The Health Benefits of Mizuna Vegetable

Mizuna is an oriental vegetable distinguished by its elegant leafy look and attractive deep green colour. It is the young leaves that taste best when used raw, while the older leaves should be lightly cooked.

 

In fact the very name of mizuna greens has been inspired by the Japanese word ‘mustard plant’ wherein mizu means water and nu stands for mustard plant.

 

Mizuna greens are available almost throughout the year. You will find the markets flooded with these vegetables especially during the fall.

 

You’ll want to include mustard greens as one of the cruciferous vegetables you eat on a regular basis if you want to receive the fantastic health benefits provided by the cruciferous vegetable family.

 

At a minimum, include cruciferous vegetables as part of your diet 2-3 times per week, and make the serving size at least 1-1/2 cups.

 

Even better from a health standpoint, enjoy mustard greens and other vegetables from the cruciferous vegetable group 4-5 times per week and increase your serving size to 2 cups.

 

The high vitamin and protein content of mustard greens have made them very valuable nutritionally and they have widely been incorporated in the traditional cuisine of a number of regions. The vitamin C present in the vegetable is responsible for this.

Mizuna Vegetable
Mizuna Vegetable

This vitamin neutralizes the free radicals that cause smooth muscle contraction and airway obstruction in asthma.

 

Also, it assists in the breakdown of the inflammatory chemical called histamine, which is overproduced in these conditions.

 

The magnesium present in the vegetable is necessary for maintaining the normal blood vessel tone and function.

 

Thereby, they help in reducing high blood pressure levels and subsequently, the risk of heart diseases.

 

This plant is in the mustard family, and it can be used raw in things like salads or cooked in soups and stir fries.