period of time appeals to people who want a quick fix. “This diet ‘works’ merely because it’s super restrictive in calories,” says Julie Rothenberg, RD, LDN, owner of JuliENERGYnutrition in Miami. “It markets itself to people who want to lose weight for a special occasion or event coming up.” While some people do successfully meet such short-term goals, the weight often comes back once you stop doing the diet — much to the same effect as other types of popular diets. Aside from more weight gain, this fad diet can cause uncomfortable side effects that may interfere with your daily activities. According to the Mayo Clinic, fad diets are those that don’t include flexibility, balance, or physical activity. Regular physical activity is essential to help you maintain a lower weight. Plus, exercise is good for your heart and brain, decreasing your risk for chronic illnesses. (2) Registered dietitian nutritionists agree that the cabbage soup diet is a fad diet because of its promise of losing a lot of weight in a short amount of time by focusing on one food, rather than including a balanced diet with exercise. The purpose of the cabbage soup diet is to restrict calories by restricting your food intake severely. “The low-calorie diet combined with the high fiber content of the filling vegetables, fruit, and cabbage help a person to go to the bathroom more than usual,” Rothenberg says. “At the end of the week, there is weight loss from water weight primarily, and largely due to calorie restriction.” According to research from 2017 that looked at the use of functional foods in fad diets, the cabbage soup diet calls for eating just 1,000 calories a day or less during the first few days. (3) Throughout the rest of the week, you gradually increase your calorie intake to about 1,200 calories per day. Given the limited calories you’re consuming during the plan, you could technically lose 4 lbs. or more on the diet. But this is far more than the recommended 1- or 2-lb loss per week when on a safer, more gradual weight-loss plan. One study that involved mice also suggested possible anti-inflammatory and cardiovascular health benefits after ingesting red cabbage. Any effects on lower body mass were not clear, however. (4) More human studies are needed to confirm such benefits, and targeted studies on the cabbage soup diet are lacking. But you can still incorporate some of the recipes you like as part of a moderate, balanced diet after the week is up. The diet is also relatively inexpensive because it incorporates everyday food items — particularly lots of cabbage. This diet also seems to work best for people who like foods that are on the restricted list of items you can eat. In fact, one of the reasons that people quit this diet is they can’t stand the taste of the soup. You may not like the diet if you need someone to help you stay accountable. Also, this plan doesn’t seem to work well for people who need to lose significant amounts of weight. This type of diet also isn’t intended for people with chronic illnesses, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes, who have particular dietary needs that may be harmed with the restricted caloric intake and food limitations. (1)
½ head of large cabbage, cut into bite-sized pieces6 scallions, diced2 green bell peppers, chopped1–2 14-oz cans diced tomatoes (preferably low sodium)1 bunch celery, chopped1 package dry onion soupsalt and pepper, to tasteDried herbs or spices of your choosing to taste (such as garlic powder, paprika, or parsley)6 cups of water or 1 48-oz can vegetable juice1–2 bouillon cubes (optional)
Add all the ingredients to a large pot. Cover with up to 6 cups of water and simmer on low for one hour or until all the vegetables are tender (you can also cook the soup in a slow cooker for five hours)
Cabbage throughout all seven days (and lots of it!)Other raw or cooked vegetables throughout all seven days (except for potatoes)Apples (on day 3 only)Berries (on day 3 only)Brown rice (on day 7 only)Beef (on day 6 only)Sugar-free juice (on day 7 only)Skim milk (on day 4 only)
Still, you can only eat the above items on certain days (see the sample meal plan below). Restricted items include:
Bananas (except on day 4)PotatoesChickenTurkeyFishEggsWhole- or reduced-fat dairy products
Anything not listed in the diet plan is off limits in the cabbage soup diet. For example, the previously mentioned study from 2016 on the effects of red cabbage consumption in obese mice found decreased cholesterol over the course of eight weeks. But it’s unclear whether the same results would be found in humans via a randomized controlled clinical trial — the gold standard for medical research. (4) Aside from fiber, cabbage offers nutrients that may play a crucial role in weight loss and weight management efforts. Certain ingredients in cabbage are anti-inflammatory, and may help regulate your metabolism and blood sugar levels, according to a review of the diet. (3) This review suggests the potential beneficial anti-inflammatory components in cabbage include: (3)
