Lettuce which in scientific language is called Lactuva sativa is a plant that belongs to vegetables. The health benefits of lettuce include good for preventing cancer. This vegetable was first cultivated by the Egyptians even in Unani used as traditional medicine in treating various diseases. This vegetable is nutrient dense even as a source of important antioxidants and is often a complement in salads, sandwiches, soups, and so on.
Lettuce or Lactuva sativa is a vegetable rich in vitamins and minerals, it is rich in vitamin K and vitamin A with great benefits. The benefits of lettuce are reducing weight, controlling inflammation, good for brain health, and good as a medicinal food for cardiovascular. However, lettuce is not one type, there are many types of this plant that you should know. Here we will look at the health benefits of lettuce, its types, nutrition and possible lettuce side effects. Read on to the end of the article.
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What Is Lettuce?
Lettuce is a vegetable plant that belongs to the daisy family, it is an annual plant. It is planted because of the importance of the leaves. Lettuce plants need low temperatures or thrive in cool places, this is important so they don’t flower.
It does look like cabbage, but there is a difference in terms of water content. Cabbage contains less water than lettuce. Then the cabbage has a tougher stem than the lettuce. The lettuce is crispy and good at grilling.
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History of Lettuce
Lettuce is native to Egypt and they (the ancient Egyptians) grew it for oil from the seeds. As early as 2680 BC, there is evidence of lettuce growing.
In various medieval writings, lettuce is also mentioned frequently, this is 1098 to 1179. In particular, this plant is referred to as a plant for traditional medicine. Lettuce was brought by Christopher Columbus from Europe to America in the 15th century. Then in various books published in the 18th and 19th centuries, various types of lettuce were mentioned that emerged at that time.
Lettuce is an important vegetable for the world of medicine. There are many known health benefits of lettuce, and this plant is also well known for its many medicinal benefits. Here we see what are the benefits of lettuce for health.
Best Health Benefits Of Lettuce?
Lettuce is a vegetable rich in antioxidants, vitamin C, vitamin K, potassium and vitamin A. Lettuce is good as a vegetable that can fight inflammation, and can reduce the risk of inflammatory diseases such as diabetes and cancer.
The health benefits of lettuce will be even stronger if you use Romanian lettuce, the darkest lettuce has the highest nutritional content.
1. Great for fighting inflammation
One of the benefits of lettuce is that it fights inflammation. In lettuce there are certain proteins such as lipoxygenase, which functions to control inflammation. In a study in Iran, this has been proven where it is stated that lettuce has been used in medicine to fight inflammation and osteodynia, a disease of bone pain.
Substances that help eliminate inflammation in lettuce are the content of vitamins A, E and vitamin K. To get maximum results, you can try to eat two cups of lettuce a day. In addition to lettuce, there are some vegetables that contain vitamin K such as kale, broccoli, spinach, and cabbage. The darker the lettuce, the more antioxidants it contains and this is better for health.
Lettuce is a nutritious vegetable that provides many benefits for good health, it contributes to relieving joint inflammation, etc. associated with this disease.
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2. Help lose weight
One serving of lettuce contains only 5 calories. This is the main reason why this vegetable is important in losing weight. Another benefit of lettuce is being a link between micronutrients that the body sometimes doesn’t absorb when on a low-calorie diet.
In addition, lettuce is also low in energy, especially in Romanian lettuce. Romanian lettuce is 95% water and contains one gram of fiber per cup. Fiber is useful for preventing you from eating when you are full, and keeping you full so you don’t have the urge to overeat.
Not only low in calories, lettuce is also very low in fat. So at lunch, you can add a large leaf of lettuce to meet your nutrition and prevent excess fat and calories. But until now the effect of weight loss does not occur directly but supports in various ways so that you can lose weight slowly.
3. Improves brain health
Damage to brain cells can cause nerve cells, resulting in a disease called Alzheimer’s. Some studies say that lettuce extract can control nerve cell damage.
Lettuce is a vegetable that is rich in nitrates, these nitrates are converted into nitric oxide in the body. It is a cellular signaling molecule and can improve endothelial function. If this function is reduced, then a person can experience impaired and decreased cognition. By consuming lettuce regularly, this problem can be slowed down.
4. Good for heart health
Romanian lettuce is the best source of folate, this is a B vitamin that converts homocysteine and then into methionine. Homocysteine is not converted into methionine substances, it will be harmful to blood vessels, it damages blood vessels by causing plaque accumulation, and this is bad for heart health.
Not only rich in folate, lettuce also contains vitamin C which is useful for relieving arterial stiffness. That is, it can nourish the arteries and this is good for heart health. Two servings of Romanian lettuce in your daily diet can protect your heart disease from harm.
