Lettuce is a salad that can be found on all plates throughout the year and more particularly in the spring when it is new. It is very popular for its tender green or red leaves. Lettuce is also part of all French vegetable gardens as it is known and appreciated for its taste values. This salad, native to Europe and Asia, grows in some temperate countries, in the wild, along paths and paths. Besides the fact that lettuce is appreciated for consumption, it contains many beneficial nutrients for our health. Here are the main ones.
Lettuce is popular for its light and refreshing taste. By consuming it regularly, we often do not know that we are doing our body a lot of good as it is full of nutrients, minerals and many vitamins. Vitamin B9 or folic acid in particular, is very present in this salad. Folic acid helps renew our cells in our body. This vitamin B9 is in higher concentration in romaine lettuce, leaf lettuce, iceberg and Boston.
Vitamin A is very present in lettuce and more particularly in curly leaf. We still find vitamin C, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin C3 and vitamin K in lettuce and more particularly in romaine and frisee. On the nutrient side, lettuce is a good source for iron, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, iron, zinc and manganese.
Lettuce is a very popular salad during small diets, because it has only 15 kcal per 100 grams raw and a little less when eaten cooked. Depending on whether the consumption concerns the heart or the green leaves, the nutritional contribution is not the same and to balance everything, it is advisable to mix the two.
People prone to constipation can consume lettuce as it is high in fiber. 15% to 35% of them are in soluble form. In addition to its satiating power, lettuce helps to have a good intestinal transit. It is better to consume it in the evening so that the fibers act on the intestinal bolus the next morning.
Lettuce is still known for its beneficial effects during inflammation of the intestines of the gallbladder or even the liver. This salad is also very beneficial to fight against urine retention. If consumed in the form of alcoholature, it could decrease blood sugar levels by about 30% in people with diabetes.
Thanks to the phenolic compounds contained in lettuce, the body would be better protected from damage created by free radicals, but you must consume red lettuce on a regular basis, which is the variety containing the most antioxidants. In any case, regular consumption of lettuce provides phenolic compounds that are beneficial to health. Beta-carotenes and lutein are also compounds with antioxidant properties that reduce exposure to the risks of certain cancers.
Lettuce in decoction helps promote sleep and regulate intestinal transit. For a liter of water, you must put 100 grams of leaves and drink a large cup in the evening before going to bed. For paronychia and boils, lettuce can be used as a poultice by cooking its leaves in water which is then placed on the affected part for a quarter of an hour when the leaves are lukewarm.
If you have lettuce in the garden, this is ideal, because you can pick it up just before eating it. Otherwise, you can keep it for one or two days in the vegetable drawer of your refrigerator while wrapping it in a freshness bag slightly moistened with water.
In order to preserve the maximum benefits of lettuce, if you eat it raw, it must be washed at the last moment before eating. Run it only in very cold water before wringing it out. Watch out for the reddish oxidation that develops if you store it, as it destroys vitamin C. Avoid cutting the salad with a knife. The vinaigrette should only be served at the last moment.
There is no contraindication to lettuce. It is only necessary to limit its consumption when taking vitamin K as part of an anticoagulant treatment with the exception of iceberg lettuce. If you have fragile intestines, you should not consume too large quantities because of the dietary fiber it contains. It is best to eat this salad from the garden or choose it from an organic source to avoid ingesting any chemical treatments.
