Lettuce doesn’t just add color to your meals – these green leafy vegetables are also good for your health. The versatile vegetable is full of antioxidants and healthy nutrients.
Salad can be a healthy part of your diet plan. “People often underestimate the nutritional value of salad,” says registered dietitian Susan Campbell in an article published by the Cleveland Clinic (USA). “But as a leafy vegetable, it is just as healthy as kale or spinach.” And since you usually eat lettuce raw, you get the most nutrients because raw vegetables contain more nutrients than cooked ones.
How can salad benefit your health?
Salad has been a healthy part of the human diet since ancient times. Thousands of years ago, Egyptians recognized the health benefits of lettuce and grew it in their gardens. Eating more of these green leafy vegetables has several health benefits:
Good source of vitamins and nutrients
One cup of shredded lettuce leaves (of any kind) contains approximately:
5 to 10 calories. 1 to 2 grams of carbohydrates. 0 grams of cholesterol. 0 grams of fat. 0.5 to 1 gram of fiber.
In terms of nutrients, one cup of lettuce (of any kind) contains up to:
40 micrograms of folate (10% of the daily requirement). 205 micrograms of vitamin A (23% of the daily requirement). 56 micrograms of vitamin K (47% of the daily requirement).
But it’s also important to know that not every salad is the same. For example, red and green lettuce outperform iceberg lettuce in nutritional value, says Campbell. These varieties can contain six to 20 times more vitamin A, vitamin K and lutein. In general, “The lettuce’s darker colors make it more of a match-winner,” adds Campbell.
Protection against free radicals
Lettuce is full of antioxidants. These food chemicals protect you from free radicals, which cause inflammation and can contribute to eye disease, diabetes and other chronic diseases. Lettuce is particularly rich in:
Anthocyanins: This flavonoid destroys free radicals. Anthocyanins are found in red leaf lettuce. It is the pigment that gives leaves their red color.
Carotenoids: Carotenoids include lutein and beta-carotene. “Your body converts beta-carotene into vitamin A, which you need for good vision and a healthy immune system,” says Campbell.
Lutein: This “eye vitamin” protects your eyes from sun damage. It can also prevent or slow macular degeneration, an eye disease that causes vision loss.
Help with losing weight
According to research, eating a small side salad before the main course can make you feel full. This means you consume fewer calories during your meal. The results suggest that starting a meal with a salad may lead to weight loss or help maintain a healthy weight.
Strong bones
Most types of lettuce are excellent sources of vitamin K. “Your body needs vitamin K to build strong bones and clot your blood,” explains Campbell.
One cup of lettuce or romaine contains more than 20% of the recommended daily intake for adults.
Iceberg lettuce provides 10 to 19% of the recommended daily requirement of vitamin K.
Vitamin K, along with lutein and folic acid (vitamin B9), can also help prevent memory loss. A 2018 study found that a daily serving of leafy green vegetables improved memory in people as they age.
Salad keeps you hydrated
Up to 95% of lettuce weight comes from water. So when you eat salad, you are also quenching your thirst. And the high water content fills you up faster and helps curb hunger and prevent overeating.
Conclusion
Lettuce is a versatile vegetable that is affordable and easy to add to dishes. “Salad is a great fat-free, low-calorie way to incorporate more leafy greens into your meals,” says Campbell. (ad)