SICKLE CELL AND GREENS

Whether you sneak them into a smoothie or serve them in a salad, leafy greens boast loads of benefits. Here’s how they keep you healthy

BY MARGARET NEARING

Stay young

As well as playing a key role in helping blood to clot, vitamin K is critical in preventing certain age-related conditions. Researchers in California found inadequate K can lead to cardiovascular disease, bone fragility, and arterial and kidney calcification. A one-cup (250-mL) raw serving of any of the leafy greens here has at least your daily requirement of K, with kale providing more than six times your needs, dandelion greens five times and Swiss chard about three and a half times.

Lower cholesterol

Mustard greens and kale help lower cholesterol. Here’s how: The liver uses cholesterol to make bile acids, which aid in fat digestion. When bile acid binds with the fibre of these greens, it gets excreted from the body—which means the liver has to use up more cholesterol to make new bile acid and, voilà, cholesterol levels are reduced.

Preserve vision health

Leafy greens—in particular kale, dandelion, mustard greens and Swiss chard—are good sources of carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, which help filter high-energy light that may cause eye damage. Lutein and zeaxanthin reduce discomfort caused by glare, decrease the risk of cataracts and increase how far you can see.

Help fuel your body

A one-cup serving of raw escarole provides 1/10 of your daily needs for vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid). The B vitamins help convert the carbs in food to glucose that the body can use as a fuel to produce energy. B vitamins are water soluble, which means the body doesn’t store them, so you need to get enough each day.

Boost bone health

The slightly bitter taste of many leafy greens is a good sign: It reflects their high levels ofcalcium. It’s unlikely you’d be able to eat enough greens in one day to get the 1,000 mg of calcium recommended daily for women ages 31-50, but they can help you get there: A ½-cup serving of dandelion greens contains 78 mg calcium; mustard greens have 55 mg; Swiss chard has 54 mg; and kale has 49 mg.

Prevent colon cancer

Kale and mustard greens are part of the nutrient-rich Brassica family, which also includes broccoli and cabbage. A study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association in 2011 linked a higher intake of these vegetables with a decreased risk of cancer in the ascending section of the colon.

http://www.besthealthmag.ca

Green vegetables are also a major source of iron and calcium for any diet. Green leafy vegetables are rich in beta-carotene, which can also be converted into vitamin A, and also improve immune function. Millions of children around the world have an increased risk of blindness, and other illnesses because of inadequate dietary vitamin A from green leafy vegetables.

Because of their high magnesium content and low glycemic index, green leafy vegetables are also valuable.

Green veggies contain a variety of carotenoids, flavonoids and other powerful antioxidants that have cancer-protective properties. In a Swedish study, it was reported that eating 3 or more servings a week of green leafy vegetables significantly reduced the risk of stomach cancer, the fourth most frequent cancer in the world. Cabbage, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and broccoli are rich in indoles and isothiocyanates, which protect us against colon and other cancers. Broccoli sprouts have been reported to contain 10 or more times as much sulforaphane, a cancer-protective substance, than does mature broccoli. A higher consumption of green leafy vegetables has been shown to significantly decrease the risk of breast cancer and skin cancer.

Green, leafy vegetables provide a great variety of colors from the bluish-green of kale to the bright kelly green of spinach. Leafy greens run the whole gamut of flavors, from sweet to bitter, from peppery to earthy. Young plants generally have small, tender leaves and a mild flavor. Many mature plants have tougher leaves and stronger flavors. Collards, Swiss chard, bok choy, and spinach provide a mild flavor while arugula, mizuna and mustard greens provide a peppery flavor. Bok choy is best known for use in stir-fries, since it remains crisp, even when cooked to a tender stage. One should always choose crisp leaves with a fresh vibrant green color. Yellowing is a sign of age and indicates that the greens may have an off flavor. Salad greens provide a whole range of important nutrients and phytochemicals to keep us healthy.

http://vegetarian-nutrition.info