Composition of vegetables

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION TABLE OF VEGETABLES

(Table 1) Food composition of some leafy vegetables and stems, per 100 g of fresh vegetables
	water	fats
Alfalfa sprouts	91,1 g	0,69 g
Chard	92,6 g	0,20 g
Artichokes	84,9 g	0,15 g
Amaranth (leaves)	91,6 g	0,33 g
Celery	94,6 g	0,14 g
*Watercress (Nasturtium officinale)*	95,1 g	0,10 g
Borage	93 g	0,70 g
Broccoli	90,6 g	0,35 g
Corn salad	92,8 g	0,40 g
Thistles	94 g	0,10 g
Cabbage	92,1 g	0,27 g
Brussels sprouts	86 g	0,30 g
Cauliflowers	91,9 g	0,21 g
Dandelion	85,6 g	0,70 g
Endives	93,7 g	0,20 g
Asparagus	92,4 gr.	0,17 g
Spinach	92, 2g	0,30 g
Lettuce	95,5 g	0,2 g
*Garden cress (Lepidium sativum)*	89,4 g	0,70 g
Purslane	93,92 g	0, 10 g

(Table 1) Food composition of some leafy vegetables and stems, per 100 g of fresh vegetables
	Carbohydrates	Calories
Alfalfa sprouts	3,78 g	29 kcal
Chard	3,74 g	19 kcal
Artichokes	10,5 g	47 Kcal
Amaranth (leaves)	4, 03g	23 kcal
Celery	3,65 g	16 Kcal
*Watercress (Nasturtium officinale)*	1,29 g	11 kcal
Borage	3, 06 g	21 kcal
Broccoli	5,24 g	28 kcal
Corn salad	3,6 g	21 kcal
Thistles	4,8 g	20 Kcal
Cabbage	5,43 g	25 Kcal
Brussels sprouts	8,96 g	43 Kcal
Cauliflowers	5,20 g	25 kcal
Dandelion	9,20 g	45 kcal
Endives	3,3 g	17 Kcal
Asparagus	4,54 g	23 Kcal
Spinach	3, 90 g	22 Kcal
Lettuce	2,3 g	13 Kcal
*Garden cress (Lepidium sativum)*	5, 5 g	32 kcal
Purslane	3, 43 g	16 kcal

(Table 2) Food composition of some leafy vegetables and stems, per 100 g of fresh vegetables
	potassium	sodium
Alfalfa sprouts	79 mg	6 mg
Chard	379 mg	213 mg
Artichokes	370 mg	94 mg
Amaranth (leaves)	611 mg	20 mg
Celery	287 mg	87 mg
*Watercress (Nasturtium officinale)*	325 mg	27 mg
Borage	330 mg	41 mg
Broccoli	470 mg	80 mg
Corn salad	459 mg	4 mg
Thistles	400 gr.	170 mg.
Cabbage	0,27 g	5,43 g
Brussels sprouts	389 mg	25 mg
Cauliflowers	246 mg	18 mg
Dandelion	397 mg	76 mg
Endives	314 mg	22 mg
Asparagus	273 mg	2 mg
Spinach	449 mg	21 mg
Lettuce	257 mg	5 mg g
*Garden cress (Lepidium sativum)*	606 mg	14 mg
Purslane	494 mg	45 mg

(Table 2) Food composition of some leafy vegetables and stems, per 100 g of fresh vegetables
	magnesium	Calcium
Alfalfa sprouts	27 mg	32 mg
Chard	81 mg	51 mg
Artichokes	60 mg	44 mg
Amaranth (leaves)	55 mg	215 mg
Celery	11 mg	40 mg
*Watercress (Nasturtium officinale)*	25 mg	48 mg
Borage	21 mg	120 mg
Broccoli	52 mg	93 mg
Corn salad	13 mg	38 mg
Thistles	60 mg	44 mg
Cabbage	15 mg	47 mg
Brussels sprouts	23 mg	42 mg
Cauliflowers	15 mg	22 mg
Dandelion	36 mg	187 mg
Endives	15 mg	52 mg
Asparagus	18 mg	21 mg
Spinach	11 mg	210 mg
Lettuce	12 mg	32 mg
*Garden cress (Lepidium sativum)*	38 mg	81 mg
Purslane	68 mg	65 mg

What are the most important phytochemicals in vegetables?

The main phytochemicals of vegetables are the following:

Beta-carotenes: They inhibit the formation of cancerous tumors, especially lung cancer and breast cancer, help maintain good skin health, good vision state and protect against infection. The main vegetables that contain these principles are spinach, watercress and broccoli.
Lutein: It helps preserve vision by preventing vision loss. The main foods with lutein are spinach or lettuce.
Coumestans: Alfalfa sprouts, cabbage or clover leaves are rich in this phytochemical.
Indoles: Among these the most important are sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinol. The latter helps reduce estrogen, preventing the development of breast cancer. Indoles generally neutralize toxic substances which may be responsible for the development of cancerous tumors. Among the foods rich in these components we have all the plants from the cruciferous family (cabbage and similar plants)
Chlorophyll: All vegetables are rich in chlorophyll. Chlorophyll, from a food standpoint, has antioxidant properties, helps the liver and kidneys to eliminate toxins and promotes blood circulation by means of lowering cholesterol and triglycerides. It also protects the skin and helps heal wounds and infections. Although not scientifically proven, many people with arthritis and osteoarthritis say they help reduce joint inflammation. It is thought that it may also help fix calcium, so it might be useful in the treatment of osteoporosis. Chlorophyll appears in the green parts of plants, so it is imperative to keep our vegetables tender to prevent this degradation.
Isothiocyanates: They are present mainly in the cabbage family that, according to studies conducted in France, seem to slow the growth of cancer cells in the lungs, both in smokers and in nonsmokers. Its antioxidant effects are responsible for this property. In another California study, people who ate a lot of Brussels sprouts or broccoli were less likely to develop lung cancer even in front of people who ate other vegetables. It was found that this protection was more effective for people who had a genetic predisposition to this disease, manifested by the inactivity of the genes GSTM1 and GSTT1, which are responsible for producing enzymes that neutralize cancer-causing toxins.
Ferulic acid: It is a great antioxidant, able to inhibit the growth of cancerous tumors. It stimulates the defense system, protects the liver and prevents attacks of herpes. It is found in spinach.
P-coumaric-acid: Found in cabbage, cauliflower and spinach, it is able to neutralize the negative effects of nitrosamines. Nitrosamines are components which are formed in our body under the influence of nitrates. Nitrates come from food preservatives added to food to avoid them to be spoilt. They can also come from contaminated food, including vegetables. It has been found that nitrosamines have a negative effect on the body, being able to produce numerous diseases, including cancer.