Which vegetables do you think are the healthiest? In the ranking of a U.S. scientist, the surprise winner beats everyone else in terms of nutritional value.
Kassel – What is green, healthy and probably ends up on most people's plates far too rarely? There are at least as many tips and recommendations for a balanced diet as there are shades of green. Because – we already guessed it – this is the color in which the top 3 dresses in the list of the 41 healthiest foods, which was drawn up by the US scientist Jennifer Di Noia.
At the top of the league are well-known green leafy vegetables. But an outsider beats them all and ends up in first place in terms of nutrient content. Prolonging life with certain foods is what many dream of. Reason enough to take a closer look at which varieties can help with this.
Green leafy vegetables are the healthiest – but only one landed in first place
Spinach in particular used to be said to have almost superpowers, and it was supposed to be a real power vegetable. It is even said to promote protein production and thus muscle building. Swiss chard and various types of cabbage are also at the top of the ranking. But at the top of the winner's podium of the most nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables is a candidate that hardly anyone had expected: watercress. With the intake of 100 kcal of the super herb, you can cover 100 percent of the daily requirement of nutrients. Apart from her, no other food can do that.
41 foods were examined in a study for their nutrient content
To arrive at this conclusion, Di Noia examined and categorized 41 different foods according to a specific scheme. In order to establish comparability, she set the proportions of nutrients and other valuable ingredients in relation to the number of calories and calculated a value that represents how valuable a food is in terms of nutrition.
This value serves as the basis for the list, which was published in the journal Preventing Chronic Disease. Chinese cabbage also covers a large part of vital nutrients at 91.99 percent. Swiss chard with 89.27 percent and spinach with 86.4 percent also have a lot to offer. But what exactly makes watercress so unbeatable?
Fresh watercress can meet the daily requirement of nutrients, according to a study. © YAY Images/IMAGO
Watercress beats all other vegetables – none have as many nutrients as they do
The spicy-hot herb leads the field mainly because it contains so many good ingredients at once. In addition to a high amount of iron and calcium, there are also a variety of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. The vitamin C content of the plant is particularly high, as is the concentration of vitamin A. These vitamins have an immune-boosting effect and thus protect against infectious diseases. Reasons enough to eat them every day – just like other vitamin-rich foods.
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The antioxidants in watercress have another important effect: they protect against DNA damage and can thus reduce the risk of various types of cancer. Other vegetables that ended up in the upper range in the study are:
- Cabbage
- Kale
- Rocket
- Beetroot leaves
- Chricorée
- Lettuce
- Parsley
- Romana salad
- Dandelion
- Broccoli
Striking in terms of nutrient content: the greener the vegetables, the healthier
It is striking that these are almost exclusively green, leafy plants. Vegetables or fruits from the yellow-orange color range such as carrots, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, lemons or berries performed less well in terms of nutritional value. The green color is therefore a good indicator that consumers can use as a guide to assess the nutrient factor of a food.
In principle, fresh foods such as fruit and vegetables are particularly valuable for daily needs, as they have a particularly high nutrient content - especially compared to industrially processed foods. Ideally, leafy greens should therefore be on the plate as often as possible, just like other fruits and vegetables.
However, some vegetables should not be eaten raw. Salad, on the other hand, is always eaten raw, especially during the barbecue season you can try out the numerous recipes for colorful salads - best garnished with a handful of the power herb watercress.