The foods are not radically different, having similar calories, macronutrient content, and glycemic index; however, spinach contains three times more vitamins A, E, and K, as well as more iron, potassium, and magnesium.This article will compare two greens - arugula and spinach - to see what nutritions they provide us with and how they impact our bodies.This family also includes vegetables, such as garden beets and chard, as well as pseudocereal quinoa.Arugula is believed to have originated from the Mediterranean region: Morocco, Portugal, Lebanon, and Syria.It’s either eaten in the raw form like in Turkey, Egypt, Brazil, and Cyprus, as a side dish or as an ingredient.Arugula also has a wide variety of cultivars with differing appearances, tastes, and nutritional values.The protein quality in both of these vegetables is high, as they contain some levels of all essential amino acids.That being said, spinach is relatively richer in iron, potassium, magnesium, copper, zinc, manganese, selenium, and choline.The "coverage" chart below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food Arugula 3 5 Spinach Contains more Calcium +61.6% Contains less Sodium -65.8% Contains more Iron +85.6% Contains more Potassium +51.2% Contains more Magnesium +68.1% Contains more Copper +71.1% Contains more Zinc +12.8% Equal in Phosphorus - 49 Arugula Iron Calcium Potassium Magnesium Copper Zinc Phosphorus Sodium 55% 48% 33% 34% 26% 13% 23% 4% Spinach Iron Calcium Potassium Magnesium Copper Zinc Phosphorus Sodium 102% 30% 50% 57% 44% 15% 22% 11% Contains more Calcium +61.6% Contains less Sodium -65.8% Contains more Iron +85.6% Contains more Potassium +51.2% Contains more Magnesium +68.1% Contains more Copper +71.1% Contains more Zinc +12.8% Equal in Phosphorus - 49.Arugula is over four times richer in dietary nitrates when compared to spinach (2).The nitrate content can be found in different amounts depending on the seasonal period.Studies have shown the nitrate content of leafy green vegetables to be higher in autumn (3),.One study has shown spinach consumption to lower the glycemic response of a meal.At the same time, another study found that spinach only improves insulin sensitivity but has no effect on blood glucose levels (5, 6).Spinach, however, has a slightly more acidic pH value that can fall anywhere from 5.38 to 7.18, depending on the cooking method (8).This value demonstrates how much acid or base the given food produces inside the organism.Green leafy vegetables are also a good source of dietary fiber and micronutrients.Green leafy vegetables, especially spinach, are rich in a compound called thylakoid.Thylakoid has been found to reduce hunger and cravings for palatable foods and increase satiety in overweight women (9).In addition to the nutrients stated above, these leafy vegetables are also rich in antioxidants and phytonutrients, such as carotenoids, phenolic acids, and flavonoids.An inverse association has been found between the intake of green leafy vegetables, such as arugula spinach, and cardiovascular disease and mortality (10).As mentioned above, both spinach and arugula are low glycemic index foods containing few sugars.An extract of arugula leaves exhibited antidiabetic effects on cells that were responsive to insulin, which may prove helpful in the treatment of type 2 diabetes (13).Spinach consumption can help control metabolic syndrome due to its high level of antioxidants (14).Spinach has been researched to help protect against colorectal, breast, bladder, lung, and prostate cancers (16, 17)
