Health Benefits of Arugula

Arugula, also known as salad or garden rocket, is a nutritious green-leafy vegetable of Mediterranean origin. It belongs within the Brassicaceae family similar as mustard greens, cauliflower, kale…,etc., and has the scientific name: Eruca sativa.

Arugula is a flavourful, oak-leaf-shaped green with a peppery taste. Known as rocket in some parts of the world, it adds a powerful health boost to any menu choice. Easily grown at home, this leafy green contains only five calories per cup meaning it would take 20 cups of arugula to get the same calories in just a ¼ cup of granola.

The fibre in arugula helps promote digestive regularity, keeps your tummy happy and leaves you feeling full longer so you resist other fatty foods. It also helps to lower cholesterol, balance blood sugar and reduce the risk of heart disease.

Salad rocket is a small, low growing annual herb featuring dandelion like succulent, elongated, lobular leaves with green-veins. Younger plants, however, has plain light-green leaves identical to that of spinach witout lobulation in appearance. Young tender leaves feature sweet flavor and less peppery taste in contrast to strong, spicy flavor of mature greens.

- Arugula is a member of the brassica family of vegetables called cruciferous – this group is known for its nutritional powerhouses broccoli, kale and cabbage. This family of vegetables is high in fibre and antioxidants, but they’re also rich in compounds known as glucosinolates, which studies show may reduce the risk of developing lung, colorectal, breast, prostate, and pancreatic cancer.

- Rocket salad is rich source of certain phytochemicals such as indoles, thiocyanates, sulforaphane, andiso­thiocyanates. Together, they have been found to counter carcinogenic effects of estrogen and thus help benefit against prostate, breast, cervical, colon, ovarian cancers by virtue of their cancer-cell growth inhibition, cytotoxic effects on cancer cells.

- This can help to prevent DNA and liver damage from aflatoxins — carcinogenic substances produced by the mould sometimes found in corn, peanuts and some tree nuts. To preserve the chlorophyll in arugula – eat it raw. It tastes great in a salad!

- It contains eight times more calcium than iceberg lettuce as well as vitamin K, which is important for the absorption of calcium into the bones and teeth. Vitamin K also plays a role in the prevention of heart disease. Plaque that forms inside the linings of the arteries can be partly related to calcium that is not taken up by the bones and teeth. This important vitamin can also help to keep this calcium going to the bones where it belongs!

- Fresh rocket leaves contain good levels of vitamin C. Vitamin C is a powerful, natural anti-oxidant. Foods rich in this vitamin help the body protect from scurvy disease; develop resistance against infectious agents (boosts immunity) and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals from the body.

- Salad rocket is one of the excellent vegetable sources for vitamin-K; 100 g provides about 90% of recommended intake. Vitamin K has potential role bone health by promoting osteotrophic (bone formation and strengthening) activity. Adequate vitamin-K levels in the diet help limiting neuronal damage in the brain; thus, has established role in the treatment of patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

- Arugula leaves contain adequate levels of minerals, especially copper and iron. In addition, it has small amounts of some other essential minerals and electrolytes such as calcium, iron, potassium, manganese, and phosphorus.