Underutilized leafy vegetables of India and their pharmaceutical value to provoke human immune system

Abstract

The greens otherwise called as leafy vegetables are rapidly growing vegetables and are ready for market in a short period of time. Traditional underutilized leafy vegetable crops are inexpensive, easy to cook, and packed in phytonutrients including minerals which are essential for the metabolic processes and protection of our body as well. A large number of leaves from perennial trees, aquatic plants and terrestrial annuals are consumed especially in rural areas. Leafy vegetables plays significant role in alleviating micronutrient deficiency. In India, a good number of such underutilized leafy vegetables which are indigenous to India or being cultivated for a long time have proteins, vitamins, dietary fibres, minerals and phytonutrients needed for human beings. These are embedded with nutraceutical as well as phramaceutical components which are essential for human wellbeing. Some of the leafy vegetables are also recognized for their medicinal value too. This review deals with the underutilized leafy vegetables consumed locally in Indian villages; their nutrition and medicinal values.