Lettuce is cultivated as a leaf vegetable in all parts of the world. Lettuce belongs to the daisy family, Asteraceae. Lettuces are usually green to yellow-green, sometimes they may have brownish purple colour. This leafy vegetable is often eaten raw as a salad or it is used as a food wrap.
Having a bowl of lettuce salad every day can help you in many ways.
Lettuce is an excellent source of fiber and cellulose, it improves digestion and promotes long term weight loss. It is also rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, and vitamin K. It is rich in minerals such as potassium, magnesium, iron, calcium and zinc.
It is one of the best foods for weight loss. It is rich in fiber and cellulose, but low in calories and has no fat. Cellulose provides a feeling of fullness and delays gastric emptying. It helps in preventing you from over eating. It removes wastes and toxins from the body. It promotes the excretion of bile acids in feces and reduces cholesterol leve;s.
It is rich in omega-3 fatty acids which s required by the body for optimum health. It provides both physical and mental benefits. It is abundant in this nutrient which makes it ideal for vegetarians who cannot have fish. Omega-3 fatty acids improves your cardiovascular health as it removes and prevents plaque formation which hardens your arteries and promotes blood flow without forcing your heart to pump too hard.
Lettuce is a nutritious food that provides you a range of skin care benefits. It contains terpenes, cardenolides and glucanases. These enzymes, which comprise the lettuce’s antibacterial properties, reduce the bacterial infections of the skin. Lettuce contains omega 3 that can treat minor skin infections linked to acne.
Lettuce has antioxidant and antifungal property. The latex of lettuce, which is called lactucarium can eradicate various types of yeasts including candida albicans. It helps in protecting your body from harmful microbes. It is rich in biochemical terpenes and cardenolides.
Lettuce reduces the risk of stroke, hypertension and cardiac arrest. It lowers the bad cholesterol levels as well as blood pressure. It helps in maintaining normal blood viscosity and plays a role in maintaining optimal brain function. Lettuce has anxiolytic and sedative properties. When eaten regularly it helps in relieving stress and anxiety.
Lettuce induces sleep as it contains lactucarium which is a chemical milky white in colour and has similar properties like opium. It helps you relax and enhances your sleep quality. It has no harmful side effects when compared to opium.
Lettuce keeps you hydrated. You can at a bowl of lettuce salad to keep you well hydrated. It contains a significant amount of potassium, which plays an important role in maintaining fluid balance in your body. It promotes the transmission of electrical signals all over body and improves the efficiency of nerve flexes. It aids in muscle contraction to execute numerous tasks without being exhausted too quickly.
It is abundant in vitamin K which helps in preventing neural defects during gestation and hemorrhage during childbirth. Lettuce contains folate which is essential for DNA synthesis during pregnancy.
