Home >> Benefits of Vegetables >> Mustard Greens

Health Benefits of Eating Mustard Greens

If you are pregnant, eat mustard greens or also known as Indian mustard, Chinese mustard and brassica juncea. Pregnant women need 70g of vitamin C a day and you can get that exact amount from a 100g of this raw leaf mustard. Another good reason to add this cruciferous vegetable in your diet during pregnancy is because of the high content of folate or folic acid. Pregnant women require 600mcg of folate a day. Folic acid will reduce the risk of early labor and birth defects of a baby's brain and spine.

Of course everyone else would benefit from eating the Chinese mustard. The RDA for vitamin C for non-smoking adults is 90g for males and 75g for females. And both male and female adults should take 400mcg of folate daily.

Mustard greens provide you with natural vitamin K which is helpful in preventing excessive bleeding and assisting in blood clotting. If you suffer from Crohn's disease or are a heavy drinker, eating Indian mustard will replace the loss. Otherwise as an adult female, you need between 60 to 65mcg a day and males between 70mcg to 80mcg a day. According to webmd, vitamin K is well tolerated even at high doses.

Mustard greens is rich in antioxidants namely beta carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin, vitamin A and vitamin C. There are also selenium, zinc and vitamin E. The benefits of eating foods rich in antioxidants include strengthening your immune system and reducing the risk of major diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

Other plus points of eating Chinese mustard include protecting your cells from internal and external damage, detoxifying, supporting skin repair and strengthening your blood vessels. It is really helpful in delaying aging.

The leaf mustard also contains phytochemicals such as chlorophyll, dithiolthiones, glucosinolates, indoles, isothiocyanates and tocopherols. Preliminary studies indicate that indoles may reduce the risk of cervical and breast cancer. Dithiolthiones has the ability to block tumor growth and protect against DNA damage caused by tobacco smoke. It will reduce the risk of lung cancer. The rest of the phytochemicals are also cancer reducing agents.

Brassica Juncea is also rich in the B vitamins which are necessary for normal bodily function. Some of the benefits include energy production, supporting nerves, muscle, heart and growth and breakdown of protein and fat.

The chart below shows the nutrients in a 100g of raw mustard greens.

Nutrients	Units
Water	90.80g
Energy	26 kcal
Protein	2.70g
Total lipid (fat)	0.20g
Carbohydrate	4.90g
Dietary Fiber	3.3g
Sugars	1.60g
Calcium	103mg
Iron	1.46mg
Magnesium	32mg
Phosphorus	43mg
Potassium	354mg
Sodium	25mg
Zinc	0.20mg
Copper	0.147mg
Manganese	0.480mg
Selenium	0.9mcg
Vitamin C	70.0mg
Thiamine	0.080mg
Riboflavin	0.110mg
Niacin	0.800mg
Pantothenic acid	0.210mg
Vitamin B6	0.180mg
Folate	187mcg
Choline	0.4mg
Beta Carotene	6300mcg
Vitamin A	10500IU
Vitamin E	2.01mg
Lutein + zeaxanthin	9900mg
Vitamin K	497.3mcg

You can eat the vegetable as raw salad or blend the leaves and drink the juice. If you don't like to take your vegetables raw, sauté it with garlic or make a soup mixed with potatoes.