Enjoy The Wondrous Health Benefits Of Asparagus

by

Enjoy The Wondrous Health Benefits Of Asparagus


More nutrition-related information:

* Asparagus is low in sodium and has an excellent potassium:sodium ratio (about 14.5 to 1).

* It has a glycemic index of about 20, which is considered low (does not over-trigger insulin). [Haas][Murray]

* Asparagus is low in carbohydrates and calories (carbs – about 7g per cup [Murray]).

* As an early sprout, it does, however, have relatively higher levels of protein compared to other vegetables.


Vitamin A

A cup of raw asparagus has over 1,000 IU of vitamin A, which is more than a fifth of the DV.

Vitamin A plays significant roles in eye health and the health of epithelial tissues which line various internal and external surfaces of the body, including the skin, intestinal lining, as well as the lining of the lungs. Vitamin A also provides immune support, possibly by helping lymphocytes to fight infections.


Vitamin C

Asparagus has good amounts of vitamin C. A cupful of raw asparagus tips has about 7.5 milligrams of vitamin C (about 13% of the DV). This is higher than the amount of vitamin C found in a pear or in a cup of plums or carrots.

Vitamin C, of course, has numerous important functions in the body, including immune support and maintaining the integrity of collagen. It is also a strong antioxidant.


Arthritis and Rheumatism

This vegetable has also been used historically to help treat rheumatism and arthritis – unique phytochemical antioxidants plus inhibitors of the COX-2 enzyme (which produces inflammatory chemicals) could be the reasons for its beneficial effects on the latter.


Alkalizing Properties

Asparagus is alkalizing on the body. It can thus help balance your system if you have been eating too many acidic foods, such as meat, grains and even junk foods.


Diuretic Properties

Traditionally, asparagus has been used as a diuretic – its diuretic properties could be because it has the amino acid asparagine, which gives out a strong, characteristic odor when excreted in urine.


Kidney Issues

This vegetable helps treats various kidney problems but should not be used when there is inflammation; in fact, too much asparagus can irritate the kidneys. [Pitchford]


Prevents Birth Defects

Asparagus is rich in folate, an important B vitamin which significantly lowers the rates of brain and spinal cord birth defects, collectively called neural tube defects. Research has suggested that women of childbearing age who took 400 micrograms of folate each day could have a 50% lower chance of giving birth to babies with such defects.

It is estimated that 5 spears of asparagus contains about 110 micrograms of folate, which is 28% of the Daily Value (DV). Women who are pregnant or lactating need more – 600 micrograms and 500 micrograms daily respectively. [Yeager]

With its high folate content, asparagus is a great choice for pregnant and nursing women.

Pages: 1 2 3 4

Follow this site

Where To Buy
Quality Dietary Supplements, Herbs, Natural Remedies
and Other Natural Products at Affordable Prices

Tags

Categories



Share This

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>