Kohlrabi: Health Benefits, Side Effects, Uses, Dose & Precautions (2024)

Other Name(s):

Bladkoolachtigen, Brassica oleracea, Brassica oleracea L. var. caulorapa, Brassica oleracea var. gongylode, Cabbage Turnip, Cai Tou, Cavolo Rapa, Chou Navet, Chou Rave, Col Rábano, Coli Rabano, Colinabo, Colirrabano, Couve Nabo, Couve Rábano, Glaskalrabi, Hungarian Turnip, Kaalrabi, Kalarepa, Kålrabbi, Kålrabi, Karalábé, Knolkhol, Knolkool, Knudekål, Knutekal, Kol'rabi, Koolrabi, Kyssakaali, Kyuukei Kanran, Nuikapsas, Pie Lan, Rubkohl, Ryukyu Kanran, Stem Turnip, Turnip Cabbage, Turnip Kale, Turnip-Stemmed Cabbage.

  • Overview
  • Uses
  • Side Effects
  • Precautions
  • Dosing

Overview

Kohlrabi is a vegetable that is similar to cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, collard, and Brussels sprout. The stem and leaves of kohlrabi are eaten as food and as a medicine.

Kohlrabi is taken by mouth as an antioxidant and for cancer, heart disease, constipation, diabetes, gout, hemorrhoids, hot flashes, high cholesterol, liver disease, menstrual symptoms, a pain disorder called sciatica, scurvy, weight loss, and wound healing.

Kohlrabi is applied to the skin for hair loss.

How does work?

Kohlrabi contains chemicals that are thought to help prevent cancer. Chemicals in kohlrabi might also have antioxidant activity.

Uses

Insufficient Evidence to Rate Effectiveness for...

  • Cancer.
  • Heart disease.
  • Colitis.
  • Constipation.
  • Crohn's disease.
  • Diabetes.
  • Gout.
  • Hemorrhoids.
  • Hot flashes.
  • High cholesterol.
  • Liver disease.
  • Menstrual symptoms.
  • A pain disorder called sciatica.
  • Scurvy.
  • Weight loss.
  • Wound healing.
  • Hair loss.
  • Other conditions.

More evidence is needed to rate the effectiveness of kohlrabi for these uses.

SLIDESHOW Vitamin D Deficiency: How Much Vitamin D Is Enough? See Slideshow

Side Effects

Kohlrabi is LIKELY SAFE when consumed in food amounts. It isn't known if kohlrabi is safe or what the possible side effects might be when taken in medicinal amounts.

Precautions

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There isn't enough information about the safety of eating kohlrabi in medicinal amounts during pregnancy or breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and stick to usual food amounts.

Dosing

The appropriate dose of kohlrabi depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for kohlrabi. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.

Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database rates effectiveness based on scientific evidence according to the following scale: Effective, Likely Effective, Possibly Effective, Possibly Ineffective, Likely Ineffective, and Insufficient Evidence to Rate (detailed description of each of the ratings).

Kohlrabi: Health Benefits, Side Effects, Uses, Dose & Precautions (2)

Report Problems to the Food and Drug Administration

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit the FDA MedWatch website or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

References

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Bradfield CA, Bjeldanes LF. Modification of carcinogen metabolism by indolylic autolysis products of Brassica oleraceae. Adv Exp Med Biol 1991;289:153-163. View abstract.

Conaway, C. C., Yang, Y. M., and Chung, F. L. Isothiocyanates as cancer chemopreventive agents: their biological activities and metabolism in rodents and humans. Curr Drug Metab 2002;3(3):233-255. View abstract.

Dalessandri, K. M., Firestone, G. L., Fitch, M. D., Bradlow, H. L., and Bjeldanes, L. F. Pilot study: effect of 3,3'-diindolylmethane supplements on urinary hormone metabolites in postmenopausal women with a history of early-stage breast cancer. Nutr Cancer 2004;50(2):161-167. View abstract.

Ferguson LR. Micronutrients, dietary questionnaires and cancer. Biomed Pharmacother 1997;51(8):337-344. View abstract.

Firestone, G. L. and Bjeldanes, L. F. Indole-3-carbinol and 3-3'-diindolylmethane antiproliferative signaling pathways control cell-cycle gene transcription in human breast cancer cells by regulating promoter-Sp1 transcription factor interactions. J Nutr 2003;133(7 Suppl):2448S-2455S. View abstract.

Gamet-Payrastre L. Signaling pathways and intracellular targets of sulforaphane mediating cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Curr Cancer Drug Targets 2006;6(2):135-145. View abstract.

Kristal AR, Lampe JW. Brassica vegetables and prostate cancer risk: a review of the epidemiological evidence. Nutr Cancer 2002;42:1-9. View abstract.

Lim TK. "Brassica oleracea (Gongylodes Group)."Edible Medicinal and Non-Medicinal Plants: Volume 9, Modified Stems, Roots, Bulbs. Netherlands: Springer, 2015.

Macleod G, Macleod AJ. The glucosinolates and aroma volatiles of green kohlrabi. Phytochemistry 1990;29(4):1183-1187.

Morel F, Langouet S, Maheo K, Guillouzo A. The use of primary hepatocyte cultures for the evaluation of chemoprotective agents. Cell Biol Toxicol 1997;13(4-5):323-329. View abstract.

Myzak MC, Dashwood RH. Chemoprotection by sulforaphane: keep one eye beyond Keap1. Cancer Lett 2006;233(2):208-218. View abstract.

Osborne MP. Chemoprevention of breast cancer. Surg Clin North Am 1999;79(5):1207-1221. View abstract.

Park EJ, Pezzuto JM. Botanicals in cancer chemoprevention. Cancer Metastasis Rev 2002;21:231-55. View abstract.

Park WT, Kim JK, Park S, et al. Metabolic profiling of glucosinolates, anthocyanins, carotenoids, and other secondary metabolites in kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes). J Agric Food Chem. 2012;60(33):8111-6. View abstract.

Shannon MC, Grieve CM. Tolerance of vegetable crops to salinity. Scientia Horticulturae 1999;78:5-38.

Steinkellner, H., Rabot, S., Freywald, C., Nobis, E., Scharf, G., Chabicovsky, M., Knasmuller, S., and Kassie, F. Effects of cruciferous vegetables and their constituents on drug metabolizing enzymes involved in the bioactivation of DNA-reactive dietary carcinogens. Mutat Res 2001;480-481:285-297. View abstract.

Stoewsand GS. Bioactive organosulfur phytochemicals in Brassica oleracea vegetables--a review. Food Chem Toxicol 1995;33:537-43. View abstract.

United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference Release 27. Basic Report: 11241, Kohlrabi, raw. Available at: http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/3026?fgcd=&manu=&lfacet=&format=&count=&max=35&offset=&sort=&qlookup=kohlrabi

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Wagner AE, Huebbe P, Konishi T, et al. Free radical scavenging and antioxidant activity of ascorbigen versus ascorbic acid: studies in vitro and in cultured human keratinocytes. J Agric Food Chem 2008;56(24):11694-11699. View abstract.

Kohlrabi: Health Benefits, Side Effects, Uses, Dose & Precautions (2024)
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