~~~Got some growing ideas for the Tower Garden!!~~~ Wayne Researchers Rank Top 41 Powerhouse Fruits and Veggies An unusual leafy green with a tangy taste topped the list. Posted by Jessica Mazzola (Editor) Researchers at a university in Wayne have ranked fruits and veggies in terms of their powerhouse-ness, and an unusual leafy green topped the list. According to Defining Powerhouse Fruits and Vegetables: A Nutrient Density Approach, a study by researchers at William Paterson University in Wayne that was recently published in the CDC journal Preventing Chronic Disease, watercress is the best. The leafy green with a tangy taste was followed on the ranking by Chinese cabbage and chard. According to the study, it aimed at defining what makes a fruit or vegetable powerhouse, and ranking those that fit the criteria. The classification was based mostly on the nutrient-density of different fruits and vegetables, considering 17 nutrients generally understood to be important to public health, like potassium, fiber, protein, calcium, iron, zinc, and vitamins, the study said. The researchers gave each fruit or veggie a score based on the percent daily value each provides in a serving of the 17 nutrients, and then ranked them, the study explained. In a WashingtonPost report, lead William Paterson researcher Jennifer DiNoia, an associate professor of sociology, said this study is the first classification scheme of which I am aware to define and rank [powerhouse fruits and vegetables]. The researchers found 41 fruits and vegetables that made the cut, using their criteria. The study reports the following ranking: 1. Watercress 2. Chinese Cabbage 3. Chard 4. Beet Green 5. Spinach 6. Chicory 7. Leaf Lettuce 8. Parsley 9. Romaine Lettuce 10. Collard Green 11. Turnip Green 12. Mustard Green 13. Endive 14. Chive 15. Kale 16. Dandelion Green 17. Red Pepper 18. Arugula 19. Broccoli 20. Pumpkin 21. Brussels Sprout 22. Scallion 23. Kohlrabi 24. Cauliflower 25. Cabbage 26. Carrot 27. Tomato 28. Lemon 29. Iceberg Lettuce 30. Strawberry 31. Radish 32. Winter Squash (All Varieties) 33. Orange 34. Lime 35. Grapefruit (Pink and Red) 36. Rutabaga 37. Turnip 38. Blackberry 39. Leek 40. Sweet Potato 41. Grapefruit (White) See the study here.Tables Table 1. Bioavailability of Nutrientsa Used to Weight Nutrient Density Scores, 2014 Nutrient Bioavailability, % Iron 18 Riboflavin 95 Niacin 30 Folate 50 Vitamin B6 75 Vitamin B12 50 Vitamin C 70–90 Vitamin K 20 a Values shown represent the bioavailability of naturally occurring forms of the nutrients. When a range of values was reported, the lowest value in the range was used as the weighting factor. Table 2. Powerhouse Fruits and Vegetables (N = 41), by Ranking of Nutrient Density Scoresa, 2014 Item Nutrient Density Score Watercress 100.00 Chinese cabbage 91.99 Chard 89.27 Beet green 87.08 Spinach 86.43 Chicory 73.36 Leaf lettuce 70.73 Parsley 65.59 Romaine lettuce 63.48 Collard green 62.49 Turnip green 62.12 Mustard green 61.39 Endive 60.44 Chive 54.80 Kale 49.07 Dandelion green 46.34 Red pepper 41.26 Arugula 37.65 Broccoli 34.89 Pumpkin 33.82 Brussels sprout 32.23 Scallion 27.35 Kohlrabi 25.92 Cauliflower 25.13 Cabbage 24.51 Carrot 22.60 Tomato 20.37 Lemon 18.72 Iceberg lettuce 18.28 Strawberry 17.59 Radish 16.91 Winter squash (all varieties) 13.89 Orange 12.91 Lime 12.23 Grapefruit (pink and red) 11.64 Rutabaga 11.58 Turnip 11.43 Blackberry 11.39 Leek 10.69 Sweet potato 10.51 Grapefruit (white) 10.47 a Calculated as the mean of percent daily values (DVs) (based on a 2,000 kcal/d diet) for 17 nutrients (potassium, fiber, protein, calcium, iron, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, zinc, and vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, E, and K) as provided by 100 g of food, expressed per 100 kcal of food. Scores above 100 were capped at 100 (indicating that the food provides, on average, 100% DV of the qualifying nutrients per 100 kcal).
Posted on: Mon, 30 Jun 2014 05:34:25 +0000
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