Many individuals are not familiar with how to cook leek or even how to add them to a healthy Eating plan. They are typically lumped together with other vegetable ingredients and perceived as tasting eless. Although they are not as bland as the majority of vegetable ingredients, do offer varying nutritional value and food value. Like most albums, leeks are full of vitamin C and other healthy compounds. As with alliums, they are good for your health.
Like other members of the onion family, leek is rich in vitamin C, an antioxidant, vitamin A, vitamin B6 and iron. They are good for health and offer numerous health benefits, including lowering blood pressure, strengthening the immune system, lowering cholesterol, regulating blood sugar levels, controlling cholesterol production and regulating stomach function. Like allicin, linalol, a chemical compound in leek is another strong antioxidant that helps protect against free radical damage and oxidative stress. When cooking, be sure to choose olive oil when frying or stir frying. It is the oil with the highest levels of phytochemicals and essential fatty acids.
Spinach has a reputation for being delicious and nutritious. It is a great way to get essential fatty acids, calcium and magnesium. It has been found to have a level of beta-carotene, which is responsible for the dark pigment of spinach. Spinach is a good source of several other vitamins and minerals.
Lettuce is another of the more greens in the vegetable kingdom, but does not have the reputation of being a health food. However, many believe it is an excellent addition to any diet and one of the best leafy vegetables. Lettuce contains important nutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin B-complex, folic acid, phosphorus, niacin and chromium, all of which are beneficial to your diet.
Leek’s bitter taste and smell make it an undesirable food. However, leek contains a variety of flavonoid phenolic compounds, including allicin, thylakoids, betulinic acid and tannic acid. These compounds are believed to have anti-cancer activity and may help decrease the risks of both chronic and degenerative diseases like cancer and heart disease.
It is interesting to note that there are two classifications of phenolic compounds. Peptides are present in larger amounts in black pepper and Cayenne pepper, but much less in yellow pepper, Rosemary and ginger. As a result, they are considered more healthful than oxalates, which occur much more abundantly in green leafy vegetable species like spinach and kale. Oxalates are thought to be more healthful for overall health, although research into their health benefits is still ongoing. Currently, many health professionals recommend limiting consumption of fruits and vegetables rich in oxalates, especially those rich in vitamin C (which has strong antioxidant properties). However, for those with kidney or liver disease or other serious health problems, taking green leafy vegetable supplements may provide a useful source of dietary oxalate.