From the point of view of experts, leaf lettuce is one of the oldest, most commonly consumed and healthy plants in the world. This product is not only nutritious, but also has healing properties. Among all low-calorie foods, salad comes first. Lettuce, lettuce, iceberg, arugula, Chinese cabbage, Chinese cabbage - there are a lot of names and types of lettuce, but not one of them will give its palm to other food products by a small amount of calories and a high content of healthy substances.
Today we would like to talk on the topic: “Lettuce: benefit and harm”, discuss important issues regarding the properties of the product, its composition, calorie content, healing qualities, contraindications, etc.
Lettuce is a versatile product. Its useful properties
I want to start with the topic "Lettuce: the benefits and harms, useful properties." Salad leaves can be safely called a universal food product. A distinctive feature of it is that it is available at any time of the year. Leaf lettuce can be consumed from early spring to late autumn. It is grown on its own in the garden beds in the country, bought at grocery stores. Access to the product is open year-round, and the price does not change much depending on the season, which significantly saves money in your wallet and is a big plus.
Salad leaves are used not only in the form of salads, but also as a kind of light side dish for fish and meat dishes. And how beautiful salad leaves look on a plate, actively complementing and diluting the color scheme of the main dish!
Salad leaves have a number of useful properties and qualities. They contain a huge amount of trace elements that have a beneficial effect on the human body. Eating lettuce leaves ensures the normalization of the nervous system, strengthening immunity, and lowering blood pressure.
Continuing the theme: “Lettuce: benefits and harms, properties”, I would like to note that this product is recognized as indispensable for people suffering from insomnia. The leaves contain a substance such as the glycosoid lactucin, which has a beneficial effect on the nervous system, has calming and relaxing properties.
A high potassium content helps to normalize blood pressure. As a rule, pressure jumps from those who seek to defeat extra pounds. Some dietary foods adversely affect the functioning of the body as a whole and the cardiovascular system in particular. But lettuce, the benefits and harms of which have been discussed by nutritionists for a long time, is recognized as a safe product for the heart and arteries. In addition, due to the low calorie content, lettuce leaves are great for those who decide to lose weight. They can be consumed in large quantities, quickly get a feeling of fullness, add microelements and vitamins to your body. In this case, do not add extra pounds.
Lettuce and colds
The next topic that I would like to touch on: "Lettuce: benefits and harms to the body, help in the fight against diseases." Few people know, but leaf lettuce is an excellent tool that strengthens the immune system and helps to cope with colds. Eating this product contributes to a faster recovery, a milder course of the disease, a reduced manifestation of sedimentary phenomena in the bronchi, a decrease in cough, etc.
If the lettuce, the benefits and harms of which we are discussing today, is mixed with lemon juice, you will get an excellent remedy to strengthen the immune system. By the way, they already contain a rather large amount of vitamin C. By using salad leaves with lemon juice at least once a day, you can defeat the flu and SARS much faster.
Salad leaves and a wealth of vitamins
Now let's touch on the topic: "Lettuce - the benefits and harms - the composition." The vitamin set contained in lettuce is quite high. For example, vitamin C, as we have said, helps fight viral diseases. Vitamin K takes an active part in the work of the circulatory system. It helps regulate blood coagulation. Vitamin A in the product has a beneficial effect on the organs of vision. By the way, experts advise more often to combine green salad leaves and carrots or beets. This combination will not only normalize the functioning of the optic nerves, restore vision, soothe tired eyes for a day, but also help prevent atherosclerosis.
Experts also advise children to eat salad leaves. They contain a large amount of fluorine, calcium and potassium, as well as iron. All of these substances, as you know, are simply necessary for the normal growth and development of the musculoskeletal system of the child.
Impact on the liver and digestive system
Very often, doctors do not recommend eating salad leaves to patients suffering from diseases of the liver and digestive tract. So, the next topic for discussion: "Lettuce: the benefits and harms of the liver and digestive organs." Without a doubt, this product has a number of useful qualities and properties. However, people who suffer from liver diseases suffer from gastritis, duodenitis, colitis or a duodenal ulcer, it is not recommended to use lettuce leaves.
Limit the consumption of lettuce leaves is also necessary for people who have stomach diseases, urolithiasis or gout.
Remember that all foods should be eaten in moderation. If you want (despite the presence of the disease) to try lettuce leaves, then try to eat a small amount of them. Do not use them alone, combine with side dishes, fish and meat dishes.
Slimming and leafy vegetable
Surely most of you lettuce leaves are associated with losing weight young ladies. If so, then it's time to talk on the topic: "Lettuce: the benefits and harms of losing weight." Undoubtedly, this product is very low-calorie, it can be eaten in large quantities. But it is worth remembering the contraindications and limitations associated with the state of health. If there are none, then boldly run to make a salad of lettuce.
You did the right thing if, sitting on a diet, you decided to eat lettuce in large quantities. Health benefits and harms are diverse. But there are still more positive qualities and properties than negative ones. If you often eat salad, your body will not be prone to the formation of fatty deposits, the accumulation of cholesterol and the appearance of cholesterol plaques. The folic acid and B vitamins contained in it will not allow this.
