If you thought that Parsley was just an inconsequential garnish to be thrown in the trash with the scraps of your meal, then you best think again because eating parsley has a wide range of health benefits that any diner would be crazy to pass up.
Normally relegated to the side of your dinner plate and Italian foods, Parsley is actually loaded with vitamins and minerals and is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory herb that has a variety of flavonoids which are reputed to help treat many illnesses as well as boost your immune system.
Parsley is said to help with cardiovascular problems because it helps your veins maintain their elasticity and discourages blood clots. This should be no surprise since Parsley has 153% of the US RDA of vitamin K which helps thin the blood. For this reason, if you are on blood thinning medications you want to talk to your doctor before eating a lot of parsley.
Traditionally, Parsley has been used as a liver and gallbladder tonic as well as a treatment for kidney problems. It is said to be able to help with kidney stones as well as gallstones and is a powerful diuretic which can help with urinary problems. It is also said to aid in digestion which makes it's presence on every restaurant dinner plate quite convenient.
In addition to the vitamin K, Parsley has a lot of vitamin C, vitamin A, folic acid, calcium, potassium and copper. The concentration of vitamins make this a powerful antioxidant that can help protect your body against free radicals which are thought to cause most disease and illness.
There are two types of parsley that one will find readily available in the grocery store. The Italian parsley or flat parsley and the curly parsley. It is said that the Italian parsley has more essential oils in it and is, therefore, more flavorful for cooking and perhaps more healthy for you as well. The curly parsley is actually what you often see used as a garnish but it does have a lot of health benefits also.
Of course, the best way to eat parsley is raw. When you eat raw foods, you get all the beneficial enzymes and none of the vitamins or minerals are diminished through cooking. What I like to do is chop up large amounts of parsley and include them in a salad. Parsley has a great fresh taste, and it can turn a boring lettuce salad into something with a little more zip and a lot more health benefits.
There are actually a lot of things you can do to work parsley into your daily eating plan. One thing it goes great in is smoothies especially those that include kale and other green leafy vegetables. It also goes pretty good when add it to any kind of salad dressing or mayonnaise as well as soups, sauces and even mashed potatoes. In fact, Parsley is such a versatile herb that you can add it to almost any dish so next time you're in the grocery store, be sure to pick up a big bunch of parsley - your taste buds and your immune system will thank you for it.
Next, find out more about the health benefits of parsley and get great healthy eating tips and recipes at http://www.healingfoodscookbooks.com.
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