Eat it ! PARSLEY

  

Wonderfully nutritious parsley is a popular culinary as well as medicinal herb, which is recognized as one of the functional foods for its unique nutritional and antiseptic properties. The entire plant, comprising leaves, stems and roots is rich in antioxidants, vitamins, phytochemicals, minerals and dietary fibre. It also contains many health benefiting essential volatile oils which include myristicin, limonene, alpha-thujene and eugenol. (eugenol is used in dentistry as a local anaesthetic and antiseptic agent for teeth and gum diseases)

Micronutrients -

• The leaves contain many B vitamins which act as co-enzymes essential during carbohydrates, fat and protein metabolism.

• The root contains calcium, B-complex vitamins and iron, which nourish the glands that help regulate the uptake of calcium.
• Like most herbal plants, it is very rich in phytochemicals and antioxidant vitamins such as vitamin-A, beta-carotene, vitamin-C, vitamin-E, folates, zea-xanthin, lutein and cryptoxanthins. Not to miss is high vitamin K – for preventing inflammatory disorders and promoting bone health (eg. osteoarthritis) and treating Alzheimer’s by limiting neuronal damage in the brain and protecting the myelin sheath around the nerves.

Based on 100 mg with only 36 calories/100g, a comparison of the nutritional values to RDA:-

38% of folates, 220% of vitamin C, 281% of vitamin A, 1366% of vitamin K, 14% of calcium, 77.5% of iron and 5561 mcg of zeaxanthin, 5054 mcg of beta-carotene.

Bulk minerals include potassium, magnesium, iron, manganese, calcium and potassium.

Medicinal benefits

+  Potassium in an important component of cell and body fluids that helps control heart rate and blood pressure by countering the effects of sodium.  For this reason, parsley has been traditionally used for congestion and inflammation of the kidneys and bladder, kidney stones and urine retention problems. This seems to be the cheapest, simplest and natural way of cleaning up the kidneys.

+  It works on the gall bladder and can remove gallstones if used properly by taking a pint of the tea daily.

+  Its antiseptic and carminative properties are excellent for the detoxifying organs – liver and spleen.

+  It has therapeutic effect on the optic nerves with large amounts of Vitamin A, beta-carotene, zea-xanthin and lutein.

+  Studies show that myristicin, an organic compound found in the essential oil of parsley, not only inhibits tumour formation (especially in the lungs, colon and prostate), but also activates the enzyme glutathione-S-transferase to attach to and fight against, oxidized molecules or carcinogens.

+  Homocysteine, a self-produced amino acid threatens the body’s blood vessels when its levels become too high.  The folate (or vitamin B9) found in parsley helps convert homocysteine into harmless molecules.  Hence, a regular garnish of parsley can help ward off cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attack, stroke and atherosclerosis.

+  Many people use parsley root tea to make stiff and unmanageable fingers work again. Pour a quart of boiling water over a cup of firmly packed fresh parsley and steep for 15 minutes.  Strain and then refrigerate. Parsley root and seeds contain ingredients that help produce a pain relieving benefit to relax stiff joints.

 

Safety profile

• Parsley should not be consumed as a drug or supplement by pregnant women. Parsley as an oil, root, leaf or seed could lead to uterine stimulation and pre-term labour.
• This herbal plant is very high in oxalic acid, 1.70 mg per 100 g. Prolonged consumption of foods high in oxalic acid results in gouty arthritis, kidney stones and mineral-nutrient deficiencies.
• Raw parsley juice is a most potent juice and should never be taken alone in quantities of more than one or two ounces at a time unless it is mixed into a sufficient quantity of carrot or other juices.

Just garnish a handful of fresh parsley to almost any dish you are cooking as it goes well with any savoury foods.  Plus, it naturally freshens your breadth.