Unexpected Health Benefits Of Mustard Greens

If you are a fan of cruciferous veggies and love eating leafy greens, then mustard greens are a must-have food for your diet. Mustard greens — also known as Brassica juncea, Indian mustard, Chinese mustard, or leaf mustard — are a nutritious, flavorful, and juicy food with a taste that resembles pepper and horseradish (via Specialty Produce). 

Sporting a deep green color, thick stem, and lettuce-like upright leaves, mustard greens are usually cooked to reap their incredible health benefits. According to Healthline, mustard greens are boiled or steamed in various households while others prefer to eat them pickled. They carry a strong flavor that is often balanced by adding them to foods with loads of fat sources such as olive oil or butter. Per Healthline, mustard greens offer a mouthwatering flavor when cooked with spices or sauces such as salt, chilis, vinegar, garlic, or lemon juice. It's also a common ingredient in smoothies or leafy green juices, says Healthline. 

Specialty Produce reveals that mustard greens originate from India. However, their variations are grown worldwide, such as in China, Japan, Europe, and North and South America.

According to WebMD, the antioxidants in mustard greens can help boost your immune system and relieve severe coughing or soreness, particularly during the flu season when most people have to fight cough and sore throat. In addition, mustard green leaves are perfect for blood detoxification and getting rid of the accumulated toxins in your body. 

Mustard greens have ample vitamin K and calcium, essential for healthy bones and preventing bone diseases such as osteoporosis or fractures (via Style Craze). Since women are more prone to bone diseases, mustard greens are superb for females. Similarly, mustard greens have remarkable cholesterol-lowering properties, which can help decrease the risk of heart disease and cholesterol buildup in the liver, explains Style Craze. 

WebMD advises people with weak eyesight or vision problems to increase mustard greens intake because of the presence of lutein and zeaxanthin — two critical compounds that prevent age-related blindness. 

Healthline also shares that mustard greens have anticancer properties thanks to glucosinolates, which protect your DNA from destruction. However, human trials have so far been inconclusive.