What a plate of lettuce can do for your health

A lettuce salad can benefit your health in more than you can think!

By: Editorial Team | | Published: March 29, 2015 4:58 pm

A bowl of lettuce salad can rev your sex drive. Lettuce contains a compound opiate that helps activate your sex hormones.

A recent study reveals how lettuce varieties could shield against free radicals, cell damage and diseases. The study produced in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, revealed that incorporating certain varieties of lettuce in your regular diet, could be a good idea as not all lettuce types come with the required antioxidants. Also Read - Eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day: Live a longer and healthier life

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The researchers from the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) in Spain and the University of Pisa in Italy analysed the compounds of three lettuce varieties: the green-leaf ‘Batavia’, the semi-red-leaf ‘Marvel of Four Seasons’, and the red-leaf ‘Oak Leaf’. Also Read - Reach for these comfort foods to stay healthy this spring

Using Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) techniques, they were able to observe the behaviour of the speed (kinetics) of the antioxidant compounds of each variety. The results showed that the green-leaf lettuce contains water-soluble, antioxidant compounds that act at a slow and intermediate speed, the red-leaf one has compounds with intermediate and rapid kinetics, and the semi-red-leaf one has three kinds of compounds, with a rapid, intermediate and slow speed.

The fact that there are compounds that act at different speeds does not mean that some are better or worse than others, said Usue Perez-Lopez, researcher at UPV/EHU. It is also important that our bodies should acquire foods with antioxidants that have slower kinetics so that the latter will continue to act over a longer period of time. That is why people say that it is very interesting to mix different types of lettuce because they have different, complementary characteristics, Perez-Lopez added.

Free radicals harm our body by causing, in the best of cases, ageing and, in the worse, serious diseases. Lettuce is rich in antioxidants, as it contains compounds like phenolic acids, flavonoids, anthocyanins, and vitamins A and C, among other things, the researchers said. Here is why having green leafy vegetables is a must.

Here is why adding some lettuce to your plate is a great idea

Useful for weight loss

Lettuce is a magical weight loss veggie as it contains increased levels of dietary fibre, 95% of water and cellulose. The fibre contents keep you full which is why you tend to eat lesser, thereby benefiting in the weight loss process. Try this lettuce and strawberry salad for weight loss.

Reduces blood cholesterol levels

The presence of dietary fibre in lettuce works on eliminating bile salts from the body. As it works on the removal of bile salts, there is an effective breakdown of cholesterol which helps drop blood cholesterol levels and protects your heart. You could also try out any of these 10 foods meant for lowering cholesterol levels.

Benefits pregnant women

For pregnant women, lettuce should be included as much in their daily diet as it offers a range of nutrients that could keep from congenital defects. Here are few more reasons to add lettuce to your plate.

With inputs from IANS

Image source: Getty Images

Published : March 29, 2015 4:58 pm

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