PIONEER Health lists a few green vegetables that one must include in one’s diet
Most of us have seen Hollywood movies where children hate eating brussels sprouts. But there are several reasons why one must eat it. This green veggie is full of protein, iron and potassium.
Half a cup of brussels sprouts contains 48 mg of Vitamin C, which is about 50 per cent of what men need each day and about 65 per cent of what women need on a daily basis.
Also called folic acid, folate is a B Vitamin present in large doses in leafy green vegetables. One-half cup of brussels sprouts provides 47 microgram of folate which is approximately 12 per cent of the 400 microgram one needs daily.
This green veggie also contains phytonutrient called organosulfur compounds, which have anti-oxidant properties. These compounds protect cells from oxidative stress, a type of damage that can harm your DNA.
Three-fourth of a cup of brussels sprouts will help meet one’s daily Vitamin K requirement improves bone health by improving calcium absorption.
CABBAGE
While most people prefer to use this vegetable in salads, this veggie, also called patta gobi, has far greater benefits than we credit it with. First, it is a powerful brain food. This is because it is rich in iodine which improves brain function. Iodine also helps prevent and treat neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s. Second, the vegetable is full of vitamins, minerals, fibre and other nutrients. Since it is low in calories, one can eat a whole pile of it and not gain many calories.
Third, eating patta gobi along with other cruciferous vegetables has anti-aging properties. The rich amount of Vitamin C in this vegetable keeps the skin youthful.
The vegetable is also good when it comes to curing many skin problems like eczema, psoriasis, acne, rashes, insect bites, leg ulcers, and wounds.
Finally, it helps cure arthritis as well.
FENUGREEK lEAVES
Also known as methi, this green leafy vegetable is more popular as a herb in most cultures. Due to its variety of benefits, many use this leaf to add flavour to the dish. However, there are several households in north India who cook this vegetable with potatoes especially in winters.
It is a very good source of iron. That is why fenugreek — seeds and leaves — is considered medicinal for curing anemia.
It is a very good source of roughage. It will fulfill the body’s fibre requirements. Earlier, people used to consume it when they were constipated.
The leafy vegetable is a great source of protein and nicotinic acid. These nutrients are good for the hair — they give shine and maintain good healthy hair.
Believe it or not, if you crush fresh leaves of methi or make a glass of juice out of it, it is a perfect health drink to control the hormonal level of insulin.
GREEN BEANS
You can call them string beans snap beans or even French beans but the fact remains that these vegetables have the potential of reducing the risk of obesity, depression, heart diseases and can even control diabetes. The beans contain about twice the amount of iron as compared to spinach. If one has anemia, low energy or metabolism, green beans are the magical food one must eat.
This vegetable is a powerhouse of vitamins and nutrients and can do wonders for the skin, hair and nails. The beans are loaded with a type of silicon, which is important for the formation of healthy connective tissues.
Besides this, the veggie is good for the eyes, prevents osteoporosis and full of dietary fibre.
FENNEl
It is an aromatic herb that belongs to the parsley family. Though in India we don’t eat fennel, we eat the seeds — saunf. But this vegetable has plenty of benefits and therefore should be included in the diet.
The good part is that it can be eaten raw or cooked in salads or pastas.
Some say that fennel may help with the treatment of glaucoma, a condition that causes a gradual loss of sight. Of course, in India, our grandmothers having been using saunf water to treat colic in babies.
Fennel also helps to maintain cholesterol. It removes damaging lDl cholesterol, a major factor in heart diseases, atherosclerosis, and strokes.
BITTER GOURD
Here is a bit of a catch. Also called karela, this vegetable is actually not a veggie but a fruit. But since Indians eat it as a sabzi, we will go by the popular belief that it is a vegetable that contains a truck full of nutrients — iron, magnesium and vitamin to potassium and Vitamin C.
It is an excellent source of dietary fibre. It contains twice the calcium of spinach, beta-carotene of broccoli, and the potassium of a banana.
The World Health Organisation has estimated that over 382 million people worldwide suffer from diabetes. Bitter gourd contains an insulin-like compound called polypeptide-p or p-insulin which has been shown to control diabetes naturally. According to a 2011 study, published in the journal Ethnopharmacolgy, a four-week clinical trial showed that 2,000 mg of bitter gourd, when taken on regular basis, reduced the blood glucose level significantly in the patients suffering from type-2 diabetes.
The fruit/vegetable is good when it comes to getting rid of alcohol in the system. Sip some bitter gourd juice to get rid of the intoxication settled in the liver.