The Cancer-Fighting Vegetable That Can Also Boost Your Kidney Health – Health Digest

Is there really an affordable, easily available food that fights cancer as well as protects your kidneys? Yes! It’s arugula, a leafy green that’s full of flavor and bursting with nutrients.

You’ve probably seen bagged arugula or arugula in bunches in your nearest grocery store’s produce aisle. Like other leafy greens, it contains a long list of vitamins and minerals. Among the most important nutrients in arugula for helping to fight against cancer and kidney problems are high levels of glucosinolates and low levels of potassium, said Kathleen Benson, a Registered Dietician with Top Coaching Nutrition, in an exclusive interview with Health Digest.

What are glucosinolates? Benson explained that they’re compounds that have been linked to cancer-fighting effects. Specifically, she said that glucosinolates protect against DNA damage and promote apoptosis (programmed cell death) in cancer cells. Although she admitted that the evidence isn’t strong enough yet to confirm that glucosinolates significantly lower cancer risk in humans, she’s a big supporter of adding arugula into the diet as part of a wider, lifestyle-based cancer prevention diet.

Benson’s not alone in her appreciation of arugula for its potential anti-cancer benefits. A 2022 article from the National Cancer Institute suggests that adding cruciferous vegetables (including arugula) into the diet makes sense, though their relationship to a lowered cancer risk in humans hasn’t been fully established.

Like Benson, Natalie Rizzo, a registered dietitian writing for Today, maintains a hopeful but realistic mindset when it comes to the connection between arugula and a lowered incidence of cancer. Rizzo writes, “[A]nimal studies do not always translate human results and more research is necessary to know the full impact of these plant compounds on human health.”

Does this mean you have to be wary and wait until more experiments are published? Nope. After all, arugula offers other nutritional advantages. As Medical News Today reports, arugula is rich in vitamin K, vitamin C, and calcium. Consequently, it can be part of an overall healthier diet, which the Cleveland Clinic acknowledges can be an ally if you’re trying to keep your risk of cancer as low as possible.

In terms of protecting against kidney problems like chronic kidney disease (CKD), arugula’s lower potassium makes it a potential winner among similar vegetables. As Medical News Today notes, some individuals who have been diagnosed with CKD may be asked to stop eating high-potassium vegetables. However, since arugula falls into a low potassium category, it’s a leafy green that gets the green light.

There’s just one aspect of arugula that may make you think twice about eating it all the time: its distinctive, peppery taste. In fact, a YouGov poll showed that arugula falls far short of being a favorite leafy green among consumers in the United States. Just 4% named it the tastiest choice.

But there’s no need to fear: Benson has some innovative tips for you to enjoy arugula in recipes. “‘[If] you find the flavor too strong, opt for baby green blends, which contain fewer glucosinolates but still offer some of the benefits,” she said. “Many people like to mix arugula with other leafy greens and salad veggies to balance the taste. Also, sautéing … in olive oil with some garlic and a squeeze of lemon can soften the flavor a bit.”