NutriDex

The Supplement Research Compendium
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arugula

A peppery leafy green packed with dietary nitrate, vitamin K and glucosinolates.

Moderate evidence 🥦Vegetables

✚ Updated · How we grade evidence

Evidence tier
Moderate
Research weight
Citations
8 verified / 8
Classification
Vegetables
❝
What the evidence says. Several controlled trials; effects real but modest or context-dependent.

Nutrition per serving 1 cup, raw (20 g)

20gSERVING
  • Sugars 0.4 g2%
  • Fibre 0.3 g2%
  • Protein 0.5 g3%
  • Other 18.8 g94%
What's in one serving, by weight — average composition (USDA).
Vitamin C3%Fiber1%Potassium2%Folate5%Vitamin A3%Vitamin K18%Vitamin B61%Manganese3%
One serving as % of the adult daily requirement (FDA Daily Values). The bold outer ring = 100% of a day's needs.
5 kcal0.5 g protein0.3 g fiber0.4 g sugar
NutrientPer serving% daily value
Vitamin C3 mg3%
Fiber0.3 g1%
Potassium74 mg2%
Folate19 µg5%
Vitamin A24 µg3%
Vitamin K22 µg18%
Vitamin B60.02 mg1%
Manganese0.06 mg3%
Copper0.02 mg2%
Vitamin E0.09 mg1%
Magnesium9.4 mg2%
Calcium32 mg2%

Composition data: USDA FoodData Central ↗

What is arugula?

arugula is a vegetable used for supplies dietary nitrate that may modestly lower blood pressure. NutriDex grades the human evidence as Moderate. Arugula is a low-calorie cruciferous leafy green that is a meaningful source of dietary inorganic nitrate, vitamin K, folate, and vitamin A, plus glucosinolates (glucoerucin) that yield the isothiocyanate erucin. Direct RCTs on arugula itself are scarce, so the strongest human evidence comes from its signature bioactives: meta-analyses of inorganic nitrate show modest blood-pressure lowering (roughly 2 to 4 mmHg systolic, larger in older adults), and prospective cohorts link higher vegetable-nitrate and green-leafy/cruciferous intake to lower cardiovascular disease incidence and mortality and slower cognitive decline. Evidence for arugula-specific clinical outcomes remains preliminary and is extrapolated from the broader leafy-green and nitrate literature.

Purported Benefits

✓Supplies dietary nitrate that may modestly lower blood pressure
✓Rich source of vitamin K and folate
✓High in vitamin A (carotenoids) and vitamin C
✓Associated with slower cognitive decline as part of leafy-green intake
✓Very low calorie, contributes cruciferous glucosinolates

Dosing & Compounds

Typical Dose
Standard serving: 1 cup, raw (20 g). Eat whole (with skin where edible); favour whole fruit over juice.
Active Compounds
inorganic nitrateglucoerucinerucin (isothiocyanate)kaempferolquercetinlutein/zeaxanthinvitamin K1 (phylloquinone)

Safety & Cautions

High vitamin K1 content can interact with warfarin and other vitamin-K antagonists, so keep intake consistent if anticoagulated. As a raw cruciferous green it contains glucosinolates with mild goitrogenic potential at very high intakes. Dietary nitrate from vegetables is considered beneficial and is not equivalent to nitrate concerns from processed meats. Generally well tolerated and low in oxalate compared with spinach. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining arugula with any medicine.

