1. Spinach
This leafy green tops the chart as one of the healthiest vegetables, thanks to its impressive nutrient profile.
One cup (30 grams) of raw spinach provides 56% of your daily vitamin A needs plus your entire daily vitamin K requirement — all for just 7 calories (1).
Spinach also boasts a lot of antioxidants, which can help reduce the risk of chronic disease.
One study found that dark green leafy vegetables like spinach are high in beta-carotene and lutein, two types of antioxidants that have been associated with a decreased risk of cancer (2Trusted Source).as it may lower blood pressure (3Trusted Source).
2.Carrots
Carrots are packed with vitamin A, providing 428% of the daily recommended value in just one cup (128 grams) (4).
They contain beta-carotene, an antioxidant that gives carrots their vibrant orange color and could help cancer prevention (5Trusted Source).
In fact, one study revealed that for each serving of carrots per week, participants’ risk of prostate cancer decreased by 5% (6Trusted Source).
Another study showed that eating carrots may reduce the risk of lung cancer in smokers as well. Compared to those who ate carrots at least once a week, smokers who did not eat carrots had a three times greater risk of developing lung cancer (7Trusted Source).
Carrots are also high in vitamin C, vitamin K, and potassium (4).
3. Broccoli
Broccoli belongs to the cruciferous family of vegetables.
It is rich in a sulfur-containing plant compound known as glucosinolate and sulforaphane, a by-product of glucosinolate (8Trusted Source).
Sulforaphane is significant in that it has been shown to have a protective effect against cancer.
In one animal study, sulforaphane reduced the size and number of breast cancer cells while also blocking tumor growth in mice (9Trusted Source).
Eating broccoli may help prevent other types of chronic disease, too.
A 2010 animal study found that consuming broccoli sprouts could protect the heart from disease-causing oxidative stress by significantly lower levels of oxidants (10Trusted Source).
In addition to its ability to prevent disease, broccoli is also loaded with nutrients.
A cup (91 grams) of raw broccoli provides 116% of your daily vitamin K needs, 135% of the daily vitamin C requirement, and a good amount of folate, manganese, and potassium (11).
4. Garlic
Garlic has a long history of use as a medicinal plant, with roots tracing all the way back to ancient China and Egypt (12Trusted Source).
The main active compound in garlic is allicin, a plant compound that is largely responsible for garlic’s variety of health benefits (13Trusted Source).
Several studies have shown that garlic can regulate blood sugar as well as promote heart health.
In one animal study, diabetic rats were given either garlic oil or diallyl trisulfide, a component of garlic. Both garlic compounds caused a decrease in blood sugar and improved insulin sensitivity (14Trusted Source).
Another study fed garlic to participants both with and without heart disease. Results showed that garlic could decrease total blood cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL cholesterol while increasing HDL cholesterol in both groups (15Trusted Source).
Garlic may be useful in the prevention of cancer as well. One test-tube study demonstrated that allicin induced cell death in human liver cancer cells (16Trusted Source).
5. Brussels Sprouts
Like broccoli, Brussels sprouts are a member of the cruciferous family of vegetables and contain the same health-promoting plant compounds.
Brussels sprouts also contain kaempferol, an antioxidant that may be particularly effective in preventing damage to cells (17Trusted Source).
One animal study found that kaempferol protected against free radicals, which cause oxidative damage to cells and can contribute to chronic disease (18Trusted Source).
Brussels sprout consumption can help enhance detoxification as well.
One study showed that eating Brussels sprouts led to a 15–30% increase in some of the specific enzymes that control detoxification, decreasing the risk of colorectal cancer (19Trusted Source).
Additionally, Brussels sprouts are very nutrient-dense. Each serving provides a good amount of many vitamins and minerals, including vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, manganese, and potassium (20).
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