Vitamin U — cabbage juice for stomach ulcers?

Sources: 6 · Article: 7 193 characters

Henryk Różański — Witamina U
Henryk Różański — Rośliny krzyżowe Cruciferae a tarczyca
Henryk Różański — Brokuły – Brassicas oleracea varium botrytis subvarium cymosa Lam.
Henryk Różański — Burak czerwony – Beta vulgaris var. esculenta
Rapid healing of peptic ulcers in patients receiving fresh cabbage juice. · Calif Med 1949
S-Methylmethionine (Vitamin U): A Critical Narrative Review of Pharmacological Mechanisms, Evidence Levels, and Translational Barriers. · Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2026

Henryk Różański describes cabbage juice as a natural source of vitamin U, which was believed to have anti-ulcer properties.

Vitamin U was believed to speed up healing and dry out ulcers, as well as relieve gastritis and excessive secretion of gastric juice.
Henryk Różański criticizes the taste and composition of the Polish sauerkraut juices he has bought.

What the authors write

Henryk Różański

Vitamin U occurs naturally in cabbage juice and was considered an anti-ulcer remedy.

„Vitamin U occurs naturally in cabbage juice. It was believed to be an anti-ulcer agent – antiulcerosum. Vitamin U works by speeding up the healing of ulcers, drying them out, and relieving the symptoms of gastritis. This vitamin inhibited excessive secretion of gastric juice and eased the process by which the stomach wall digests itself.”Witamina U występuje w naturalnej postaci w soku z kapusty. Uwarzano, że jest to czynnik przeciwwrzodowy – Antiulcerosum. Działanie witaminy U polega na przyśpieszaniu gojeniu owrzodzeń, osuszaniu wrzodów i łagodzeniu objawów nieżytu żołądka. Witamina ta hamowała nadmierne wydzielanie soku żołądkowego i łagodziła proces samostrawienia ściany żołądka.

Witamina U

Henryk Różański

Vitamin U was believed to speed up the healing of ulcers and dry them out, relieve the symptoms of gastritis, and inhibit excessive secretion of gastric juice.

„Vitamin U works by speeding up the healing of ulcers, drying them out, and relieving the symptoms of gastritis. This vitamin inhibited excessive secretion of gastric juice and eased the process by which the stomach wall digests itself. Vitamin U was also given as a preventive anti-ulcer medicine alongside drugs that could cause gastric and duodenal ulcers, for example.”Działanie witaminy U polega na przyśpieszaniu gojeniu owrzodzeń, osuszaniu wrzodów i łagodzeniu objawów nieżytu żołądka. Witamina ta hamowała nadmierne wydzielanie soku żołądkowego i łagodziła proces samostrawienia ściany żołądka. Witaminę U podawano także profilaktycznie, jako lek przeciwwrzodowy, przy równoczesnym stosowaniu leków mogących wywołać chorobę wrzodową żołądka i dwunastnicy, np.

Witamina U

Henryk Różański

Cabbage juice was described as a source of vitamin U with anti-ulcer properties.

„Kohlrabi is a variety of vegetable cabbage – Brassica oleracea varium gongylodes L., Wolsztyn, July 2008. It is worth adding that cabbage juice is an excellent source of vitamins C, PP, H, B1, B2, B5, and K, mineral salts (sulfur, selenium, chromium, manganese, molybdenum, and potassium), vitamin U with anti-ulcer properties, and amino acids (methionine, lysine).”Kalarepa – jest odmianą kapusty warzywnej – Brassica oleracea varium gongylodes L., Wolsztyn, lipiec 2008 r. Warto dodać, że sok z kapusty jest doskonałym źródłem witaminy C, PP, H, B1, B2, B5, K i soli mineralnych (siarka, selen, chrom, mangan, molibden, potas), witaminy U o działaniu przeciwwrzodowym i aminokwasów (metionina, lizyna).

Rośliny krzyżowe Cruciferae a tarczyca

Henryk Różański

Broccoli was also described as a source of vitamin U with anti-ulcer properties.

