Lettuce, with the scientific name of Lactuca sativa, is one of the vegetables commonly eaten by man. Coming from the family Asteraceae, lettuce originated from Egypt, where it was turned from a weed into a food plant. As a plant, lettuce has proven its value in religion and medicine, with its health benefits.
Nervous Health
Lettuce promotes brain function. According to Organic Facts, lettuce safeguards neuronal cells or neurons, the brain cells. As per the publication, the vegetable has extracts that are capable of preventing neuron death through glucose and serum deprivation or GSD. In addition, research has found that lettuce can be used as remedy to neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
Weight Management
Lettuce also helps in weight loss. As per Care 2, lettuce is rich in fiber and cellulose. It is known that these components aids in digestion, metabolism of nutrients like fats, and elimination of waste. In addition, fiber acts as sweep, allowing it to help the body get rid of harmful toxins and substances like free radicals, which cause cancer. In addition, fiber gives a sense of fullness to a person, which leads to appetite suppression; this way, a person’s food cravings are reduced, which results to weight loss.
Along with fiber and cellulose, lettuce also contains calories, and 20 percent of it is protein. Protein is a macronutrient that is responsible for growth, development, and repair of cells and tissues like the muscles and the bones. Hence, lettuce is recommended for people who want to have a good figure.
Eye Sight, Antioxidant, and Immunity
Lettuce also helps improve vision and cleanse the body. According to Nutrition and You, the vegetable’s leaves are rich in vitamin A and beta-carotene, which are known to play a vital role in eyesight. As per the publication, raw lettuce contains 247 percent of a person’s daily vitamin A requirement, plus 443 micrograms (mg) of beta-carotene. Along with vision, vitamin A is also responsible for the maintenance of radiant glowing skin and healthy mucus membranes. Lettuce also contains vitamins C, which is also an antioxidant, just like vitamin A and vitamin E, which means the vegetable can also eliminate various toxins for a person’s system. In a preventive point of view, vitamin C also protects the body from external health threats like microorganisms.
Sample Recipe
Lettuce can be part of various dishes, such as salads, sandwiches, soups, and wraps. It blends well with other food ingredients like garlic in Stir-Fried Garlic Lettuce. As per Epicurious, the ingredients for the dish include a pound hearts of lettuce (cut crosswise into 1-inch wide pieces), a teaspoon of sesame oil, garlic cloves (smashed, peeled), two tablespoons vegetable oil, a tablespoon of soy sauce, a tablespoon of rice wine or dry sherry, sugar, and salt.
To prepare, the soya sauce, rice wine, sugar, and salt are combined in a small bowl. Then, a wok or skillet is heated until water vaporizes. Next, the vegetable oil is swirl and the garlic is added and stir-fried for five seconds. After that, the lettuce is added and stir-fried for one to two minutes, or until it becomes limp. The sauce is stirred and swirled into the wok and is stir-fried for 30 seconds to a minute until the lettuce becomes tender and becomes bright green. Then, it is removed from the heat and drizzled with sesame oil before serving.
Overall, spinach is viewed as nutritious food. Thus, including it in various meal recipes would be practical, as it is inexpensive and it boosts the health of a person or a family.
