Why Arugula Is a Unique Cruciferous Vegetable?
Arugula belongs to the cruciferous vegetable family like its other nutrient-dense green cousins members such as cauliflower, broccoli, and cabbage. This leafy green can provide beneficial nutrition with the added advantage that it can be included easily in any healthy diet due to its low caloric content. It has a rather spicy flavor while being high in several nutrients, mainly beta-carotene, vitamin C, folate, and magnesium. This array of nutrients is essential in maintaining the immune system of the body and aids in metabolism. While many people consider arugula to be similar to broccoli when they hear about this vegetable, surprisingly it does not resemble broccoli at all.
What Is the Nutritional Content of Arugula?
Arugula is also considered a relatively inexpensive vegetable that one can find easily in pre-packaged forms usually in most grocery stores across the world. This leafy green offers many of the same health benefits and even similar nutrition as kale or Brussels sprouts. This leafy green is also quite easy to grow at home, such as in a windowsill garden, spacious backyard, or garden. A single half-cup serving of arugula approximately 0.3527 ounces would provide one with almost 2.5 calories, around 0.01058 ounces of protein, and approximately 0.0141 ounces of carbohydrates. This vegetable is almost completely fat-free and contains hardly a negligible 0.003527 ounces of fat. Arugula is known to be an excellent source of both vitamin C and vitamin K. The following nutrition information is enlisted for a half-cup serving of raw fresh arugula by the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture):
- Carbohydrates: 0.0141 ounces.
- Fiber: 0.007055 ounces.
- Sugars: 0.007055 ounces.
- Protein: 0.01058 ounces.
- Vitamin C: 0.0000529 ounces.
- Vitamin K: 0.000000384ounces.
- Fat: 0.003527ounces.
- Sodium: 0.00009521 ounces.
- Total Calories: 2.5 calories.
From the above nutrition content, one can see it is a low-calorie and low-carbohydrate vegetable offering less than 0.03527 ounces per serving. It can be an ideal diet food that can be an easy add-on to low-fat, low-calorie, or low-carb diets with loaded nutrient benefits. Unlike many of its cruciferous cousins, arugula is low in fiber per single serving which is a minor drawback. However, if one uses arugula as a salad base, one is likely to consume a little more fiber one would find than in a half-cup serving. As arugula is also low in protein, it is best to pair this veggie with a protein source, meat products, legumes, chicken, or even black beans.
What Are the Systemic Health Benefits of Arugula?
- Immune Boosting: Nutrition research shows that by consuming two cups of raw arugula, one can provide the body with nearly 20 percent of the daily vitamin A needs, 50 percent of the daily vitamin K needs, and also around 8 percent of each of the other important vitamins that are vitamin C, folate and even calcium. As a leafy green, arugula provides a mere 5 calories per cup, which is almost the same amount of calories per cup as one would obtain from consuming spinach or kale.
- Cancer Prevention: Nutrition research and evidence over the last decade show that when one consumes a diet higher or a large number of cruciferous vegetables regularly, it is always associated with a much-decreased risk of developing cancers, particularly of developing lung or colon cancers. Unlike other cruciferous vegetables, where the beneficial compound, glucosinates would be degraded upon cooking, one would not face the same issue with arugula because it is rarely cooked and one is likely to get more dietary glucosinate compounds when consuming this leafy green.
- Prevents Osteoporosis: The high vitamin K content present in arugula would possibly improve bone health and boost bone metabolism by improving calcium absorption. A rich vitamin K intake is also attributed generally to the prevention of osteoporosis in individuals.
- Good for Diabetes: Arugula further contains the beneficial alpha-lipoic acid which is an antioxidant with proven health benefits for increasing insulin sensitivity and for preventing oxidative stress-induced change in the body cells. Hence, it would be ideal for diabetic patients.
- Prevents Cardiovascular Disease: According to nutrition research and from a review of several studies on leafy green and cruciferous vegetables, the findings suggest that individuals can have a nearly 16 percent reduced risk or incidence of developing cardiovascular disease, especially if they consume cruciferous greens through a regular dietary basis.
Are Allergies Possible?
Although extremely uncommon, individual allergies to arugula have been reported in medical literature in people who are suffering from seasonal pollen allergies. Contact allergy is also possible in predisposing individuals when arugula leaves touch the skin. In such cases of possible sensitization or allergy, one can consult with a professional health-care provider or allergist immediately.
What Are the Contraindications of Using Arugula?
Individuals on blood thinner medications such as Warfarin (Coumadin) therapies should ideally refrain from consuming foods that are high in vitamin K, or they should consult their registered dietician or nutritionist about the same before including such foods in their regular diets. This is because vitamin K would possibly interact with systemic medications causing adverse effects on blood metabolism.
How to Purchase, Store, and Use Arugula?
The arugula production is highest or at the peak during June to December. One can find these vegetables in most organic or specialty stores all year long across the world, usually as part of other greens in spring mix commonly or even individually in pre-washed forms or tossed forms of arugula in bags or boxes. Because arugula can spoil easily and is very perishable, this vegetable should be kept always refrigerated until one consumes it. It is best to consume the arugula within a week of purchasing it.
One can add the arugula green to Caesar salads or prepare them with pecorino cheese, and lemon juice for dishes or even experiment with Italian dressing as the main ingredient. One can add tomatoes and green onions or mix in lettuce to add flavor to the arugula salads. A popular western salad recipe combo combining arugula, mixed greens, cranberries, and blue cheese along with a crunchy addition of walnuts. One can also substitute arugula for all lettuce dishes too or toss it into sandwiches or saute, fry, and mix it for pasta dishes.
Conclusion
Arugula is thus a unique, low-calorie, low-carb, no-fat, nutrient-dense cruciferous green that can be substituted easily or combined with any healthy recipe one prepares using other greens, celery, or lettuce. It offers a healthy array of vitamins and nutrients and can sustain systemic health.