The digestive tract also normalizes. And, as you know, all who are on a diet, failures in this area - a common phenomenon.
By the way, lettuce, the benefits and harms, the beneficial substances and properties of which we are discussing today, are real helpers to the body losing weight. They contribute to the rapid saturation and accelerated absorption of nutrients contained in other foods.
List of Vitamins in Lettuce
So, we already talked separately about those beneficial substances that are contained in salad leaves. Now we summarize the topic: “Lettuce: benefit and harm, the content of vitamins”, listing the main ones. We also give a brief description of the work of substances.
- Vitamin A (positive effect on the organs of vision).
- Vitamins of group B (victory over cholesterol, strengthening the immune system, normalization of the digestive system).
- Vitamin C (strengthening immunity in children, help in the fight against colds and viral diseases).
- Vitamin E (help in the treatment of anemia, normalization of the blood-forming organs).
- Vitamins PP, K, N (normalize lipid-fat metabolism, contribute to weight loss, reduce the risk of intestinal problems, diarrhea).
Trace elements contained in leaf lettuce:
- Potassium and magnesium.
- Phosphorus and calcium.
- Chlorine and Sodium.
- Copper and selenium.
- Zinc and Manganese.
- Iodine.
- Beta carotene.
- Alkaloid lacticin.
- Lutein.
Experts say that lettuce is one of the few foods that have a "starry" composition. They contain so many substances that are beneficial to human health, that their benefits to the body are unlimited.
Benefits and harm for pregnant women
After talking about the benefits in general, I would like to touch specifically on male and female health. Let's start with the fair sex. We will discuss a very important topic: "Salad leaves during pregnancy: benefits and harms."
As you know, pregnant women must very strictly monitor their diet and choose the right products. Experts advise future mothers to include lettuce in their diet. These products have a positive effect on the normalization of the emotional state of the pregnant woman, contribute to the full and proper intrauterine development of the fetus. Folic acid, which is part of the salad, helps to avoid premature birth, miscarriages and the appearance of defects in the fetus. Calcium contained in lettuce leaves helps to build a strong bone system, and protein is an excellent building material for the muscle system.
As a rule, in pregnant women, the state of the hormonal background is very disturbed. So, the frequent use of lettuce leaves will help its normalization and stabilization. During a riot of hormones in pregnant women spoil nails, hair and skin. The substances contained in leaf lettuce help normalize the functioning of the sebaceous glands, nullify the appearance of acne, eliminate dry skin, strengthen the nail plate, reduce hair loss, etc.
Women who have already become happy mummies should also not forget about lettuce in their diet. Their constant use contributes to lactation, an increase in the amount of milk.
Salad leaves, in addition, help fight gynecological diseases, are the prevention of the appearance of cancers in the chest.
Salad leaves and men's health
As we have already said, the rich vitamin composition of the product helps in the treatment of many diseases. Men, often suffering from fast fatigue and reduced immunity, are simply obliged to include leaf lettuce in their diet.
In addition, vitamins and minerals help the production of testosterone, reduce the risk of problems with the genitourinary system, provide the production of a sufficient amount of sperm, blood flow to the male genital organ. Frequent consumption of lettuce helps to normalize the hormonal background and eliminates problems with potency.
Men who are actively involved in sports, lift large weights and run in the morning, simply must eat green salad. A set of vitamins that make up its composition, helps maintain water metabolism, growth and strengthening of muscle mass, weight loss.
Well and simply irreplaceable green leafy vegetable for balding men. The infusion of leaves and seeds of lettuce helps to get rid of baldness, to get a thick luxurious head of hair. Tincture deeply penetrates the scalp, normalizes the sebaceous glands, nourishes the hair roots, is an excellent tool for the prevention of baldness.
Daily rate, calories
So, we have already discussed all the important topics, figured out what are the benefits and harms of eating leaf lettuce. It remains to talk about the daily rate and calories of this product.
If we talk about the nutrition of children, then children under the age of twelve are recommended to eat 50 grams of salad per day. Adults should double this figure. If you don’t have a home kitchen scale, what should I do? Measure finely torn salad with cups or mugs. One hundred grams of leaf lettuce is a small bowl or two standard glasses from which you drink tea in the morning.
Salad leaves are low-calorie foods. On average, one hundred grams of a product contains twelve calories. This figure can vary a few points back and forth, depending on the type of salad. One hundred grams of lettuce also contains about 1.5 grams of protein, 0.12 grams of fat, 2.9 grams of carbohydrates, 1.5 grams of fiber and dietary fiber, 0.7 grams of sugar. As we can see, the vegetable contains a very small amount of carbohydrates and fats. All its calorie content is formed from sugar and protein.
It would seem that how a small green leaf can contain so many useful substances, vitamins, trace elements? It helps in the fight against diseases, makes fat people slender, helps pregnant women while carrying a baby, and helps young mothers to feed their babies. The mystery of nature ... But the fact remains. Leaf lettuce is the most useful food product that must be consumed for both children and adult men and women.