Kohlrabi
Food · Vegetable · Food, Typed Supps
Kohlrabi is a crunchy stem (not a root) loaded with vitamin C, and it's one cabbage-family veggie that isn't a vitamin-K bomb.
Stage by stage
- Chewing & Release (Mouth): Chewing kohlrabi's crisp flesh ruptures plant cells, releasing vitamin C, potassium, and glucosinolate compounds for digestion.
- Gastric Breakdown (Stomach): Stomach acid and enzymes break down fiber and starches while glucosinolates begin converting into protective isothiocyanates.
- Intestinal Absorption (Small Intestine): The small intestine absorbs vitamin C, potassium, and B vitamins into the bloodstream, while fiber continues to the colon to feed gut bacteria.
- Circulation & Use (Bloodstream): Circulating vitamin C supports immune cell function and collagen production, while potassium helps regulate blood pressure and heart rhythm.
Timing
Kohlrabi's vitamin C is water-soluble and doesn't require dietary fat for absorption, so it can be eaten raw or cooked at any time of day.
Time to effect
- Hours to weeks: Vitamin C and fiber begin being digested and absorbed within hours of eating, but benefits like steadier digestion and blood sugar typically build over weeks of regular consumption.
Allergens
None of the fourteen major allergens. Derived from what this food is, not from a product label.
Eating patterns
Fits: Vegan, Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Halal, Kosher, Keto, Gluten-free. Depends on the product: Low-FODMAP.
Satiety
The satiety index is measured on 240 kcal servings. At 39 kcal per 100 g that is 615 g of this, which is not a serving anyone eats — so the index has nothing to say about it.
Environmental footprint
0.5 kg CO2e and 76 litres of freshwater per kg, matched to "Brassicas" in Poore & Nemecek (2018), Science 360.
Cost band
Cheap — roughly £2.5 per kg, as a band midpoint rather than a price.
Key nutrients
Nutrition per 100g
- Calories: 39
- Protein: 3.7g
- Carbohydrate: 4.2g
- of which sugars: 4.2g
- Fat: 0.1g
- of which saturated: 0g
- Fibre: 3.3g
- Sodium: 16mg
Food vs. supplement
Whole kohlrabi delivers vitamin C together with fiber, potassium, and glucosinolate-derived plant compounds that an isolated vitamin C supplement doesn't provide.
Kitchen tip
Peel the fibrous outer rind before eating; kohlrabi is good raw and thinly sliced, or lightly steamed to soften it while keeping most of its vitamin C.
Common myth
"Kohlrabi is a root vegetable, so like other cabbage-family vegetables it's high in vitamin K and risky for people on blood thinners." In reality: Kohlrabi is actually a swollen above-ground stem, not a root, and its bulb contains only trace amounts of vitamin K -- far less than kale, broccoli, or collard greens -- so it does not carry the same warfarin-interaction concern as those cruciferous relatives, though its edible leafy tops are more vitamin K-rich.
Recipes that use it
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