Health benefits of lettuce

Lettuce, in my opinion, is one of the most commonly undervalued super foods. People assume that it is healthy because it is a plant-based food that hasn't been pushed out of a machine, but don't fully realize how much it contributes to overall health.

The difference between lettuce and cabbage

Before we begin, I'd like to clear up the difference between lettuce and cabbage. Lettuce contains more water and is crunchier than cabbage, making it great for salads and burgers. Cabbage has less water and is tougher, making it great to cook with. The only salad that cabbage is commonly used in, in its raw form, is coleslaw.

The health benefits of lettuce

Lettuce is high in fiber

Lettuce is very high in fiber, a part of food which our bodies can't use. Ironically, this makes fiber extremely useful. It adds bulk to feces and helps to clean out our digestive tracks. Your body needs fiber to attach smaller, unwanted items like toxins and waste products to a bowel movement. Without it, there might not be enough mass to create feces when there are smaller waste products that need to be eliminated. Foods that are high in fiber are commonly referred to as nature's broom, because of the cleansing effect that it has on our bodies.

Fiber helps the body to detox itself

Eating foods that are high in fiber, like lettuce, is one of the top three ways to detox your body - along with drinking lots of water and sweating. All three are needed to keep the body clean of harmful waste products. Water consumption increases the elimination of water-soluble waste products, while sweating increases the elimination of fat-soluble waste products. Fiber increases the body's ability to eliminate the physical materials that don't fall into these two categories.

Fiber encourages digestive health

Foods that are high in fiber are also good to protect digestive health because they are not easily absorbed. If you eat a higher concentration of processed foods that doesn't have enough fiber content, your digestive system can suffer because it will adapt to these kinds of foods and decline in its ability to pull usable nutrients from non-usable ones.

Fiber can decrease appetite by making you feel full

Since fiber is not broken down, it stays in your digestive track instead of being absorbed immediately. This is beneficial to people that want to lose weight because it will help them to decrease their overall caloric intake. When you eat foods that are rapidly absorbed, your digestive track clears quickly and makes it feel empty a lot sooner. Foods that take longer to digest prolong feelings of satiety and fullness.

Lettuce is a low-calorie food

There are only 15 calories in 100 grams of lettuce, compared to 265 calories in the same amount of bread. That's 4 calories per ounce, compared to 75 calories per ounce of bread. This makes lettuce a filling, low-calorie, high fiber food source that is great for people who want to decrease their daily calories, lose weight, detox or improve their digestive function.

High water content

Livestrong explains that iceberg lettuce, for example, is 96% water - and that food should provide about 20% of your water intake. Eating foods that have a higher water content helps to keep us, and our digestive tracks, well hydrated.

Dehydration can decrease energy levels, impair the immune system and increase the stress response to mental tasks. Lack of fluids is one of the biggest reasons why we can feel cold or sick after working out, and water is needed to shuttle out the lactic acid that creates the burning sensation in our muscles when we exercise.

Lettuce is a leafy green

Leafy greens in general are an integral part of a healthy diet for a variety of reasons. Leafy greens reduce the risk of heart diseases like heart attacks and stroke, help to lower blood pressure, fight against obesity and protect the brain from mental illnesses. Leslie Beck tells us that leafy greens have an essential component, called sulfoquinovose, which helps good gut bacteria to grow. She recommends at least one serving every day. Leafy greens also help to protect bone health and aid in the prevention of cancer.

Lettuce is high in nutrients

The USDA lists some of the important nutrients that are found in lettuce:

Vitamins

• Vitamin C: a potent antioxidant that helps with healing and boosting immunity
• Vitamin B1 or Thiamine: helps to convert food into energy and is needed by every cell in the human body
• Vitamin B2 or Riboflavin: good for overall health and growth
• Vitamin B3 or Niacin: lowers cholesterol and eases arthritis. Also boosts mental performance
• Vitamin B5 or Pantothenic acid: needed to make and use proteins, fats and carbohydrates
• Vitamin B-6 or Pyridoxine: protects the central nervous system and is needed to form serotonin
• Vitamin B9 or Folate: needed for red blood cell formation and to make DNA
• Choline: needed for metabolism and for cell membranes
• Betaine: helps to metabolise homocysteine, which is needed for proper functioning of the heart, blood, bones, nerves, brain and eyes
• Vitamin A (retinol): needed for growth and development, immune function and eye health
• Beta Carotene: a precursor of Vitamin A, is needed for healthy skin, bones, eyes, immune system and mucus membranes
• Lutein and Zeaxanthin: powerful antioxidants needed for eye health
• Vitamin E: an antioxidant that helps with skin, nails, hair and nerve health
• Vitamin K: helps with blood clotting, bone formation and calcium regulation

Minerals

• Calcium: needed for bone formation, heart functions and muscle contraction
• Iron: carries oxygen throughout the body
• Magnesium: needed for bone, muscle and brain function
• Phosphorus: the second most abundant mineral in the body after calcium, needed by every cell to function properly
• Potassium: needed by muscles - including the heart and breathing muscles
• Sodium: needed by the body to hold onto water stores
• Zinc: boosts immune function, stabilizes blood sugar and is needed for skin, heart and eye health
• Copper: helps to form red blood cells and maintains bone, blood vessel and nerve tissue. Copper is also needed for iron absorption and improves immune function
• Manganese: needed for many chemical processes and aids metabolism, regulates blood pressure and decreases inflammation
• Selenium: An anti-oxidant that fights against oxidative stress, supports immune and brain function, helps with fertility and helps to prevent disease

Read more about how each mineral benefits your body here.

*Note: Lettuce is still about 96% water. Therefore, the vitamins and minerals found in lettuce are in relatively small amounts. You can't eat one piece of lettuce and think that you have got all your required vitamins and mineral for the day - but it certainly contributes to your daily micro-nutrient intake.

Who knew that lettuce was so good for you!? Add a serving to your lunchbox for a boost in much needed nutrients and have a great day. Stay Strong!

Support our website and buy these awesome Socks.