Collard green is one of the most popular vegetables of the Brassica family. It has cabbage-like leaves with high nutrients inside. You can consume it whether in raw as a salad and juice or as a cooked dish without losing its nutrients. However, the simple way is making the raw collard green as a fresh juice. Per 100-gram raw collard greens contain many nutrients as follow:
| %DV | ||
| Energy | 30 Kcal | 1.5% |
| Carbohydrates | 5.69 g | 4% |
| Protein | 2.45 g | 4% |
| Total Fat | 0.42 g | 1.5% |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% |
| Dietary Fiber | 3.60 g | 9% |
| Folates | 166 µg | 41.5% |
| Niacin | 0.742 mg | 5% |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.267 mg | 5% |
| Pyridoxine | 0.165 mg | 13% |
| Riboflavin | 0.130 mg | 10% |
| Thiamin | 0.054 mg | 4.5% |
| Vitamin A | 6668 IU | 222% |
| Vitamin C | 35.3 mg | 59% |
| Vitamin E | 2.26 mg | 15% |
| Vitamin K | 510.8 µg | 426% |
| Sodium | 20 mg | 1% |
| Potassium | 169 mg | 3.5% |
| Calcium | 145 mg | 14.5% |
| Copper | 0.039 mg | 4.5% |
| Iron | 0.19 mg | 2.5% |
| Magnesium | 9 mg | 2% |
| Manganese | 0.276 mg | 12% |
| Selenium | 1.3 µg | 2% |
| Zinc | 0.13 mg | 1% |
All of those nutrients bring the health benefits of raw collard green juice for your body. They are:
- Controls your weight gain.
Raw collard green is very low in calories. It provides only 30 calories per 100 gram and high in dietary fiber. This is the best diet to control your weight gain.
- Improves the digestive function.
The dietary fiber in raw collard green can help to improve your digestive function by digesting the food well. It makes your intestinal motility can work with no hard motion.
- Prevents constipation.
Raw collard green juice can help to prevent constipation by its dietary fiber. It makes the intestine can digest the food smoothly so it can be pushed out easily.
- Control LDL cholesterol level.
Raw collard green contains no cholesterol and has a good soluble and insoluble dietary fiber. They help to control LDL cholesterol levels and lower the total cholesterol.
- Excellent diet for diabetic patients.
Besides it has a low calorie, the dietary fiber in raw collard green can reduce the blood glucose level. The fiber helps to distribute the glucose to all cells so there will no glucose accumulation in the blood.
- Prevents cancer.
Raw collard green juice is rich in phytonutrients such as diindolylmethane and sulforaphane that have the anti-carcinogenic effect. They can inhibit the growth of cancer cells and can kill them.
- Boost your immune system.
The diindolylmethane and vitamin C in raw collard green juice are effective immunomodulator that can boost your system.
- Fights against bacteria and viruses.
The diindolylmethane in raw collard green is potential to fight against bacteria and viruses that can cause infection.
- Help the development of the fetal nervous system.
Raw collard green contains also folate which is the important nutrient for the development of the fetal brain and nervous system.
- Acts as antioxidant.
Highly vitamin C in raw collard green juice is the powerful antioxidant which can fight against free radicals.
- Improve your healthy vision.
This health benefit of raw collard green juice comes from the high vitamin A within its green leaves.
- Stops the bleeding immediately.
Raw collard green juice has a high level of vitamin K which plays the important role in the stopping bleeding mechanism.
- Helps to treat Alzheimer disease.
Vitamin K in raw collard green juice has also the beneficial effect in Alzheimer disease. It works by limiting the neuronal damage in the brain.
- Helps to improve nervous system.
Raw collard green is rich in vitamin B complex which helps to improve the nervous system function and protect them as well.
- Prevents anemia.
If you have anemia problem, you can drink raw collard green juice because it contains iron mineral which is essential for red blood cell formation.
- Strengthens the bone and teeth.
You can get this benefit of raw collard green juice because of its calcium content that helps for strengthening the bone and teeth.
- Keeps the healthy joint.
Raw collard green juice can keep your healthy joint because it contains manganese mineral. It will help you to treat the arthritis disease as well.
- Creates the healthy skin.
Raw collard green juice contains the copper mineral that helps in the formation of collagen which is used to create the healthy and young skin. It is supported also by its vitamin E content.
- Protect the intestinal mucosa.
Raw collard green juice can protect your intestinal mucosa by its zinc content. It helps the mucosa recovery quickly when there is diarrhea.
- Maintain normal blood pressure.
Raw collard green juice contains potassium mineral and low in sodium. This is good to maintain the normal blood pressure.
- Prevent the heart disease.
The capability of raw collard green juice to reduce the cholesterol level can prevent the heart disease. In addition, the potassium content helps to regulate the normal contraction of the heart.
- Acts as the detoxifying agent.
Raw collard green contains phytonutrients called glucosinolate. This substance can help to activate the detoxification enzyme in the body.
22 health benefits of raw collard green juice have been explained above. If you choose the raw collard green, choose the leaves that have the firm and smooth texture. It is usually young and less bitter. You can mix 2 leaves of fresh collard green with 1 carrot, 2 green apples, ¼ lemon, and 1-inch ginger to make the delicious green juice. You can drink it maximum 3 times a week.
Raw collard green contains a certain amount of oxalic acid. If you have the history of kidney stone disease, you should limit the intake of this juice. This vegetable is rich in vitamin K also. Consult your doctor first if you take an anticoagulant medicine for your disease.