Red leaf lettuce is one of the most popular vegetables in the world. It’s very easy to grow and it tastes great!
You may have heard about its many health benefits, but what are they? What do they really mean?
Let’s take a look at some of them.
1) Red leaf lettuce is rich in vitamins A, C, E and K2 (in addition to other nutrients).
These are all essential for good health. They are also important for your immune system function and reduce inflammation.
This helps prevent diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes and arthritis. Also, they lower cholesterol levels which reduces your risk of developing cardiovascular disease or stroke.
2) Red leaf lettuce contains fiber which is necessary for regular bowel movements.
Fiber helps with digestion and keeps blood sugar levels stable. It also improves mood and lowers depression.
3) Red leaf lettuce is high in potassium which helps regulate body fluids, electrolytes, hormones and regulates muscle contractions.
Potassium also aids in regulating blood pressure and maintaining normal nerve impulses throughout the brain. It prevents seizures as well as relieves pain from osteoarthritis of the knee joint.
4) Red leaf lettuce is rich in iron which prevents anemia and improves oxygen uptake.
It also helps prevent fatigue and increases energy levels.
5) Lettuce can help with weight loss.
It is a low-calorie food that fills you up. In fact, some diet plans even use it to replace meat in meals (check the book The Complete Book of Food and Nutrition).
6) Finally, red leaf lettuce can help prevent or reduce eye disorders such as macular degeneration and cataracts.
It is important to protect your vision as you age!
Some ideas on how to eat more lettuce:
You can add chopped lettuce to any sandwich or wrap. You can add it to burger meat to give it more flavor and nutritional value.
You can also just have a big salad full of different kinds of lettuce!
Lettuce can also be cooked! Some delicious recipes that use lettuce are:
-Lettuce wraps (ground beef, chopped mushrooms and chopped lettuce wrapped in a lettuce leaf)
-Lettuce soup (add a bit of cream and butter for flavor, as well as some carrot slices for color)
-Stuffed lettuce (stuff a tomato with tuna, mayonnaise and chopped romaine)
These are just a few ideas on how to enjoy your lettuce. There are many other recipes out there as well!
Lettuce is a great food that everyone can benefit from. It is easy and inexpensive to grow yourself, or you can just buy a head at the grocery store when you need it.
I hope you enjoyed reading about the health benefits of red leaf lettuce!
to 30 Healthy Low-Calorie Foods Part 1
to 30 Healthy Low-Calorie Foods Part 3
Sources & references used in this article:
Alkylperoxyl Radical Scavenging Activity of Red Leaf Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) Phenolics by CR Caldwell – Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 2003 – ACS Publications
Changes in the flavonoid and phenolic acid contents and antioxidant activity of red leaf lettuce (Lollo Rosso) due to cultivation under plastic films varying in ultraviolet … by P García-Macías, M Ordidge, E Vysini… – Journal of agricultural …, 2007 – ACS Publications
Photoregulation of bioprotectant content of red leaf lettuce with light-emitting diodes by GW Stutte, S Edney, T Skerritt – HortScience, 2009 – journals.ashs.org
Nutritional value, bioactive compounds and health benefits of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) by MJ Kim, Y Moon, JC Tou, B Mou… – Journal of Food …, 2016 – Elsevier
Effect of supplemental ultraviolet radiation on the concentration of phytonutrients in green and red leaf lettuce (Lactuca sativa) cultivars by S Britz, C Caldwell, R Mirecki… – Ultraviolet Ground-and …, 2005 – spiedigitallibrary.org
