Rocket Salad Leaf
This hot peppery leaf is packed with essential disease preventing nutrients, and is a healthful way to liven up a salad.
Rocket, also known as arugula, rucola or roquette, is a spicy salad leaf with a distinct peppery-mustardy flavour.
Like most salad greens, rocket is very low in calories and is high in vitamins A and C. It also contains fiber and sulfuraphane, a substance known to have potent anticancer properties. This substance is found in all cruciferous vegetables, and is a potent stimulator of natural detoxifying enzymes in the body, and research has shown it to have anticancer, anti-diabetic, and antimicrobial properties.
Other nutrients in rocket include vitamins B, K, folic acid, iron, calcium and magnesium. These vitamins and minerals are particularly useful for preserving bone health.
Health benefits:
Anti-ulcer effects
Scientists from Saudi Arabia found that rocket extract was a safe and natural alternative gastric ulcer treatment. Laboratory animals pre-treated with this herb extract were protected from the development of gastric ulcers despite being exposed to a host of toxins and stresses.
Tips for using rocket
Rocket can be eaten raw or cooked.
Combine rocket leaves with milder-tasting lettuce leaves to balance out its pungent flavour.
A simple rocket salad: mix together rocket leaves with quartered cherry tomatoes, sea salt and pepper, and drizzle lightly with extra virgin olive oil.
Reference
Alqasoumi S, Al-Sohaibani M, Al-Howiriny T, Al-Yahya M, Rafatullah S.Rocket "Eruca sativa": A salad herb with potential gastric anti-ulcer activity. World J Gastroenterol 2009 April;15(16):1958-1965.
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