Arugula, a leafy green salad vegetable, has a lot more nitrate than even beetroot — so much that it can help your body make nitric oxide (which is good for blood flow) without giving you too much of another compound called oxalate that can be a problem in large amounts.
Claim Language
Language Strength
definitive
Uses definitive language (causes, prevents, cures)
The claim uses definitive language with 'contains' (asserts a precise quantity), 'making it one of the highest' (asserts a ranking), 'surpassing' (asserts superiority), and 'enabling' (asserts a direct functional outcome). These verbs imply certainty and causation rather than possibility or association.
Context Details
Domain
nutrition
Population
human
Subject
Arugula (Eruca sativa)
Action
contains
Target
approximately 4,800 mg/kg of nitrate
Intervention Details
Gold Standard Evidence Needed
According to GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this specific claim, ordered from strongest to weakest evidence.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
A worldwide systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of nitrate and nitrite in vegetables and fruits.
This study found that arugula has a ton of nitrate—almost 4,800 mg per kg—which matches the claim and proves it’s one of the top veggie sources of nitrate, even more than beetroot.