Very rich in fiber, vitamin C, chlorophyll and folic acid, they are powerful antioxidants against tissue acidity
Endive, radicchio, cabbage, chard, fennel, broccoli, cauliflower, artichokes, thistles, turnips, beets … Winter vegetables are not just a side dish, but precious foods that have the power to act on our genetic heritage, supporting integrity and the functions of our DNA. In fact, just as the nutrients contained in these vegetables protect their plant structure against low temperatures to resist the reduction of the duration and intensity of sunlight and to overcome the climatic variations typical of winter, in the same way they also favor the morpho-structural integrity of the human body. What is good for them is good for us too.
There are three important reasons to bring them to the table:
Leafy vegetables are also very rich in an important vitamin: folic acid. Its name derives from the fact that it was first extracted from the leaves. "It is an essential vitamin in the formation of red blood cells, in the metabolism of some amino acids and promotes the renewal of all body cells subjected to greater environmental stress during the winter", says the doctor. This too is another example of a close relationship between the plant world and the human body. Just as folic acid protects the integrity of the leaves of winter vegetables, so it protects human cells. "Its deficiency can cause macrocytic anemia and is responsible for the onset of asthenia and weakness, digestive disorders, changes in the tongue and other symptoms. The most exposed subjects are children, pregnant women and young people in rapid growth due to their active cell proliferation, as well as those who have an intense daily motor activity ". But beware: cooking green leafy vegetables causes a considerable loss of this leaf vitamin. "For this reason – suggests the nutritionist – it is important that vegetables are raw and fresh, because if cooked, they lose folic acid. All finely chopped to promote gastric digestion ".
The vegetables of the winter garden also contain doses of vitamin C even higher than citrus fruits. "This consistent presence is another clear example of nutritional complementarity between the vegetated world of the cold season with the human organism, since vitamin C is essential for the defense of the integrity of leafy vegetables, as it is essential for the defense of human organism from adverse winter climatic conditions. Also in this case, in order not to lose the precious substance, it is essential to consume raw vegetables, otherwise, with high temperatures, it becomes inactive ”.
And it doesn't stop there. Finally, winter vegetables provide nutrients such as aromas, enzymes, terpenes, whose exact nutritional meaning is not fully known, but which are certainly very effective for the well-being and efficiency of our cells. “Every season – concludes the doctor – offers its plant foods for the health of the human body. It is up to us to know how to guide the hand that chooses and carries food from plate to mouth, eating following the seasons of the sun ”.
