Nutritional Significance of Essential Minerals in Selected Green Leafy Vegetables of Chhattisgarh: A Comparative Study

Abstract The green leafy vegetables form an integral part of the traditional Indian diet and provide many essential nutrients necessary for normal physiological functions. Of these nutrients, minerals are of high nutritional value including iron, calcium, magnesium, zinc, potassium, phosphorus, manganese and copper. Chhattisgarh has ample biological and agricultural diversity and several types of cultivated vegetables as well as locally grown vegetables of leaves are being found in various parts of the State. In the present study a comparative review of the nutritional significance of essential minerals present in selected green leafy vegetables of Chhattisgarh has been done. The study concentrates on the most popular leafy vegetables like spinach, amaranth, radish leaves, moringa leaves and other vegetables which are available locally. Secondary nutritional information and published literature is reviewed with special interest in the mineral composition, dietary importance, nutritional availability and potential contribution to mineral requirements. The study suggests that the contribution of minerals for leafy vegetables to the diet can play a significant role in terms of calcium, iron, magnesium and potassium. The concentration of the minerals however, can be widely variable depending on plant species, soil type, geographical conditions, agricultural practices, maturity stage and post harvest handling. Thus, mineral evaluation in a nutrition context should be taken into account. The study also emphasizes the need for proper food preparation, food-composition data and food-diversity. The result indicated that systematic documentation and lab evaluation of locally consumed vegetables could help in nutrition planning and sustainable use of plant resources of Chhattisgarh.