Salad greens, like other vegetables, are low in fat and calories, do not contain cholesterol and have a high vitamin and mineral content, making them disease-fighting, nutrient-packed powerhouses. In fact, a large, healthy salad can supply much of your daily vitamin and mineral requirement, according to Medline Plus. Choose a variety of greens for your salad, add other vegetables and toppings that are low in saturated fats, and nourish your body with natural, tasty vitamins.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A keeps skin and eyes healthy and helps regulate the immune system to prevent and fight off infections, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. Plants contain the carotenoid form of vitamin A, the best-known and most efficient of which is beta-carotene. Arugula, watercress, frisee, Japanese mustard greens, spinach, purslane and iceberg, butter, oak leaf, and romaine lettuces all contain vitamin A. Vitamin A is fat-soluble, so a bit of olive oil, cheese or salad dressing will help your body absorb it.
Vitamin B
Leafy green vegetables provide folate, or vitamin B9, and vitamin B6. Folate is necessary to make and maintain new cells--it helps make DNA and prevents DNA changes that could lead to cancer. Folate also helps make red blood cells and prevents anemia. Vitamin B6 is involved with protein and red blood cell metabolism, nervous and immune system functions and maintenance of blood sugar levels. You will find these B vitamins in frisee, arugula, spinach, watercress, tetragon and purslane, as well as in romaine, iceberg, oak leaf and lamb's lettuce and the in the chicory family, which includes chicory, curly endive, escarole and radicchio.
Vitamin C
Humans do not make vitamin C within the body, so getting it from food sources or supplements is essential. Also known as ascorbic acid, vitamin C is necessary for wound healing. It is also an antioxidant that helps protect the body from damage caused by free radicals, which form when the body converts food into energy and may contribute to heart disease and cancer. Vitamin C improves iron absorption and is also involved in immune system function. Vitamin C is present in frisee, arugula, spinach, watercress, purslane, mizuna, tetragon, the chicory family and butter, iceberg, oak leaf, romaine and lamb's lettuces.
Vitamin D
Sunlight triggers the production of vitamin D in the body. Not many foods contain the "sunshine vitamin" naturally, but oak leaf lettuce does, according to the Worldwide Gourmet. Vitamin D, which fortifies milk and cereals in the United States, is necessary for calcium absorption and bone health, as well as for nervous and immune system functions.
Vitamin E
Oak leaf lettuce also contains vitamin E, as do butter and iceberg lettuces, frisee and arugula. Like vitamin C, vitamin E is an antioxidant that protects against the damage caused by free radicals. Vitamin E is necessary for the immune system and also helps keep clots from forming in blood vessels. Like vitamin A, vitamin E is fat-soluble.
Vitamin K
Green leafy vegetables are a source of vitamin K, which is necessary for blood to clot and may also contribute to bone strength in the elderly, according to Medline Plus. Because of its role in blood coagulation, vitamin K can interfere with blood-thinning medications such as warfarin, also known as Coumadin. If you take warfarin, consult your doctor about its interaction with vitamin K. Butter, iceberg, and romaine lettuces, arugula, spinach and mustard greens all contain vitamin K.
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