„Broccoli (Broccoli, Brokkoli) is a variety of vegetable cabbage – Brassica oleracea L., from the Cruciferae – Brassicaceae family. It is rich in vitamins (e.g. vitamin U – anti-ulcer), flavonoids, isothiocyanates, and sterols (brassicasterol): Fats 0.2 g/100 g Minerals 1.1 g/100 g beta-carotene 1.9 mg/100 g alpha-carotene 1 ug/100 g Lutein 1,900 ug/100 g Vitamin E 0.5 mg/100 g Vitamin B1 0.1 mg/100 g Vitamin B2 0.2 mg/100 g Vitamin PP 1 mg/100 g Vitamin B5 1.3 mg/100 g Vitamin B6 0.2 mg/100 g Vitamin B9 = folic acid 0.3 mg/100 g Vitamin C 114 mg/100 g Phytosterols 42.6 mg/100 g Glucosinolates (organic sulfur compounds, sulfur glycosides) 51–61 mg/100 g Quercetin 30 mg/100 g Glucosinolates found in broccoli include: 5-methylsulfinylpentyl, 2-propenyl, 3-butenyl, 2-hydroxy-3-butenyl, 2-hydroxy-4-pentenyl, 3-indolylmethyl, N-methoxy-3-indolylmethyl.”Brokuł (Broccoli, Brokkoli) to odmiana kapusty warzywnej – Brassica oleracea L. z rodziny Cruciferae – Brassicaceae. Zasobny w witaminy (np. witaminę U – przeciwwrzodową), flawonoidy, izotiocyjaniany i sterole (brassicasterol): Tłuszcze 0,2 g/100 g Składniki mineralne 1,1 g/100 g beta-karoten 1,9 mg/100 g alfa-karoten 1 ug/100 g Luteina 1.900 ug/100 g Witamina E 0,5 mg/100 g Witamina B1 0,1 mg/100 g Witamina B2 0,2 mg/100 g Witamina PP 1 mg/100 g Witamina B5 1,3 mg/100 g Witamina B6 0,2 mg/100 g Witamina B9 = kwas foliowy 0,3 mg/100 g Witamina C 114 mg/100 g Fitosterole 42,6 mg/100 g Glukozynolaty (organiczne związki siarki, glikozydy siarczkowe) 51-61 mg/100 g Kwercetyna 30 mg/100 g Spośród glukozynolatów występujących w brokule wymienić można: 5-methylsulfinylpentyl, 2-propenyl, 3-butenyl, 2-hydroksy-3-butenyl, 2-hydroksy-4-pentenyl, 3-indolylmetyl, N-metoksy-3-indolylmetyl.

Brokuły – Brassicas oleracea varium botrytis subvarium cymosa Lam.

Henryk Różański

Henryk Różański described the Polish sauerkraut juices he had bought as terrible in taste and composition.

„Unfortunately, although Poland is a country known for its beets and cabbage, most producers cannot even make a decent beet or cabbage juice. They overheat everything and add loads of preservatives. The Polish sauerkraut juices I bought recently were terrible in taste and composition.”Niestety w Polsce, choć nasz kraj burakiem i kapustą stoi, większość producentów nie potrafi nawet porządnego soku z buraka i kapusty zrobić. Wszystko przegrzeją, nawalą konserwantów. Ostatnio kupowane przeze mnie polskie soki z kapusty kiszonej były fatalne w smaku i składzie.

Burak czerwony – Beta vulgaris var. esculenta

Research from PubMed · Europe PMC

We selected 2 studies with the best, positive results. This is a selection, not a full review of all research.

Total number of studies on this topic in PubMed: 1.

In 13 patients treated with fresh cabbage juice, ulcers healed faster than the times reported for standard treatment.

Aim of the study: Thirteen patients with peptic ulcer were treated with fresh cabbage juice, which, experiments have indicated, contains an antipeptic ulcer factor. This factor (vitamin U) prevents the development of histamin-induced peptic ulcers in guinea pigs.

Results: This factor (vitamin U) prevents the development of histamin-induced peptic ulcers in guinea pigs. The average crater healing time for seven of these patients who had duodenal ulcer was only 10.4 days, while the average time as reported in the literature, in 62 patients treated by standard therapy, was 37 days. The average crater healing time for six patients with gastric ulcer treated with cabbage juice was only 7.3 days, compared with 42 days, as reported in the literature, for six patients treated by standard therapy. The rapid healing of peptic ulcers observed radiologically and gastroscopically in 13 patients treated with fresh cabbage juice indicates that the anti-peptic ulcer dietary factor may play an important role in the genesis of peptic ulcer in man.

Rapid healing of peptic ulcers in patients receiving fresh cabbage juice. · Calif Med 1949

Money for the studynot stated

Do the authors have ties to companies?not stated

Did a manufacturer help with the study?unknown

Type of studyclinical study in people

Participants13

“Not stated” does not mean nobody paid — the database does not always record it.

The review describes the protective and anti-ulcer effects of S-methylmethionine, but notes that clinical data in humans are limited.

Aim of the study: S-methylmethionine (SMM, also known as vitamin U) is a sulfur-containing vitamin-like compound that has been investigated since the 1940s for its gastroprotective and cytoprotective properties. Historically derived from observations of antiulcer activity in plant-derived foods, SMM has been studied in preclinical models and limited clinical settings for its multilevel pharmacological effects.

Results: Proposed mechanisms are mediated primarily through suppression of oxidative stress, modulation of inflammatory and immune responses, maintenance of glutathione homeostasis, activation of ERK/NF-κB and Nrf2/Keap1 pathways, and regulation of methylation processes. Building on recent descriptive reviews, this work provides a structured critical synthesis that grades evidence quality, compares SMM with the structurally related methyl donor S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe), and analyses the translational and regulatory barriers that have prevented Western drug registration despite over 70 years of investigation. Despite a substantial preclinical evidence base and historical clinical observations, the level of evidence for many indications remains limited. Well-designed Phase II randomized controlled trials and innovative pharmaceutical formulations (especially topical and mucosal delivery systems) are urgently needed to translate preclinical promise into clinical benefits.

S-Methylmethionine (Vitamin U): A Critical Narrative Review of Pharmacological Mechanisms, Evidence Levels, and Translational Barriers. · Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2026

Money for the studynot stated

Do the authors have ties to companies?no — the authors say so

Did a manufacturer help with the study?NO

Type of studydiscussion of other studies

“Not stated” does not mean nobody paid — the database does not always record it.

Pisaczek does not judge who is right. It shows what was written and where to read it. Every sentence above has its source.