Is Bok Choy Healthy? Bok Choy Nutrition & Health Benefits

February 27, 2022

Let’s talk about bok choy nutrition!

A cruciferous vegetable, bok choy is a type of Chinese cabbage. Growing up in my family, we called it Pak Choi.

This leafy green is used in many Asian cuisines as well as throughout the Caribbean. And there are so many ways to prepare it, including braised, roasted, and pan-fried. Some even prefer it raw.

While I could go on about the versatility of this leafy green vegetable, bok choy nutrition is the real feature here.

So, let’s take a closer look at the nutrients found in bok choy and how adding this veggie to your regular pattern of eating can support your overall health.

Bok Choy Nutrition: What You Need to Know

So, what are the benefits of bok choy? To start, bok choy is a great source of fiber and protein, offering 8.4 grams and 12.6 grams respectively per head. [1] As a result, it can support digestion, satiety, and more.

But that’s not the full picture when it comes to bok choy nutrition. It’s also rich in beta-carotene and vitamins C and K.

In fact, that same one head of bok choy features 22,500 μg of beta carotene, 378 mg of vitamin C, and 382 μg of vitamin K. It also serves as a great source of folate, potassium, and calcium.

As a result of these nutritional elements, bok choy nutrition supports a healthy inflammatory response along with bone health, heart health, immune health, and more! Let’s take a closer look at some of the incredible health benefits you can get from consuming bok choy.

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4 Bok Choy Health Benefits

Here are four bok choy benefits you should know about.

1. May decrease risk of heart disease

In terms of bok choy nutrition, it contains B vitamins along with vitamin C, potassium, and folate—all of which are known to support heart health.

Currently, it’s estimated that almost 86 million Americans have high blood pressure. But the potassium in bok choy has been shown to decreases blood pressure, especially in instances of high sodium consumption. [2]

Additionally, according to a 2016 meta-analysis of eight different studies, consuming leafy green vegetables such as bok choy reduced participants’ incidence of heart diseases by 15.8 percent! [3]

2. Supports bone health

When it comes to bok choy nutrition, its ability to support bone health is one that must be discussed. And this is in large thanks to its vitamin K content.

According to a 2017 scientific review, taking high-dose vitamin K not only decreased the occurrence of new bone fractures by 57 percent. Additionally, this essential nutrient was found to improve bone quality in a study on 440 postmenopausal women with osteopenia! [4]

Moreover, the researchers concluded that, based on the studies they reviewed, people with osteoporosis who consume vitamin K may also receive the additional advantage of protecting their arteries from vascular calcification.

3. Supports healthy blood sugar levels

Another one of the benefits of bok choy nutrition is that it can help support healthy blood sugar levels.

According to a 2016 meta-analysis of seven studies including more than 300,000 participants, consuming cruciferous vegetables such as bok choy provided a protective effect against developing type 2 diabetes. [5]

So, how can bok choy nutrition help prevent type 2 diabetes? This is due in large part to its high fiber content, which is shown to reduce blood sugar spikes.

4. Fights inflammation

Finally, bok choy nutrition has also been shown to help reduce inflammation in the body.

In a 2014 randomized controlled trial on healthy adults between the ages of 20 and 40, consuming 14 grams daily of cruciferous vegetables such as bok choy for two weeks lowered the amount of circulating interleukin-6 (IL-6, a major marker of inflammation) in bloodwork by 19 percent. [6]

Additionally, another 2014 study reviewed the effects of cruciferous vegetable consumption on more than 1,000 women. Researchers found that concentration levels of inflammatory markers were up to 24.86 percent lower in those who consumed the most cruciferous vegetables! [7]

Consuming More Bok Choy

If you’re looking to take advantage of bok choy nutrition by consuming more of this leafy green vegetable, you’re in luck. Bok choy has a slightly sweet flavor, making it a versatile food that can be prepared in many ways.

One of the most well-known uses is in stir frys, but it can also be braised with stock and spices or eaten raw mixed in salads or on sandwiches or as a wrap. The options are virtually endless, so you can incorporate this into your regular eating pattern without getting bored!

Maya Feller

Maya Feller, MS, RD, CDN is the founder and lead dietitian at Maya Feller Nutrition. In her practice, her team provides medical nutrition therapy and nutrition coaching for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, mood disorders, developmental disabilities, disordered eating, and more. Maya believes in providing inclusive nutrition education from an anti-bias patient-centered, culturally humble approach to help people make informed food choices. Maya shares her approachable, food-based solutions with millions of people through regular speaking engagements, writing, her social platforms, and as a national nutrition expert on Good Morning America, is a Healthline Medical Advisor, and on the advisory board for SHAPE and Parents, as well as appearing on TODAY Show, Tamron Hall, and in The New York Times, mindbodygreen, Well+Good, Food Network, Martha Stewart, Real Simple, Good Housekeeping, Cooking Light, Eating Well, Prevention, Glamour, SELF, and more. She is the author of The Southern Comfort Food Diabetes Cookbook: Over 100 Recipes for a Healthy Life and Eating from Our Roots: 80+ Healthy Home-Cooked Favorites from Cultures Around the World (goop Press, January 24, 2023).