Top Health Benefits Of Arugula

Arugula: Top Health Benefits And Usage 

How often have you come across products that are both tasty, fragrant, healthy, and even contribute to weight loss? Arugula is one of those. It is a leafy green plant widely used in salads. It has many names in different countries of the world, such as Eruka, Indau, caterpillar, rocket, and arugula. 

In total, botany distinguishes between two types of arugula:

• sowing eruca
• wild arugula  

It is believed that this plant is quite unpretentious in cultivation. It is planted in April-May, and after a while, with the condition of daily watering, you can become the owner of your own, natural and tasty arugula. Meanwhile, due to its early maturity, greens are an excellent option for growing a house on the windowsill. The best time for this is from March to October.

Arugula History

Arugula is known since ancient times, although there were periods of oblivion in its history. The ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans valued arugula for its taste and healing virtues, considering it an excellent aphrodisiac.

This reputation for a wonderful salad did not escape the attention of the church. In the Middle Ages, it was strictly forbidden to breed arugula in monastery gardens. For many years, Europeans practically did not grow arugula and consumed very little, usually wild-growing.

A slight relief of arugula came out in the Renaissance. In the 16th century, the English Queen Elizabeth I even refused to start a feast if there were no dishes with arugula on the menu. (David , 2008)

Since the beginning of the twentieth century, the popularity of arugula began to grow, especially in Italy and in the south of France. Although in 1912, Georges Jibault, in his magnificent book "The History of Vegetables," devotes only a few lines to arugula.

The first countries to cultivate and actively promote this product in the upper strata of society were France and Italy. Later, love for arugula spread among other European countries.

• There were many reasons for this popularity of greens:
• perfectly contributes to the digestion of food
• the treatment of abdominal pain, and secondly
• It was strongly recommended for use by speakers, artists, and singers, supposedly to improve the voice.

People loved arugula for its aphrodisiac properties. They found its many uses in folk medicine. With the help of the juice of this plant, many centuries ago, they got rid of freckles, hematomas, and corn.

Arugula - nutritional properties

It is also worth remembering that arugula has not only good taste, but also many nutrients that are invaluable in the functioning of the body. Human Window Staff (2019) defined the following components of arugula:

Serving size: 30g

The vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and antioxidants contained in each leaf of arugula are certainly useful for those who include it in their diet. (Human Window Staff Updated on April 19, 2019) Below are the 7 main reasons.

7 health benefits of arugula

Fragrant and spicy arugula not only adds a piquant taste to the salad but also brings many benefits to our health. According to a study (2015), the following are the health benefits of arugula:

Mine of Antioxidants

Arugula is an excellent source of antioxidants and can significantly increase the ORAC (oxygen absorption coefficient) in the body, that is, the ability of antioxidants to absorb free radicals.

Antioxidants function to maintain a healthy balance of enzymatic reactions in cells, while simultaneously detecting and destroying free radicals that cause various diseases. With its properties, arugula perfectly helps to increase the level of immunity in the body.

Vitamin K

Arugula is rich in vitamin K, which is useful for bones, plays an essential role in their formation and recovery. It is stronger than calcium and much more useful for maintaining bone density. In addition, vitamin K promotes adequate absorption of calcium, muscle regeneration, blood coagulation, as well as the rapid healing of injuries and wounds, including postoperative ones.

The immune system

Arugula is rich in vitamins and minerals that comprehensively improve overall health. It contains in large quantities one of the most powerful vitamins - vitamin C, which helps strengthen the immune system and maintain a healthy balance in the body from the inside.

Metabolism and digestion

Another great advantage of arugula is the presence of B vitamins, which contribute to better metabolism. These vitamins help in all types of activities of the body's cells, including energy production, fat synthesis, red blood cell production, and many other vital processes for cell health and metabolism.

Anticancer properties

Studies have shown that phytochemicals contained in arugula inhibit cancer cell activity. It helps prevent malignant tumors and reduces the risk of developing cancer of the prostate, lungs, breast, pancreas, cervix, colon, and ovaries.

Vision

Arugula is a well-known source of carotenoids - natural pigments that have long been famous for improving eye health and the ability of a person to see correctly. In fact, carotenoids slow down macular degeneration when the center of a person's vision becomes disturbed. 

Anti-aging

By increasing the number of carotenoids in the diet, you can slow down the so-called classic symptom of old age.

Weight loss

Arugula is the main source of weight loss. No other salad has a positive effect on metabolism like this healthy arugula. Moreover, it is a real natural energy booster that inevitably have a positive effect on any attempts to lose weight.

Increases blood cell

It is a storehouse of vitamin C, and iodine, that's why it increases the level of hemoglobin in the blood. It removes cholesterol and has a tonic effect on the body.

Conclusion

Arugula has a wide range of beneficial properties, including weight loss, preventing the development of cancer cells, improving bone health and vision. It has a high antioxidant activity and is beneficial for the skin. It also helps in strengthening the brain, improving metabolic functions, absorbing minerals, and strengthening the immune system. In addition, arugula is rich in chlorophyll, which prevents damage to the liver and DNA structure, which is why it is recommended to eat during pregnancy.

So add this vegetable in your diet and enjoy a healthy lifestyle!

References

Human Window Staff Updated on April 19. (2019, April 19). Arugula vs Spinach - Which one is the Best? Retrieved July 12, 2020, from https://humanwindow.com/arugula-vs-spinach/

Jilani, M. I., Ali, A., Rehman, R., Sadique, S., & Nisar, S. (n.d.). Health benefits of Arugula: A review. Retrieved January 8, 2015, from http://www.iscientific.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/9-IJCBS-15-08-09.pdf

David, K. (2008, January 06). Arugula History & Facts. Retrieved July 12, 2020, from https://bwqualitygrowers.com/arugula/history-and-facts/