NutriDex

The Supplement Research Compendium
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bok-choy

A featherweight Asian cabbage that delivers cruciferous glucosinolates plus bioavailable calcium, vitamin K, and beta-carotene.

Moderate evidence 🥦Vegetables

✚ Updated · How we grade evidence

Evidence tier
Moderate
Research weight
Citations
8 verified / 8
Classification
Vegetables
❝
What the evidence says. Several controlled trials; effects real but modest or context-dependent.

Nutrition per serving 1 cup shredded, raw (70 g)

70gSERVING
  • Sugars 0.8 g1%
  • Fibre 0.7 g1%
  • Other carbs 0 g0%
  • Protein 1.1 g2%
  • Other 67.4 g96%
What's in one serving, by weight — average composition (USDA).
Vitamin C35%Fiber3%Potassium4%Folate12%Vitamin A17%Vitamin K27%Vitamin B68%Manganese5%
One serving as % of the adult daily requirement (FDA Daily Values). The bold outer ring = 100% of a day's needs.
9.1 kcal1.1 g protein0.7 g fiber0.84 g sugar
NutrientPer serving% daily value
Vitamin C32 mg35%
Fiber0.7 g3%
Potassium176 mg4%
Folate46 µg12%
Vitamin A156 µg17%
Vitamin K32 µg27%
Vitamin B60.13 mg8%
Manganese0.11 mg5%
Copper0.01 mg2%
Vitamin E0.06 mg0%
Magnesium13 mg3%
Calcium74 mg6%

Composition data: USDA FoodData Central ↗

What is bok-choy?

bok-choy is a vegetable used for lowers systolic blood pressure (cruciferous rct). NutriDex grades the human evidence as Moderate. Bok choy is a low-oxalate Brassica whose signature bioactives are glucosinolates (glucoraphanin/gluconasturtiin) that convert to isothiocyanates such as sulforaphane, plus carotenoids and vitamin K. The strongest human evidence is at the cruciferous-vegetable class level: meta-analyses link higher intake with modestly lower cardiovascular disease and colorectal cancer risk, and recent randomized crossover trials (VESSEL) show short-term reductions in systolic blood pressure and improved glycemic markers versus root vegetables. Direct RCTs on bok choy itself are scarce, so benefits are best read as extrapolated from the cruciferous family and leafy-green nutrients.

Purported Benefits

✓Lowers systolic blood pressure (cruciferous RCT)
✓Associated with reduced cardiovascular disease risk
✓Linked to lower colorectal cancer risk
✓Improves short-term glycemic control vs root vegetables
✓Leafy-green nutrients tied to slower cognitive decline

Dosing & Compounds

Typical Dose
Standard serving: 1 cup shredded, raw (70 g). Eat whole (with skin where edible); favour whole fruit over juice.
Active Compounds
glucosinolatessulforaphaneindole-3-carbinolbeta-caroteneluteinvitamin K1 (phylloquinone)

Safety & Cautions

Goitrogenic glucosinolates in large raw quantities may affect thyroid in iodine-deficient individuals (a rare case report linked massive raw bok choy intake to hypothyroid myxedema coma). Vitamin K content can interfere with warfarin dosing — keep intake consistent. Generally low in oxalate and well tolerated; cooking reduces goitrogen and raffinose-type FODMAP load. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining bok-choy with any medicine.

