Green leafy vegetables source of nutrients: A review

IKSAD Publications , 2022

Fresh Vegetables are awarded almost all the nutritional values. The human body requires those values of nutrition for a healthy lifestyle. Fresh vegetables are good sources of minerals, vitamins, dietary fibre, antioxidants etc. Fruits such as vegetables are low in calories and fats, but they cover a good proportion of vitamins and minerals. All kinds of green-yellow-orange vegetables are the sources of potassium, iron, vitamin B-complex, vitamin-C, vitamin-A, vitamin K, calcium, magnesium etc. Like fruits, vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, and eggplants are the home for antioxidants. Vegetables help protect human health from oxidant stress, diseases, cancer etc. vegetables help create a capability to fight against oxidants. In this context, boosting immunity is an essential element. The nutrition of vegetables attracted fitness consciousness and proven health benefits. Ordinary vegetables such as bitter melon, spinach, Chinese cabbage, eggplant etc., have meagre calories. But the scientific studies explore that because of the nutritional richness; those everyday vegetables are good for helping the human Body. It helps to stay fit and from illness. The human Body spends an amount of food absorption called 'Basal metabolism rate.' Therefore, it is a fact that vegetable nutrition in a standard diet helps lose weight. Human beings should eat at least 5-7 servings of vegetables daily. Seasonal vegetables should be encouraged as well. Vegetable like oranges colour is rich in vitamin -A and B, zeaxanthin, and citroxanthins, while dark-green vegetables are suitable bases for minerals and phenolic etc. vegetables should be collected from the farm owners directly. Vegetables should always be eaten in small quantities for their lasting long. Therefore, the features should always be fresh, bright in colour and flavour. The preparation of making vegetables constantly should be washing them thoroughly especially green leafy vegetables. It should be rinsed in salt water and then through the cool water. The paper's objective is to discuss the importance of vegetables in human life. The paper's outcome will create more sense, conscience, and concern for having vegetable food. The methodology of the article has been conducted by documentary analysis. The feature question of the paper is how does the campaign work for better vegetable nutrition globally?

Vegetables - Importance of Quality Vegetables to Human Health, 2018

Vegetables are important for human health because of their vitamins, minerals, phyto-chemical compounds, and dietary iber content. Especially antioxidant vitamins (vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin E) and dietary iber content have important roles in human health. Adequate vegetable consumption can be protective some chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, obesity, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular diseases, as well as improve risk factors related with these diseases. In this chapter, basic information will be given about the classiication of vegetables, preparation and cooking, and their efects on food content of vegetables and efects on health and diseases (diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer).

Ecology, Environment and Conservation

Vegetables play an important role in food and nutrition conservation. Green leafy vegetables, in particular,are known as a high-quality source of vitamins, minerals, and phenolic compounds. Leafy vegetables havehigher levels of mineral nutrients like iron and calcium than staple foods like grains. Leafy vegetables areamong the most potent herbal assets and the only available sources of folic acid, this paper examines thenutritional and anti-nutritional properties of some common green leafy vegetables, which are significantlyhigher in Moringa oleifera plant leaves than in other leafy and non-leafy vegetables. There are several different forms and compositions of nutritional and anti-nutritional factors in edible leafy vegetable plants.Antinutritionalelements are chemical compounds found in plant tissues that prevent humans from absorbingnutrients. Their results can be direct or indirect and they can vary from mild reactions to death. Antinutrientssuch as nitrates, phytates, tannins, ...

South African Journal of Clinical Nutrition

To determine the micronutrient composition of fresh and boiled traditional green leafy vegetables (TGLVs). Design: Sixteen TGLVs categorised into cultivated and uncultivated vegetables were analysed for vitamin C (ascorbic acid [AA] and dehydroascorbate [DHAA]), β-carotene, lutein and minerals. Results: Basella alba had the highest AA (72 mg/100 g) content; Vernonia amygdalina (unwashed), had the highest β-carotene and lutein concentrations (14.1 and 29.0 mg/100 g, respectively); Amaranthus hybridus had the highest AA (43 mg/100 g) and β-carotene (9.3 mg/100 g) content, for cultivated sp. Celosia argentea had the highest Fe content; Zn content of all the vegetables was low, 0.4-2.6 mg/100 g. Cooking resulted in significant losses in AA content in all the samples, 19% in B. alba to 100% in Crassocephalum crepidioides. Carotenoid losses were observed in 10 samples and six samples had increased values of β-carotene (12% to 183%) and lutein (64% to double). Conclusion: Traditional green leafy vegetables studied were found to be rich in the micronutrients of interest, especially in carotenoids. Boiling of leafy vegetables, as traditionally done, led to considerable losses of the micronutrients. The micronutrient content of uncultivated leafy vegetables compared well with commonly cultivated species.

