Detox
Arugula
A peppery salad green in the cruciferous family, with a notably high nitrate content that supports blood flow.
Heart Health
Detox
Bone Health
Serving
1 cup, raw (20g)
Calories Per Serving
5
Key nutrients
Dietary nitrates, vitamin K, calcium
Nutrient density
559
Why it’s worth eating
Arugula is a peppery green, rich in vitamin K, calcium, and folate. It supports bone health and adds flavor to salads, sandwiches, or pizzas.
What you may notice
Exercise endurance
Digestive comfort
Markers worth tracking
Resting blood pressure
Vitamin K and INR status
How to eat it
Eat raw, arugula's peppery bite and nitrate content are both best preserved uncooked.
Pairs well with
Vitamin C foods, helps convert arugula's nitrates into nitric oxide more efficiently
Olive oil and lemon, a classic pairing that also adds fat-soluble vitamin K absorption
Storage
Refrigerate unwashed in a perforated bag; use within about 4-5 days, as it wilts quickly.
The numbers, per 1 cup, raw (20g)
18%
Vitamin K
3%
Vitamin A
3%
Vitamin C
2%
Calcium
2%
Iron
2%
Magnesium
2%
Potassium
0%
Vitamin B12
0%
Vitamin D
Fiber
0.3g
Arugula, raw (FDC 169387)
Evidence
D
USEFUL UNDERREPORTED FINDING, but flagged as extrapolation: arugula carries the highest dietary nitrate of common vegetables, yet direct arugula BP RCTs are sparse - the blood-pressure evidence is overwhelmingly for beetroot juice.
Study dose vs. serving
A realistic 80-100 g serving can deliver dietary nitrate on the same order as a shot of beetroot juice, though 100 g of arugula is a large volume (about 5 cups) of a light leaf. Nitrate varies widely with soil, season and cultivation.
Hobbs et al. Nutr Rev. 2013 gives rocket 25-118 mmol/kg, "the most nitrate of all vegetables tested." A worldwide systematic review reports about 4,825 mg nitrate/kg for rocket versus about 3,000 for beetroot.
Use caution if
You take warfarin or other blood thinners, moderate vitamin K content; keep intake consistent
You use mouthwash right before/after eating, antibacterial mouthwash can blunt the nitrate-to-nitric-oxide conversion
Details
Type
Fruits & Veg
Season
Cool season (bolts in heat)
Forms
Fresh, baby-leaf mixes
Price
Mid
Bioactive
Dietary nitrate (plus glucoerucin and glucoraphanin)
Heat stable
Partial - boiling leaches nitrate into cooking water
Reliability
3 / 5
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