Herbs are now gaining their rightful place in the charts of health foods. One of them being parsley. Pasrley is a green leafy flowering plan which is mainly used for garnishing. The string and unique flavor is the reason for its popularity however it is also nutrient loaded and has many other benefits apart from taste. Listed are 5 ways that Parsley can have good effect on your health.
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Helps in fighting Anemia
Parsley is rich in folic acid and Iron both of which help the body in producing and maintaining blood cells. Taking a cup of parsley of a span of a day helps in increasing the red blood cells count and beating anemia. Anemia can cause serious setback in your life as you are constantly tired and have no energy to fulfill daily activities
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Improves Cardiovascular Health
Parsley contains flavonoids which are powerhouse of antioxidants. A recent study has shown that there is a clear relation between dietery flavonoid and reduction in the risk of cardiovascular health(1). According to WHO cardiovascular disease is the No 1 cause of death worldwide. This clearly shows the importance of adding flavonoids in out diet. One of the easy way to do it, is to include parsley every day. It is widely available and will save you a lot in the long run.
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Prevents age related eye disease and improves overall Eye Health
Parsley contain 82.9 µg of lutein+zeaxanthin which studies have shown to protect your eye from age related diseases like age related macular degeneration (AMD). Additionally, It has beta carotene which is also good for the eyes. Age related eye diseases have become very common these days due to exposure to increasing pollution. Parsley is also a good resource for Vitamin A which is good for vision. Retinal is one form of Vitamin A which is needed by the retina for good vision in low light and in colour (3)
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Reduces the severity of Cold
Vitamin C which is also contained in parsley is known to reduce the severity of cold according to studies (4) if taken regularly. Next time you catch cold, sprinkle some parsley on your soup for the added boost
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Helps keep bones strong
Parsley is also a powerhouse of Vitamin K which is essential for bone health. Vitamin K deficiency could lead the bone to weaken leading to diseases like osteoporosis. Osteoporosis affects around 75 million people in Europe, USA and Japan (6) This statistic alone is enough to start taking care of your bone health.
Parsley though a small and leafy plant is filled with goodness for health. It is undeniably one of the healthiest food. And it is also suitable for everyone, with or without any health condition. So next time you prepare dinner, season it with a little herb for optimum health and wellness
(2) “NIH study provides clarity on suppements for protection against blinding eye disease”. US National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD. 5 May 2013. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
(3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_A
(4) The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (1): CD000980. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD000980.pub4. PMC 1160577. PMID 23440782.
(5) Micronutrient Information Center, Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR. July 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
(6) 1. EFFO and NOF (1997) Who are candidates for prevention and treatment for osteoporosis? Osteoporos Int 7:1.
