Arugula which is also known as rocket, taramira or rucola is a popular salad leaf with many health benefits. It belongs to the same family of vegetables in the Cruciferae family as watercress, kale, cabbage, collard greens, broccoli and Brussels sprouts but is not as well known as these. As a species it has the scientific name: Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa cv. Arugula. os just Eruca sativa.
Componentry In Arugula
All the cruciferous vegetables contain glucosinolates and sulforaphane which are sulphur-containing compounds that impart the leaves with a bite and striking tangy, peppery note. When arugula is masticated, the glucosinolates are enzymatically broken down to a number of compounds including indoles, isothiocyanates amongst other biochemical. The isothiocyanates contribute mostly to the peppery flavour.
Nutritional Profile Of Arugula
Arugula ranks among the top 20 foods with an ANDI score (Aggregate Nutrient Density Index). The ANDI score measures vitamin, mineral, and phytonutrient contents in relation to their caloric content. To earn a high ANDI score, a food must offer a large amount of nutrients for a small amount of calories.
The USDA National Nutrient Database states that two cups of arugula (about 40 grams) contains an energy content of approximately 10 calories, 1 gram of protein and 0.3 grams of fat. This amount of arugula also provides the following RDA (recommended daily amount) of:-
- 20 percent vitamin A
- more than 50 per cent vitamin K
- about 8 percent of vitamin c, folate and calcium
Cancer Benefits
It is well known since the 1980s that consuming reasonable amounts of cruciferous vegetables like cabbage and broccoli have been associated with a lower risk of cancer, especially lung, gastric and colon cancer. Arugula can offer similar benefits to all those other brassicas when ingested.
Recently, studies have examined these specific sulfur-containing compounds for their ability to tackle cancer cells. It appears that sulforaphane has the property to delay or impede cancer with some promising early results associated with the impeding of melanoma, esophageal, prostate, and pancreatic cancers.
The biochemical action of sulforaphane is to inhibit the enzyme histone deacetylase (HDAC). This is involved in the progression of cancer cells. The ability to stop HDAC enzymes could make sulforaphane-containing foods a potentially powerful part of cancer treatment in the future.
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