Molecules

Indigenous leafy vegetables (ILVs) play a pivotal role in sustaining the lives of many people of low socio-economic status who reside in rural areas of most developing countries. Such ILVs contribute to food security since they withstand harsher weather and soil conditions than their commercial counterparts and supply important nutrients such as dietary fibre, vitamins and minerals. Furthermore, ILVs contain bioactive components such as phenolic compounds, flavonoids, dietary fibre, carotene content and vitamin C that confer health benefits on consumers. Several studies have demonstrated that regular and adequate consumption of vegetables reduces risks of chronic conditions such as diabetes, cancer, metabolic disorders such as obesity in children and adults, as well as cardiovascular disease. However, consumption of ILVs is very low globally as they are associated with unbalanced and poor diets, with being food for the poor and with possibly containing toxic heavy metals. Therefore,...

Harnessing Crop Biofortification for Sustainable Agriculture, 2024

Biofortification of leafy vegetables is a crucial strategy for enhancing their nutritional profile to address widespread nutrient deficiencies and promote human well-being. Leafy greens like as spinach, kale, asparagus, and lettuce are rich in essential vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals, which serve as indispensable sources of nutrition. However, they often lack sufficient levels of key nutrients, especially in regions with narrow food diversity. The cumulative interest regarding enrichment of leafy vegetables with mineral nutrients has motivated research communities to find better viable and economical techniques regarding fortification of vegetables. Researchers employed various techniques in biofortification to improve the nutritional status of leafy vegetables, with the focus on increasing vital micronutrients such as zinc, silicon, magnesium, potassium, iodine, and folate. The benefits of biofortified leafy vegetables extend beyond addressing individual nutrient deficiencies, playing a crucial role in combating malnutrition, particularly in vulnerable populations like children and pregnant women and their regular consumption promotes overall well-being, immunity, and cognitive development, as well as reduce the risk of chronic diseases. Furthermore, biofortification aligns with sustainable agriculture practices, promoting crop resilience, reducing reliance on synthetic fertilizers, and enhancing food security. By maximizing the nutritional potential of leafy vegetables, and investing in research, biofortification offers a cost-effective and scalable solution to address malnutrition and promoting sustainable development worldwide. Furthermore, it is imperative for the policy makers to overcome the research gap by providing awareness among community regarding adoption of natural biofortified vegetables.

Horticulture International Journal , 2017

Vegetables play important role in food and nutritional security. Particularly, green leafy vegetables are considered as exceptional source for vitamins, minerals and phenolic compounds. Mineral nutrients like iron and calcium are high in leafy vegetables than staple food grains. Also, leafy vegetables are the only natural sources of folic acid, which are considerably high in leaves of Moringa oleifera plants as compared to other leafy and non-leafy vegetables. This paper reviewed nutritional and anti nutritional factors in some important common green leafy vegetables. The type and composition of nutritional and anti nutritional factors vary among genera and species of different edible leafy vegetables plants. Anti nutritional factors are chemical compounds in plant tissues, which deter the absorption of nutrients in humans. Their effects can be direct or indirect and ranges from minor reaction to death. Major anti nutritional factors such as nitrates, phytates, tannins, oxalates and cyanogenic glycosides have been implicated in various health-related issues. Different processing methods such as cooking and blanching can reduce the contents of anti-nutritional factors. This paper also discussed in brief the various analytical methods for the determination of the various nutritional and anti-nutritional factors in some green leafy vegetables.

LWT-Food Science and …, 2005

Analysis of chemical composition of 13 locally available underutilized green leafy vegetables (GLV) was the objective of this study. Moisture, ash and ether extract of the greens were in the range of 73–95 g/100 g, 0.77–3.54 g/100 g and 0.2–0.9 g/100 g, respectively. Four GLV ...

Brassica oleracea L. var acephala (leaf cabbage) commonly known as "Chomoullier" and Brassica napus L. (leaf "rape") are traditional leafy vegetables widely grown in Kenya (East Africa) and Zimbabwe (southern Africa). Urtica urens on the other hand, is a wild leafy vegetable consumed in rural communities of South Africa. A comparative study of the nutritional compositions of the leaves of these vegetable species was carried out. The results showed that the three species were high in moisture, carbohydrate and energy contents. The levels of ash, crude protein and crude fibre in U. urens were consistently higher than those of the two Brassica species. Moreover the crude lipid contents of the Brassica species (6.32% for B. napus and 7.94 for B. oleracea L. var acephala respectively) were significantly higher (P < 0.05) than that of U. urens (1.10%). U. urens was superior in all the micronutrients. Consumption of foods like U. urens that is rich in micronutrients could help in building a strong immune system, thereby helping the body to absorb, utilize and digest nutrients. The significantly higher level of iron in U. urens implies that consumption of this wild vegetable may increase the blood level and may therefore be recommended for anemic patients. In addition, because the cultivation of both Brassica species investigated in this study is not affected by season; hence, large scale production of these vegetables should be encouraged in order to make it available to all. U. urens on the other hand; being a wild vegetable can close the nutritional gap for those that are economically challenged. However, U. urens should be steamed or cooked before ingestion to destroy the stinging hairs.

2021

The global strategy on diet recommends at least 400 g of fruit and vegetables daily to support consistent nutrition and human health. Sub-Saharan Africans are known to consume green leafy vegetables (GLVs) as part of their diets. These GLVs are rich in macro-and micronutrients, which significantly impacts people’s nutritional statusincluding vitamins such as A, C, K, and carotene (provit A). They are also sources of essential minerals such as iron, potassium, zinc, iodine, and calcium.