Key Studies

Dose-response meta-analysis Aune 2017 ✓ Source
Dose-response meta-analysis (95 studies); each 200 g/day cruciferous-rich vegetable intake lowered CVD risk, with combined fruit/veg up to 800 g/day giving ~28% lower CVD risk (RR 0.72).
Meta-analysis Pollock 2016 ✓ Full text
Meta-analysis of leafy green and cruciferous vegetables found a 15.8% lower incidence of cardiovascular disease (RR 0.842, 95% CI 0.753-0.941).
Meta-analysis Wu 2013 ✓ PubMed
Meta-analysis of 35 observational studies (24 case-control, 11 prospective): highest vs lowest cruciferous intake associated with lower colorectal cancer risk (RR 0.82, 95% CI 0.75-0.90).
Systematic review Higdon 2007 ✓ Full text
Review of epidemiologic and mechanistic evidence linking cruciferous glucosinolate-derived isothiocyanates (e.g., sulforaphane) to inverse associations with lung, colorectal, breast and other cancers.
Randomized crossover RCT Connolly 2024 (VESSEL) ✓ Full text
Randomized controlled crossover trial (n=18): ~300 g/day cruciferous vegetables for 2 weeks lowered 24-h systolic blood pressure by 2.5 mmHg vs root/squash vegetables in adults with mildly elevated BP.
Randomized crossover RCT Connolly 2025 (VESSEL) ✓ Full text
Randomized controlled crossover trial: 2 weeks of cruciferous vegetables improved 24-h glycemic control (lower mean glucose and glycemic variability) compared with root/squash vegetables.
Randomized controlled trial Axelsson 2017 ✓ Source
12-week double-blind RCT (n=97) of broccoli-sprout sulforaphane reduced HbA1c and fasting glucose in obese, dysregulated type 2 diabetes; sulforaphane suppressed hepatic glucose production.
Prospective cohort study Morris 2018 ✓ Full text
Prospective cohort (n=960, mean 4.7 y): highest vs lowest green leafy vegetable intake (median 1.3 servings/day) associated with slower cognitive decline equivalent to being 11 years younger.
8 sources cited · 8 verified Search all studies on PubMed ↗

Common questions about bok-choy

What is bok-choy used for?

bok-choy is most often taken for Lowers systolic blood pressure (cruciferous RCT), Associated with reduced cardiovascular disease risk, Linked to lower colorectal cancer risk, Improves short-term glycemic control vs root vegetables. A featherweight Asian cabbage that delivers cruciferous glucosinolates plus bioavailable calcium, vitamin K, and beta-carotene.

Does bok-choy work — what does the evidence say?

Moderate evidence. Several controlled trials; effects real but modest or context-dependent. Bok choy is a low-oxalate Brassica whose signature bioactives are glucosinolates (glucoraphanin/gluconasturtiin) that convert to isothiocyanates such as sulforaphane, plus carotenoids and vitamin K. The strongest human evidence is at the cruciferous-vegetable class level: meta-analyses link higher intake with modestly lower cardiovascular disease and colorectal cancer risk, and recent randomized crossover trials (VESSEL) show short-term reductions in systolic blood pressure and improved glycemic markers versus root vegetables. Direct RCTs on bok choy itself are scarce, so benefits are best read as extrapolated from the cruciferous family and leafy-green nutrients.

What is the typical dose of bok-choy?

Standard serving: 1 cup shredded, raw (70 g). Eat whole (with skin where edible); favour whole fruit over juice.

Is bok-choy safe? Any cautions or side effects?

Goitrogenic glucosinolates in large raw quantities may affect thyroid in iodine-deficient individuals (a rare case report linked massive raw bok choy intake to hypothyroid myxedema coma). Vitamin K content can interfere with warfarin dosing — keep intake consistent. Generally low in oxalate and well tolerated; cooking reduces goitrogen and raffinose-type FODMAP load.

How many studies support bok-choy?

NutriDex cites 8 sources for bok-choy, graded "Moderate".

Cite this page
APA

Peh, D. (2026). bok-choy: Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects & Evidence. NutriDex — The Supplement Research Compendium. Retrieved 26 Jun 2026, from https://nutridex.info/s/bok-choy

BibTeX
@misc{nutridex_bok_choy,
  author       = {Peh, Daryl},
  title        = {bok-choy: Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects \& Evidence},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {NutriDex --- The Supplement Research Compendium},
  url          = {https://nutridex.info/s/bok-choy},
  note         = {Reviewed by Dr Daryl Peh, MBBS Singapore, MMed FM. Accessed 2026-06-26}
}

For medical claims, citing the underlying primary studies linked above is preferred. NutriDex is an educational reference, not medical advice.

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