The health benefits of lettuce are not only good for the heart, they are also good for blood pressure health. Potassium content is good for stabilizing blood pressure. Lettuce is also beneficial for lowering LDL and increasing HDL which is good for the heart.
5. Fights cancer
Furthermore, the benefits of lettuce are fighting cancer cells, especially stomach cancer cells.
Non-starchy vegetables are extraordinary vegetables that research shows can protect a person from several serious diseases such as: cancer of the mouth, throat, stomach, and esophagus. In addition, lettuce was also investigated and the results stated that lettuce is also good for preventing lung cancer, as tested on a smoker in Japan.
6. Reduce the risk of diabetes
Based on research shows that green leafy vegetables similar to lettuce can reduce the risk of diabetes. This is related to a low glycemic index, foods that do not cause a rapid spike in blood sugar when consumed.
A cup of lettuce contains 5 calories of calories and 2 grams of carbohydrates. Consuming these vegetables is great for a diabetes friendly diet. Romanian lettuce is the most superior type of lettuce because it contains essential nutrients. Lettuce contains lactucaxanthin. The benefit of this substance is to lower blood sugar levels.
7. Boost immunity
The presence of vitamin A and vitamin C in lettuce provides its own benefits, such as increasing immunity. To keep the body healthy and away from disease, one way is to diligently consume lettuce, the best is Romanian lettuce.
8. Lettuce is good for pregnant women
This is a nutrient-rich vegetable that is good for pregnant women to eat. Good for her and good for her baby. Lettuce contains folate which is an important vitamin for babies in preventing birth defects. In addition, lettuce is also rich in vitamin K which is useful for keeping the blood from thinning so as to prevent bleeding during pregnancy.
Lettuce is also rich in fiber, this is an important nutrient to prevent constipation, considering that pregnant women are prone to this problem. So eating lettuce is the best choice. Romaine lettuce is richer in nutrients, in a cup of romaine lettuce has provided as much as 64 micrograms of folate.
9. Good for muscle strength
This is thanks to the presence of potassium in lettuce. So, one of the health benefits of lettuce is that it gives strength to the muscles and increases the body’s metabolism. Nitrates are also found in lettuce so consuming this vegetable is good for increasing exercise intensity.
10. Can improve hair and skin health
Vitamin A in lettuce provides great benefits, it acts as an antioxidant that can replace dead skin cells. While vitamin C protects the skin from UV radiation, besides that, the benefits of vitamin C are to fight free radicals that enter the body, including preventing premature skin wrinkles, or preventing premature aging.
You can use lettuce juice in the morning to wash your face, it will improve your skin health.
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11. Fights anemia
The benefits of folate are not only for the health of the baby, but are also useful for preventing some forms of anemia. Folate is useful in preventing megaloblastic anemia, this is another form of anemia, in which the red blood cells are very large and underdeveloped. Romaine lettuce is the best choice for increasing folate intake.
12. Keep the body hydrated
These green vegetables contain 95% water and consuming lettuce can keep the body hydrated.
Consuming vegetables rich in water is good for adding fluids and maintaining the stability of body fluids.
13. Improve eye health
Lettuce is also beneficial for eye health, it contains an antioxidant called zeaxanthin, this is an antioxidant that plays a role in protecting the eyes and repairing damage to vision. It also contains lutein, an antioxidant that works together with zeaxanthin in preventing macular degeneration.
14. Good for digestion
Lettuce contains a lot of fiber which is useful for improving digestion and preventing various digestive diseases. Including bloating, by consuming enough fiber, a person will get a smooth digestive system and be free from many stomach disorders.
15. Treat insomnia
Lettuce contains lactucarium substances whose benefits are to calm the nervous system. Eating lettuce is very easy, you can add it to salads, or you can cook it as a vegetable. Instead, lettuce is eaten raw or undercooked so that the nutrients are not damaged. Besides lactucarium, lettuce is also a source of lactucin which is beneficial in inducing sleep.
Since the Middle Ages, lettuce has been the best food for preventing insomnia.
16. The benefits of lettuce for bone health
Lettuce contains vitamin K, vitamins A, and C. All of them are important in producing collagen, the first step for bone formation. Lettuce is a source of all three types of vitamins. Where the benefits of vitamin K is to help the formation of cartilage, vitamin A is useful to help the development of bone cells, if this is deficient, then the bones can cause bone loss. While vitamin C is also beneficial for bones, it acts in preventing bone thinning. Bone thinning is a factor in premature aging, therefore all these vitamins work together in maintaining healthy bones.
If a person is deficient in vitamin K, it can lead to a reduction in bone mass. Consuming lettuce regularly can prevent bone problems and maintain and protect your bones.