Key Studies

meta-analysis Zhu 2023 (meta-analysis of RCTs) ✓ PubMed
In healthy adults, inorganic nitrate reduced systolic BP by -2.42 mmHg (95% CI -4.28 to -0.57) but not diastolic BP (-0.58 mmHg, 95% CI -1.84 to 0.68), across 19 articles.
systematic review and meta-analysis GRADE dose-response review 2025 ✓ Full text
GRADE-assessed dose-response meta-analysis of RCTs found dietary nitrate intake improved blood pressure and vascular health biomarkers (e.g., flow-mediated dilation) in a dose-dependent manner.
meta-analysis Jackson 2018 (meta-analysis, older adults) ✓ PubMed
Across 22 trials, inorganic nitrate lowered systolic BP by -3.90 mmHg (95% CI -5.23 to -2.57) and diastolic BP by -2.62 mmHg (95% CI -3.86 to -1.37).
meta-analysis Pollock 2016 (meta-analysis) ✓ Full text
Highest vs lowest green leafy/cruciferous vegetable intake was associated with a 15.8% lower incidence of cardiovascular disease (RR 0.842, 95% CI 0.753-0.941; 8 studies, >540,000 participants, 26,173 cases).
prospective cohort Bondonno 2021 (Danish Diet, Cancer and Health Study) ✓ Full text
In 53,150 participants, moderate vegetable nitrate intake (~60 mg/day) was associated with lower systolic BP and 12-26% lower risk of incident cardiovascular disease.
prospective cohort Blekkenhorst 2017 (prospective cohort) ✓ PubMed
In 1226 older women over 15 years, highest vs lowest tertile of vegetable nitrate intake had lower atherosclerotic vascular disease mortality (HR 0.79, 95% CI 0.68-0.93, p=0.004).
prospective cohort Bondonno 2019 (prospective cohort, older Australians) ✓ PubMed
Higher vegetable nitrate intake was associated with lower CVD mortality (e.g., quartile 3 vs 1 HR 0.51, 95% CI 0.32-0.80).
prospective cohort Morris 2018 (prospective cohort) ✓ Source
In 960 older adults over 4.7 years, ~1 serving/day of green leafy vegetables was linked to slower cognitive decline (0.05 standardized units/year, equivalent to being ~11 years younger).
8 sources cited · 8 verified Search all studies on PubMed ↗

Common questions about arugula

What is arugula used for?

arugula is most often taken for Supplies dietary nitrate that may modestly lower blood pressure, Rich source of vitamin K and folate, High in vitamin A (carotenoids) and vitamin C, Associated with slower cognitive decline as part of leafy-green intake. A peppery leafy green packed with dietary nitrate, vitamin K and glucosinolates.

Does arugula work — what does the evidence say?

Moderate evidence. Several controlled trials; effects real but modest or context-dependent. Arugula is a low-calorie cruciferous leafy green that is a meaningful source of dietary inorganic nitrate, vitamin K, folate, and vitamin A, plus glucosinolates (glucoerucin) that yield the isothiocyanate erucin. Direct RCTs on arugula itself are scarce, so the strongest human evidence comes from its signature bioactives: meta-analyses of inorganic nitrate show modest blood-pressure lowering (roughly 2 to 4 mmHg systolic, larger in older adults), and prospective cohorts link higher vegetable-nitrate and green-leafy/cruciferous intake to lower cardiovascular disease incidence and mortality and slower cognitive decline. Evidence for arugula-specific clinical outcomes remains preliminary and is extrapolated from the broader leafy-green and nitrate literature.

What is the typical dose of arugula?

Standard serving: 1 cup, raw (20 g). Eat whole (with skin where edible); favour whole fruit over juice.

Is arugula safe? Any cautions or side effects?

High vitamin K1 content can interact with warfarin and other vitamin-K antagonists, so keep intake consistent if anticoagulated. As a raw cruciferous green it contains glucosinolates with mild goitrogenic potential at very high intakes. Dietary nitrate from vegetables is considered beneficial and is not equivalent to nitrate concerns from processed meats. Generally well tolerated and low in oxalate compared with spinach.

How many studies support arugula?

NutriDex cites 8 sources for arugula, graded "Moderate".

Cite this page
APA

Peh, D. (2026). arugula: Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects & Evidence. NutriDex — The Supplement Research Compendium. Retrieved 26 Jun 2026, from https://nutridex.info/s/arugula

BibTeX
@misc{nutridex_arugula,
  author       = {Peh, Daryl},
  title        = {arugula: Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects \& Evidence},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {NutriDex --- The Supplement Research Compendium},
  url          = {https://nutridex.info/s/arugula},
  note         = {Reviewed by Dr Daryl Peh, MBBS Singapore, MMed FM. Accessed 2026-06-26}
}

For medical claims, citing the underlying primary studies linked above is preferred. NutriDex is an educational reference, not medical advice.

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