6 Amazing Benefits Of Arugula Leaves On Your Health

Arugula is a nutritious leafy vegetable known for its unique taste and aromatic flavor. It is popular by some other names such as salad rocket, garden rocket, rucola, roquette and colewort. It belongs to the genus Eruca and Brassicaceae family and is closely related to radish, kale, and cauliflower. Arugula leaves provide many health and beauty benefits as they are loaded with essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytonutrients, and dietary fibers, etc.

# Good For Eyes

Arugula leaves are good for the eyes and help in maintaining our ocular health.Vitamin C, vitamin A, and other antioxidant compounds like phytonutrients, etc in arugula leaves protects our eyes from free radical damage and reduces the risk of age-related macular degeneration, cataract, and glaucoma, etc.

Vitamin A is an essential nutrient for the eyes as it improves vision, prevents dryness of the eyes, and reduces the risk of night blindness.Carotenoids such as Lutein and zeaxanthin in arugula leaves protects the eyes from the high-density illumination and harmful UV rays of the sun.Per 100 grams of arugula leaves provide around 170 milligrams of Omega-3 fatty acid that contributes to better eye health.

# Promotes weight loss

Arugula leaves promote weight loss as it has a low calorific value of 25 calories per 100 grams. One can enjoy the benefits of arugula leaves without worrying about the excessive calorie load.Dietary fibers in arugula leaves provide stomach satiety and control overeating, a major cause of obesity.The low carbohydrates in arugula leaves improve metabolism and promote weight loss.

# Protection Against Various Cancer(s)

Arugula leaves contain powerful antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin A, and other relevant compounds such as phytonutrients, and polyphenols.

These compounds protect our cells from free radical damage and reduce the risk of various cancers such as colon cancer, pancreatic cancer, intestinal cancer, lung cancer, and abdominal cancer, etc.

# Regulates High Blood Pressure

Arugula leaves contain potassium (369 mg per 100 grams), a natural vasodilator that relaxes blood vessels, improves blood circulation, and provides relief from hypertension or high blood pressure.

Hypertension or high blood pressure is a common health problem that affects millions around the world and is a leading cause of cardiovascular and other health problems.Additionally, calcium and magnesium in arugula leaves dilates blood vessels and helps in regulating blood pressure.

# Improve Digestive Health

Consuming arugula leaves improve our digestive health.Vitamin C, vitamin A, and other antioxidant compounds such as carotenoids, etc in arugula leaves protect our digestive system from free radical damage.It reduces the risk of colon cancer, abdominal cancer, rectal cancer, and pancreatic cancer, etc.

The laxative properties of dietary fibers in arugula leaves improve bowel movement and provide relief from constipation and other gastrointestinal problems such as abdominal pain, gas, bloating, and flatulence, etc.Because of their alkaline properties, arugula leaves helps in maintaining the optimal pH level of the digestive tract and improve digestive health.

# Strengthen Bones

Arugula leaves strengthen our bones as they contain bone-strengthening minerals such as calcium, potassium, and magnesium, etc.Calcium is an essential mineral for bone health as it promotes growth and development of the bones, and lack of it may cause bone disorders such as osteoporosis.Potassium improves bone density by neutralizing acid load and reducing the loss of calcium from the bones.