Cabbage and sauerkraut tied to lower breast cancer risk in Polish migrant women
What it found
In a study of Polish-born women living in the US, those who ate more cabbage and sauerkraut, especially raw or short-cooked, were less likely to have breast cancer.
The link was strongest for high intake during both adolescence and adulthood.
What they found
Studies in people
Total cabbage and sauerkraut
Women who ate more than 4 servings a week of total cabbage and sauerkraut during adolescence were less likely to have breast cancer than those who ate 2 or fewer servings a week. The same pattern was seen for adult consumption, though the link was weaker.
Raw or short-cooked types
High intake of raw or short-cooked cabbage and sauerkraut (more than 3 servings a week) was linked to lower breast cancer risk both in adolescence and adulthood. The link was strongest when intake was high during both periods.
Long-cooked cabbage
Long-cooked cabbage and sauerkraut were eaten in small amounts and were not significantly linked to breast cancer risk.
Timing of intake
High consumption during adolescence was linked to lower risk regardless of adult intake. High adult intake also lowered risk for women who ate little during adolescence.
Animal and lab studies
Animal and lab studies
In animal studies, compounds from cabbage reduced mammary tumors in rats. These findings support the idea that these compounds may help prevent cancer.
What the authors conclude
“Greater consumption of total and raw/short-cooked cabbage/sauerkraut foods either during adolescence or adulthood was associated with significantly reduced BC risk among Polish migrant women.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say that greater consumption of total and raw/short-cooked cabbage/sauerkraut foods during adolescence or adulthood was linked to significantly reduced breast cancer risk in Polish migrant women.
- They note that these findings add to the growing evidence that cruciferous vegetable intake may protect against breast cancer.
- They call for further studies, especially long-term studies that consider adolescent diet, to confirm these results.
How it was done
Breast cancer rates are lower in Poland than in the US, but Polish women who move to the US approach the higher US rates. The authors wanted to see whether traditional Polish foods like cabbage and sauerkraut might help explain this.
They compared 131 Polish-born women with breast cancer to 284 similar women without it, all living in Cook County or the Detroit area. Women were asked about how much cabbage and sauerkraut they ate during adulthood (1985-1989) and at age 12-13.
What it can’t tell you
- This was a case-control study, so it can show a link but not prove that eating cabbage or sauerkraut directly causes lower breast cancer risk.
- The study relied on women remembering what they ate many years earlier, which may not be perfectly accurate.
- The number of women studied was small, so the results should be interpreted with caution.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by NIH HHS (from the PubMed record).
- Conflicts
- The authors declare no conflict of interest.
- Authors work at
- Michigan State University, USA; Emory University, USA; Oakland University, USA
The paper
- Title
- Cabbage and Sauerkraut Consumption in Adolescence and Adulthood and Breast Cancer Risk among US-Resident Polish Migrant Women
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Licence
- CC BY. Words in quotation marks are the authors’; the rest is our summary.
- Cite
- Pathak DR, Stein AD, He JP, et al (2021). Cabbage and Sauerkraut Consumption in Adolescence and Adulthood and Breast Cancer Risk among US-Resident Polish Migrant Women. International journal of environmental research and public health. doi:10.3390/ijerph182010795Free full textPubMed 34682540DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error