rocket
Vegetables
Is rocket high in lectin?
Is rocket high or low in lectin? See its exact rating, how much counts as a portion, and its FODMAP, salicylate, oxalate and diet compatibility in one place.
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Sensitivity notes
Why lectin food checker matters
Lectins are proteins found in many plant foods, especially legumes and grains. Some people follow low-lectin diets believing they reduce inflammation and digestive issues, though properly cooked foods have reduced lectin content.
- Proper cooking destroys most lectins - never eat raw beans
- Pressure cooking is highly effective at reducing lectins
- Peeling and deseeding reduces lectin content
- Fermentation can reduce lectins in some foods
- Sprouting may increase or decrease lectins depending on the food
Sensitivities
What rocket contains
FODMAPs
Histamine & Amines
Plant compounds
Irritants
Additives
Allergens
Diet fit
Where rocket fits
Therapeutic diets
Lifestyle diets
Religious diets
What to know about rocket
Rocket, sold as arugula in North America, is about as clean as a salad leaf gets in this database: rated low on histamine and on histamine liberation, free of gluten, lactose and dairy protein, no nickel flag, no lectin flag, no free glutamate, no FODMAP load, and rated strongly anti-inflammatory, which very few foods manage. It is a brassica, a cousin of mustard and watercress, and the peppery bite is glucosinolates converting to isothiocyanates the moment a leaf is chewed or bruised. Two honest caveats: it is rated poorly for low fermentation SIBO protocols, and we do not carry confirmed salicylate or oxalate figures for it, so those stay in the test it yourself column.
Watch for
- Rated poor for low fermentation SIBO approaches.A large raw bowl is a lot of leaf fiber arriving at once, and people following that protocol usually do better wilting rocket into a hot dish than eating it as the base of a salad
- Oxalate is not rated in our data.Published oxalate tables generally place rocket well below spinach, chard and beet greens, which is why it is so often the leaf people switch to when building a lower oxalate salad, but the numbers differ between sources, so log it rather than assuming
- Salicylate is also unrated here, and salicylate lists disagree about peppery greens in particular.If you are in the strict phase of a salicylate elimination, treat rocket as untested and reintroduce it deliberately instead of counting it as safe
- The pepperiness is itself an irritant for some people: isothiocyanates are the same chemistry that makes mustard and horseradish sting.Older, larger, wild rocket leaves are far sharper than baby leaf, so a burning tongue after a rocket salad is usually the mustard oils rather than an allergy
- Like other dark leaves it is high in vitamin K, which matters if you take warfarin.The guidance there is a steady, consistent intake rather than avoidance, so decide on a habit and keep it
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Lectin Guide
Everything you need to know about lectin sensitivity and smart food choices.
Lectins are proteins found in many plant foods, especially legumes and grains. Some people follow low-lectin diets believing they reduce inflammation and digestive issues, though properly cooked foods have reduced lectin content.
Sensitivity varies widely. What triggers one person may be fine for another. Track your reactions to find your personal threshold.
These foods are generally well-tolerated for Lectin sensitivity:
View all safe options
If you're sensitive to Lectin, consider these strategies:
- 1Proper cooking destroys most lectins - never eat raw beans
- 2Pressure cooking is highly effective at reducing lectins
- 3Peeling and deseeding reduces lectin content
- 4Fermentation can reduce lectins in some foods
- 5Sprouting may increase or decrease lectins depending on the food
Pro tip: Keep a food diary to track your reactions. The Triggerbites app makes this easy with automatic pattern detection.
Want personalized tracking?
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Get the AppFAQ
Is rocket high in Lectin?
Lectin: low signal for most people.
Can I still eat rocket if I'm sensitive to Lectin?
Usually fine in normal portions.
What else should I check?
Check Low Fermentation, Low Fermentation, and Gastroparesis Diet next for a fuller picture.