ApigeninLuteinKaempferolQuercetinVitamin CZeaxanthin
A 1-cup serving of chopped raw cabbage contains 2.2 grams (g) of fiber and provides 32.6 milligrams (mg) of vitamin C, making it an excellent source of the nutrient, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. (7) When consumed with other plant-based foods and lean proteins, cabbage soup can complement your diet. But eating cabbage soup as part of a restrictive diet may cause more problems for your weight than good. The study from 2014 about eating soup in general found that adults who ate soup regularly for five years had healthier weights and overall nutritionally balanced diets. (6) Still, it’s important to note here that the study looked at soups overall, not just cabbage soup. Study subjects also didn’t face the severe dietary restrictions of the cabbage soup diet. The authors of the study also noted that eating too much soup may negatively affect your blood pressure due to its typically high sodium content. Therefore, they recommend choosing low-sodium soups. Due to the high sodium content of the cabbage soup diet, dehydration is one short-term side effect. The diet may also be harmful to people with diabetes because it can destabilize blood sugar levels. (1) Because the soup itself is also extremely low in calories, carbohydrates, protein, and fat, the Australian government’s Better Health Channel notes that you may experience: (8)
HeadachesDizzinessLight-headednessNauseaWeaknessFatigue
Additionally, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics warns that fad diets can cause: (9)
Gastrointestinal issues, such as constipation and flatulenceLoss of concentrationMuscle loss, which can occur when your body goes into “starvation” mode from not consuming enough caloriesGallstones
An important consideration is the lack of healthy fats in this diet. While you may be looking to get rid of body fat, dietary forms of fat are important for feeling full. Healthy fats, such as those found in fish and nuts, also contain important nutrients. Healthy fat is an essential macronutrient needed daily to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. (10) “Essentially there is very little fat included in this diet because the only fat source comes from the beef, or milk if choosing whole milk,” says Rothenberg. Perhaps one of the most concerning risks associated with fads like the cabbage soup diet is the havoc they can wreak on your metabolism. Indeed, they can lead you to gain weight when you go off of the plan. “I have had a client come to me and say they did the cabbage soup diet prior and it did ‘work’ in the short term, but she ended up gaining the weight back with an additional 5 lbs. the following week,” Rothenberg says. Another consideration with fad diets such as the cabbage soup diet is that short-term weight loss of more than the recommended 1 to 2 lbs. per week is likely attributed to water weight, and not the coveted fat loss so many dieters are vying for. To put this in perspective, 10 to 15 lbs. of body fat is equal to between 40 and 60 sticks of butter, something that’s impossible to lose in a week’s time. (1) It’s important to weigh the benefits against the risks carefully before trying out any new diet, but especially one as extreme as the cabbage soup diet, and ideally work with a registered dietitian-nutritionist when following it.
Day 1 “Day 1 is just the soup and fruit only,” says Rothenberg. Bananas aren’t allowed on the first day.Day 2 Cabbage soup and other vegetables (cooked or raw, except for potatoes)Day 3 Cabbage soup plus raw fruits and vegetablesDay 4 Along with the cabbage soup, you can also have a maximum of 8 bananas and skim milk on this day only.Day 5 Eat beef and tomatoes along with your cabbage soup. “You can eat 2 to 20 ounces (oz) of beef,” says Rothenberg. “Twenty oz of beef contains 160 g of protein, which is roughly 100 g more protein than most people need!”Day 6 Unlimited beef and vegetables along with the cabbage soup (except for potatoes)Day 7 In addition to the cabbage soup, you can have brown rice and unsweetened fruit juice.
As Rothenberg points out, the effect of this diet won’t last, and in the end, the approach may do more harm than good for your waistline. “This doesn’t ‘reset’ your metabolism — it messes with it,” she explains, noting that yo-yo dieting tends to lead to more abdominal fat that ends up being increasingly difficult to trim. This doesn’t mean you have to avoid cabbage soup — you probably just don’t want to make a “diet” out of it. Instead, you can incorporate low-calorie, vegetable-based soups like cabbage soup as part of a balanced diet for gradual weight loss that’s more likely to last for the long haul. (1,2)
