Most vegetables are nutrient dense and loaded with good-for-you vitamins and phytonutrients, but green vegetables and leafy greens pack a pile of health benefits into two important factors: flavonoids and folate.
Flavonoids
We hear a lot about flavonoids in nutrition news. Flavonoids are anti-oxidant compounds that give some of the color to foods like dark chocolate, grapes, strawberries, blueberries, and peppers. We are often given recommendations to have a glass of wine or a piece of chocolate as they hold the health benefits of flavonoids. Flavonoids also help keep arteries flexible, acting almost like a non-stick coating preventing cholesterol buildup. Think wine and dark chocolate are the only places to get flavonoids? Think again. Two of the richest sources of flavonoids are green beans and broccoli. While those two names may not make your mouth water, flavonoids are not the only benefit they are packed with.
Green beans have a high concentration of Vitamins A and C, two other potent anti-oxidants which do everything from protect us against cancer causing free radicals, to promoting collagen and elastin production in the skin to help fight signs of aging.
Broccoli, while high in flavonoids, also contains important phytonutrients that aid in cancer prevention, and in some studies it has been shown to reduce the size of cancerous tumors that already exist. In addition, broccoli is high in calcium as well as vitamin C, having nearly twice the amount of vitamin C as an orange. The significance of that combination is that vitamin C aids in the absorption of the calcium. Add to all of this the fiber intake that helps cleanse the colon and detoxify your system, and you see that broccoli holds a healthy punch!
Folate:
Folate is a B vitamin that helps cells regenerate or renew themselves. While it assists in the production of healthy blood cells and the treatment of anemia, it is also a needed component in the making of DNA, the building blocks of cells. By preventing changes to DNA it also aids in the prevention of many types of cancer. Clinical studes have also shown that a lack of folate increases the risk for alzheimers, depression, and other forms of mental fatigue. Because of the connection with the production of red blood cells, folate (or the manufactured form, folic acid) has long been recommended to pregnant women as it aids in the development of a healthy nervous system in the fetus. What are our best green food sources of folate? Spinach, kale and asparagus.
Spinach is not only packed full of folate, it has over 13 different flavonoids listed above that function as anti-cancer agents. It also contains vitamins A and C, two of the most powerful anti-oxidants that also fight cardiovascular disease, cholesterol, and inflammation.
Kale is another leafy green, pack full of anti-oxidant vitamins A and C, as well as K, often referred to as the “forgotten vitamin”. Vitamin K is best known for its blood clotting properties, but more research has shown it is also important for bone health and for protecting us from free radical damage on the cellular level. It is also noted for improving lung function.
Along with containing plenty of folate, asparagus is high in potassium and has a diuretic effect.
Flavonoids and folate are just two of the important nutritional qualities you find in green vegetables. All greens have important nutritional properties that bring health and vitality to any diet, as well as a splash of color to any plate.
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