Health benefits of mustard greens:
Mustard greens, like spinach, are the storehouse of many phytonutrients that have health promotional and disease prevention properties.
Leaf-mustard is very low in calories (27 calories per 100 g raw leaves) and fats. However, its dark-green leaves carry ample amounts of phytonutrients, vitamins, and minerals. Additionally, it contains a very good amount of dietary fiber that helps control cholesterol level by interfering with its absorption in the gut. Adequate fiber in the food aids in smooth bowel movements and thereby offers protection from hemorrhoids, constipation as well as colon cancer diseases.
The greens are excellent sources of vitamin-K. 100 g of fresh leaves carry about 257.5 µg or about 215% of daily requirement of vitamin K-1 (phylloquinone). Vitamin-K has been found to have a potential role in bone mass building function by promoting osteoblastic activity in the bone. It also has an established role to play in Alzheimer's disease patients by limiting neuronal damage in their brain.
Mustard greens are a rich source of antioxidant like flavonoids, indoles, sulforaphane, carotenes, lutein, and zeaxanthin. Indoles, mainly Di-indolyl-methane (DIM) and sulforaphane have proven benefits against prostate, breast, colon and ovarian cancers by virtue of their cancer-cell growth inhibition, cytotoxic effects on cancer cells.
Fresh leaves are also a modest source of the B-complex group of vitamins such as folic acid, pyridoxine, thiamin, riboflavin, etc. 100 g fresh leaves provide about 12 µg (about 3% of RDA) of folic acid. This water-soluble vitamin has a significant role in DNA synthesis, and cell division. When supplemented to women during their peri-conception time, this vitamin may help prevent neural tube defects in their newborn babies.
Fresh mustard leaves are excellent sources of vitamin-C. 100 of fresh leaves provide 70 µg or about 117% of RDA. Vitamin-C (ascorbic acid) is a powerful natural antioxidant that offers protection against free radical injury and flu-like viral infections.
Mustard leaves are also incredible sources of vitamin-A (provide 3024 IU or 101% of RDA per 100 g). Vitamin-A is an essential nutrient required for maintaining healthy mucosa and skin. Consumption of natural fruits rich in flavonoids helps protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.
Fresh mustard greens are an excellent source of several essential minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, selenium, and manganese.
Regular consumption of mustard greens in the diet is known to prevent arthritis, osteoporosis, iron deficiency anemia and believed to offer protection from cardiovascular diseases, asthma and colon and prostate cancers.
https://www.nutrition-and-you.com/mustard-greens.html
While the table condiment mustard does indeed come from the mustard seed, the leaves, flowers, seed pods and roots are also edible. Mustards are in the same large family with cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, turnips, kale, kohlrabi, wasabi, and others. The only problem is there are so many wild mustards its hard to tell which one you might have.
They are all edible, but some are a little more edible than others. What that means is mustard greens I used to pick in Maine were fairly tender, and not strong when cooked. The mustard greens I pick here in Florida are much tougher and spicier. They have to be chopped up more and cooked longer, but they still are delicious if a bit toothy. The point is you have to experiment a little to find your preference with your particular mustard.
Young leaves can use used raw in salads, or cooked as a potherb. As the plant ages, it becomes strong and sometimes the leaves are too bitter to eat. Tender young seeds pods can be added to salads, but are peppery. If you are so inclined, you can make mustard out of the seeds, just grind them up and mix with vinegar, salt optional. Each plant can produces 2,000 to 3,500 seeds a season and the seeds can remain dormant underground for years.
Flower buds are also tasty when boiled. One nice touch is to add raw mustard flowers to your favorite vinegar to give it a little personalized pick-me-up — like the Roman wine, after all vinegar is just tarted up wine. The ratio is about half a cup of blossoms per pint of vinegar. Oh, the shape of the blossoms — like a Maltese cross — gave name to their family, Cruciferae, or cross-like.
http://www.eattheweeds.com/cutting-the-wild-mustard-brassica-sinapis-2/
An Edible Landscape: Wild Mustard:
http://www.gwinnettmastergardeners.com/2008/05/an-edible-landscape-wild-mustard.html
