nutritional benefits of lettuce; Lettuce is a popular leafy vegetable that is light on the stomach and has many important benefits for the human body.
Here we will discuss what are the nutritional benefits of lettuce, with an indication of its nutritional value and the most important tips when eating this wonderful vegetable. Learn about the health benefits of lettuce.
What is lettuce?
Lettuce is one of the famous leafy vegetables known in terms of eating, agriculture, and health benefit, and lettuce is usually added to many different dishes, such as salads, snacks, and sandwiches, and it is of the star or compound family that is characterized as broad-leaved, and it is eaten in its form raw.
Lettuce benefits and nutritional value
Before eating the nutritional benefits of lettuce, we learn about its beneficial nutrients content, as there are in every 100 grams of fresh lettuce the following:
- Calories: 14 calories.
- Carbs: 2.92 grams.
- Proteins: 1.13 grams.
- Fat: 0.14 grams.
- Dietary fiber: 1.2 grams.
- Vitamin A: 198 mcg.
- Vitamin C: 6 milligrams.
- Vitamin K: 75.2 micrograms.
- Folate: 34 micrograms.
- Iron: 0.64 milligrams.
- Calcium: 27 milligrams.
- Potassium: 168 mg.
- Sodium 19 mg.
What are the nutritional benefits of lettuce?
Lettuce is one of the rich sources of many vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, as the nutritional value of lettuce is high and high in various nutrients, and the following are the most important 8 nutrients in this vegetable:
folate
It is the natural form of vitamin B9, and it plays several important roles in the body, including producing new red and white blood cells, helping to repair any damage or defect that may occur to the DNA of cells and genes, as well as ensuring proper cell division.
Calcium
This nutrient is vital, important, and indispensable for bone health, strengthening and working to protect them from exposure to diseases, especially fragility. Calcium also enters the blood clotting process and regulates muscle contraction in the body.
Vitamin A
This vitamin is important for the body in many ways. It is beneficial for eye health, strengthening immunity, and reproduction. It also has benefits in reducing the chances of developing cancer and diabetes. Vitamin A also has an important role in improving hair and skin health.
Dietary fiber
Lettuce is characterized by its high content of dietary fiber, which helps in improving the health of the circulatory system and improving the health of the digestive system. Dietary fiber also contributes to losing excess weight and reducing the chances of developing some chronic diseases such as diabetes and cancer.
Vitamin K
Lettuce is rich in vitamin K, which has several important roles for the human body. It is necessary for building bones, increasing their density, and preventing fragility. It also has a vital role in blood clotting, healing wounds and bruises, as well as the prevention of many diseases.
vitamin C
Getting the body's daily need for vitamin C greatly contributes to protecting against colds and flu and relieving their symptoms.
Vitamin C also helps in cell renewal and protection from damage, and this helps prevent skin cancer, is responsible for building collagen in the skin, and is necessary to maintain skin elasticity and health, and help heal wounds.
Antioxidants
Lettuce contains a variety of antioxidants, which help control cancer cells and prevent their spread in the human body and protect the body's cells and DNA from damage.
A diet high in antioxidants has been linked to a reduced risk of lung, skin, prostate, ovarian, and breast cancer.
potassium
Potassium is one of the important nutrients for the body, as it helps maintain blood pressure and heart health, and it also plays a role in reducing the risk of stroke. Potassium also has a role in maintaining bone and muscle health, preventing kidney stones, and reducing fluid retention in the body.
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Health benefits of lettuce
The benefits of lettuce for the heart
Eating lettuce helps in promoting and improving the health of the heart and arteries in several ways, as follows:
- Eating it helps reduce harmful cholesterol levels and increase good cholesterol in the body, and this contributes to the prevention of cardiovascular disease.
- Also, lettuce is one of the sources of beneficial and unsaturated fatty acids, such as omega-3 fatty acids, which promote cardiovascular health.
- Also, lettuce is rich in powerful antioxidants, the most important of which are: Vitamin C and beta-carotene. These antioxidants prevent oxidation and fight infections.
The benefits of lettuce for the stomach
Eating lettuce contributes to promoting the health of the digestive system, as it is rich in dietary fiber that helps in the following:
- Promote the health of the digestive system and the digestive process.
- Improvement of bowel movement and the balance of its environment.
- As well as avoiding other digestive diseases, the most important of which are: constipation and bloating.
- Lettuce is rich in dietary fiber, which helps promote the health of the digestive system in general.
Lettuce is good food for sleep
Helping treat sleep disorders and blues One of the benefits of lettuce for the body is as it contains lactucarium. This liquid substance, which you may notice when eating lettuce leaves, is what gives lettuce the ability to treat sleep disorders and insomnia, and this ability has been famous for lettuce in it since ancient times. Lettuce is also a relaxing vegetable.
Maintains the body's alkaline environment
Lettuce is one of the most famous alkaline foods, as it contributes to maintaining the balance of the acid-base environment, and also contributes to the removal of toxins from the human body.
For these reasons, lettuce is a food that helps clear the mind, improves the process of thinking and relaxation and enables the person to get a deep sleep and clear skin.
Benefits of lettuce for diabetics
Lettuce is an ideal food for diabetics. The benefits of lettuce for diabetics are as follows:
- Lettuce has a low glycemic index.
- Lettuce is also low in carbohydrates, calories, and fat.
- It is also rich in dietary fiber.
All of the above make lettuce a diabetic-friendly food.
Boosting immunity is one of the health benefits of eating lettuce
Eating lettuce helps in strengthening immunity due to its richness in powerful antioxidants, the most important of which are: beta-carotene, vitamin A, and vitamin C. It thus contributes to strengthening immunity, fighting infections, and improving skin health, which is the first line of defense for the human body.
Eating lettuce also contributes to the promotion of digestion and proper absorption of nutrients in the intestine, and this strengthens the defense process against the presence and reproduction of harmful bacteria.
Lettuce and cancer
Cancer prevention One of the benefits of lettuce for the body is as the green chlorophyll pigment in it may contribute to reducing the risk of some cancers, such as colon cancer.
It is also known that a person eating a diet poor in green leafy vegetables may be associated with an increased risk of cancer.
The benefit of lettuce for the bones
Promoting and strengthening bone health is one of the benefits of lettuce for the body, due to the following:
- Lettuce is a leafy vegetable rich in vitamin K, which is very important for bones.
- Also, lettuce contains calcium, which plays a key role in maintaining a healthy skeleton.
Improving eye health is one of the health benefits of eating lettuce
Promoting eye health and vision One of the benefits of lettuce for the body, lettuce is rich in antioxidants, especially vitamin A and vitamin C. These antibiotics contribute to maintaining eye health and protecting it from disorders, such as any deficiency in the body in any of these vitamins may lead to corneal thickening, macular degeneration, glaucoma, and cataracts.
Eating lettuce and other sources of these vitamins may contribute to making a person less likely to suffer from any of these previous problems, especially with his age.
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Tips for eating lettuce
There are no specific recommendations regarding the allowed daily amount of lettuce vegetables, as the lettuce does not have any obvious and negative side effects on human health. However, it is generally recommended to regulate the intake of lettuce and to calculate its portions among the portions of vegetables allowed to be eaten each day.
Lettuce must be washed well before eating, as it is one of the most susceptible crops to contamination with fertilizers, dust, or microbes.
Heart patients and people taking anticoagulant medications are advised to eat lettuce in moderation, as its vitamin K content may interfere with the mechanism of action of these medications.
