Heath Benefits of lettuce

About Lettuce And Uses Of Lettuce

Latin Name: Lactuca sativa

Lettuce is one of the leafy vegetables that we eat raw or fresh.

Lettuce was cultivated during 4500 BC in Egypt, its seeds were made into oil. And it spread throughout Greece and Rome and reached throughout Europe during the 10th and 18th centuries.

This plant is not difficult to grow and is relatively stable but requires moderate temperature (relatively cold) to prevent immediate flowering. The end of lettuce tends to be bitter so it should be cut before eating it but there is another reason why lettuce is bitter.

Often used in salads, lettuce is also used in soups, wraps, sandwiches and more. Their stems can be used, raw or cooked. Most types of lettuce are used as vegetables, but some of them are used in the manufacture of tobacco free cigarettes. If you can see in the Ilocos region, there are older people who use tobacco plants.

Most types of lettuce when the leaves are split or picked, you will find a white liquid that is quite bitter when tasted. Do not store lettuce on apples, bananas and pears as these fruits emit ethylene gas and lettuce leaves turn brown.

Types Of Lettuce

There are many types of lettuce and the popular ones are;

Crisphead - this popular type of lettuce is called iceberg lettuce.

Romaine or Cos - this is what is often used in salads.

Butterhead - its examples are Boston lettuce and Bibb lettuce.

Loose Leaf - this type of lettuce does not promote headaches. Examples are green leaf, red leaf and oak leaf.

As you can see in the nutrient table of every packaged lettuce you buy at the supermarket, not all types of lettuce have the same amount of vitamins. In fact, iceberg lettuce is the most popular of all lettuce but it also has the least amount of vitamins and minerals. Although it contains a lot of fiber, it is higher in sugar than other types of lettuce.

Romaine lettuce is the healthiest to eat because it is low in sugar and high in fiber. It also contains vitamin C and high levels of folates and vitamin A. It also provides 10 times higher levels of beta carotene than iceberg lettuce and 2 times higher levels than Spinach.

The next healthy type of lettuce is the green leaf, followed by the red leaf and the butterhead.

Apart from the aforementioned types of lettuce, there are 3 other types of lettuce:

Summer Crisp - the class between loose leaf and crisphead.

Stem lettuce - This is the type of long-stemmed lettuce that is often used in Chinese cooking.

Oil seed lettuce - it grows because of the seeds and is used to make the oil used in cooking.

In the general health report, when the leaves are more green, it contains a large number of vitamins and minerals so it is better to eat darker green lettuce.

Nutritional Benefits Of Lettuce

Lettuce is a low calorie vegetable that in its 100 grams contains only 15 calories. Its leaves contain vitamin A and beta carotene. Its 100 grams provide 247% of vitamin A and 4443 micrograms of beta carotene (carotene are precursors of vitamin A). 2 micrograms of carotene equals 1 IU of vitamin A.

Lettuce leaves are rich in vitamins K and C, folates and zeaxanthin.

They also contain high levels of minerals, iron, calcium, potassium and manganese and vitamins B1, B2, and B6.

Romaine lettuce is 17% protein, also rich in omega 3 fatty acids and low in oxalic acid.

Health Benefits Of Lettuce

The benefit of eating lettuce is to maintain a healthy vision, mucus membranes and keep our skin healthy because it contains vitamin A and beta carotene.

Vitamin K levels, in turn, contribute to the health of our bones by increasing our bone mass and strengthening them. It also controls the neuronal damage to the brain of people with Alzheimer’s disease.

Folates prevent the development of neural tube defects in the growing fetus inside a mother's womb while vitamin C provides protection against infections and bacteria.

Zeaxanthin provides protection for the elderly to prevent mascular degeneration.

The mineral potassium controls heart rate and blood pressure. Copper and iron fight anemia while manganese also helps to strengthen our bones and it also has high levels of anti-oxidant to keep our skin and body healthy.

Vitamin C and beta carotene are good for the heart because they prevent the oxidation of cholesterol to prevent blockage in the heart vein.

Its fiber content is good for heart health to combine bile salts and remove them out of our body and force our body to produce more bile to lower our body's cholesterol level.

Calcium and phosphorus keep our teeth and bones healthy. Flavonoid phytonutrients reduce our risk of developing various types of Cacancerncluding mouth and lung cancer.

Lettuce leaves also help to reduce the weight of anyone who eats it. It contains sedative lactucarium that relaxes our nerves and muscles.

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