Structured
Cabbage Soup Diet
Unlimited cabbage soup daily + a specific additional food for each day of the week (fruit, vegetables, bananas and milk, meat, brown rice). Very low in calories, high in water and fibre.
The Cabbage Soup Diet is a 7-day very-low-calorie programme in which unlimited cabbage soup is consumed daily, with a different additional food allowed each day of the week — fruit, vegetables, bananas and milk, lean meat, brown rice.
It is one of the most extreme short-term crash diets in circulation. The weight loss (3–5 kg in 7 days) is real but almost entirely water and glycogen, not fat. After the 7 days, normal eating rapidly restores the lost weight.
The diet has no credible scientific basis beyond simple caloric restriction — cabbage has no magical fat-burning properties. We document it here because it is widely searched, not because we recommend it.
History and origin
The origin of the Cabbage Soup Diet is unclear. It began circulating in the United States in the 1980s as a typed document passed around in offices — similar to the GM diet — sometimes attributed without evidence to the Sacred Heart Memorial Hospital, the Mayo Clinic or military hospitals. None of these institutions have confirmed any connection to the programme.
The diet spread through photocopying, then through email chains in the 1990s and internet forums in the 2000s. Its viral mechanism is identical to other crash diets of the era: a specific promise (7 days, specific weight loss), simple rules and an appeal to authority (hospital attribution).
In Romania, the cabbage soup diet became known especially through internet forums and women’s magazines in the 2000s–2010s. The local cultural resonance of cabbage — a staple in Romanian cuisine, cheap, accessible and associated with health in folk tradition — likely contributed to its popularity relative to other crash diets. Nutritionists and dietitians have consistently criticised it, but its simple appeal as a quick fix before events (weddings, holidays) continues to generate recurring interest online.
+ What you eat and what you avoid
✓ What you eat
- Cabbage soup (unlimited, every day)
- Day 1: all fruit except bananas
- Day 2: vegetables (raw or cooked) + 1 baked potato with butter (evening)
- Day 3: fruit and vegetables (no potato, no banana)
- Day 4: up to 8 bananas + skimmed milk
- Day 5: beef (300–500 g) or grilled fish + tomatoes
- Day 6: beef + vegetables (no potato)
- Day 7: brown rice + unsweetened fruit juice + vegetables
✕ What you avoid
- Bread, pasta, other grains
- Alcohol
- Carbonated beverages
- Sugar
+ Sample one-day menu
+ Pros and cons
Pros
- Short duration — 7 days
- Simple — limited number of foods
- Cabbage soup is cheap
Cons
- Very low in calories and protein
- Weight loss is mainly water, not fat
- High risk of weight regain immediately after
- Nutritionally very unbalanced
- Can cause flatulence and digestive discomfort
- No scientific evidence for the claimed mechanisms
+ ⚠️ Who should avoid this diet
- Pregnant or breastfeeding women
- Diabetics
- People with kidney, liver or heart disease
- Children and adolescents
Indicative list. Before starting any diet, especially if you have a medical condition, consult a doctor or nutritionist.
Întrebări frecvente
Does the Cabbage Soup Diet really work?
In the short term, many people lose 3–5 kg in 7 days. However, most of this is water and glycogen, not fat. After the 7 days, weight returns rapidly when normal eating resumes. There are no clinical studies validating the diet.
Why cabbage?
Cabbage is very low in calories, high in water content and fibre, and cheap and accessible. The large volume of soup creates a feeling of fullness despite very few calories. There is nothing special about cabbage from a metabolic perspective — the effect comes from caloric restriction.
Is the Cabbage Soup Diet dangerous?
For healthy adults, 7 days is generally tolerable, though unpleasant. Risks include fatigue, headaches, flatulence and muscle loss due to very low protein intake. It is not recommended for people with chronic diseases or for more than one week.