Any green vegetables known to give many benefits to the health. Including the bitter greens. There are many health benefits of bitter greens. Therefore, consuming the vegetables is become one of the healthy life style.
Bitter greens are a group of green leaves that are eaten for its nutrition. They usually have dark green color leaves. This group including dandelion, broccoli, kale, collard, turnip and lettuce. There are still other kinds of bitter greens. Those which mentioned before are the most common leaves to consume.
The leaves can be mild bitter or strong bitter. It depends on the leaves type. Most of the vegetables which include in the group are grow best in cool weather rather than warm weather. Therefore, it is more suit to plant in a cold country.
The nutritional value of bitter greens might vary. It is depended on the leaves type. However, in general it contains a lot of vitamins and minerals needed by the body. It is known as the world healthiest food. Since it contains a lot of vitamin A, B, C, D, E and K. To store the leaves and keep it fresh, put it in a plastic bag and store it in a refrigerator. It can last for three to five days.
There are 10 health benefits of bitter greens:
1. Detoxification
The leaves can benefit as the body detoxification method. It is a good source of glutathione, which is an essential source for detoxification of liver pathway. Therefore, consuming the green leaves will help the liver to eliminate toxin from the entire body system. Furthermore, it bring a cleanse blood circulation from any unwanted toxin.
2. Improve Nutrient Absorption
These vegetables believe can help to improve nutrient absorption. It stimulate the enzyme and the body metabolism to absorb important vitamins and minerals from the consumed dishes. Therefore, it can help to avoid mall nutrition. Furthermore, by combining with other foods can help to gain more nutrient.
3. Improve Digestive
The leaves are a good source of dietary fiber. Therefore, it help to optimize the digestive system. It will helps the intestinal movement to effectively digest the food and eliminate the waste. Hence, it will bring a good body metabolism in converting food into the needed energy.
4. Maintain Cardiovascular
Green leaves is a good source to maintain the cholesterol level in the blood. It helps for a better blood circulation. Therefore, it manage a good oxygen supply into the body parts. Furthermore, it helps to avoid cardiovascular disease.
5. Anti-Oxidant
Another health benefits of bitter greens is to perform as an anti-oxidant. Therefore, it helps to fight the effects of free-radical. It is also avoid the early signs of aging. The same health benefits of almond tea. It can produce a younger appearance. Furthermore, it can reduce the visibility of wrinkles and fine lines.
6. Maintain Healthy Skin
Not many people aware that consuming more leaves can lead to a healthy skin. It stimulate the skin to keep smooth and silky. Furthermore, it can avoid some skin diseases mainly acne. Thanks to the vitamin E content that help to moisture the skin, so that the skin can be glowing all the time.
7. Weight Loss
Due to the dietary fiber benefit, therefore, eating green vegetables can help to reduce the weight. It will stimulate the digestive system to absorb the nutrition and waste the fat. Therefore, the body wouldn’t gain more weight. The same way as the benefits of ice bath for weight loss that can help to reduce weight.
8. Boost Immune System
The nutrient and vitamin of vegetables will help to boost the immune system of the body. Therefore, it will help to avoid the infection of diseases. Hence, it is a natural way to keep the body in a good stamina.
9. Suppressed Hunger
Vegetables can help to bring fullness feeling. Therefore, it can help to suppressed hunger. The full sensation will last longer due to the fibre content.
10. Rich of Vitamins and Minerals
It is not a secret anymore that another health benefits of bitter greens is to supply many kinds of vitamins and minerals. The leaves are a good source for the nutrient. Therefore, it can help the body to avoid illness and support a good growth for the children.
Recommended Intake of Bitter Greens
1. Salad
Most of the people familiar to consume it as a salad. Chop the leaves and pour some olive oil. There are some health benefits of olive oil. Combine with the green leaves, it will bring great benefits for your body. Therefore, consuming a plate of salad everyday will good for your health.
2. Soup
There are some recipes of green soup. Cooking process of the vegetables into a soup might lose the nutrition. Therefore, follow below techniques to avoid it. First, boil the water and the spice. Once it boiled wait for several minutes. Turn off the heat and put the boiling water and spice in a bowl.
Put in the vegetables. Close the bowl and wait for five minutes. The soup ready to consume without eliminate too much nutrient from the leaves.
3. Juice
It is now common to consume vegetables juice as a drink. Therefore, another way to gain the health benefits of bitter green is by mix the leaves into juice. To add strong flavor put some mint leaves. There are also some health benefits of mint water. You can also add some honey, since there are some benefits of honey for eyes.
4. Steamed
Other way to gain the health benefits of bitter greens is by steam the leaves. Consume it using some dips or as a pasta dish. Not only can gain the benefit, it is also make the taste feel better.
Side Effects of Bitter Greens
There is no further explanation on the side effects of the leaves. However, pay some caution on below points:
- It might produce allergic reaction such as rash or even nausea. Therefore, avoid to consume is big portion. Try small amount first and continue if no allergically signs happen.
- Pregnant woman shall avoid some of the leaves since it may increase the possibility of miscarriage.
- Too much consume of the leaves can lead to diarrhea, therefore consume it as necessary.