What exactly is asparagus?
Asparagus is a vegetable that looks like a spear and is a member of the lily family (liliaceae). The asparagus season in the United Kingdom spans from April to June, with the traditional start date being April 23 (St George's Day) and the season concluding on June 21 (summer solstice). The majority of asparagus is green in colour, although there are also white and purple kinds available.
Asparagus has several nutritional advantages.
An 80g piece of asparagus (cooked) offers the following nutrients:
- 21 Kcal / 88 KJ
- 2.7g protein
- 0.6g fat
- 1.1g carbohydrates
- 1.5g fibre
- 176mg potassium
- 311mcg carotene
- 138mcg folate
- 8mg vitamin C
Five asparagus spears or 80 grammes of asparagus qualify as one serving toward your five-a-day requirement.
Health Benefits Of Asparagus
Jump to:
- Asparagus has several nutritional advantages.
- 1. It is beneficial to intestinal health
- 2. It may help with hangovers
- 3. It is an excellent source of folate
- 4. May be beneficial in the treatment of inflammatory disorders
- 5. It has the potential to reduce blood pressure
- Is asparagus a healthy food for everyone to consume?
1. It is beneficial to intestinal health
While asparagus is one of many vegetables that work as prebiotics, it is also a probiotic, which means that it feeds the good bacteria that exist in our digestive tracts, allowing them to flourish and multiply.
In a promising development, research has shown that cooked asparagus may be beneficial in the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders since it helps to regulate the digestive system, which in turn reduces inflammation and promotes healing.
2. It may help with hangovers
Several studies have shown that asparagus may be beneficial in alleviating some of the symptoms of a hangover, owing to its high fibre and flavonoid (protective plant chemical) content. According to the findings, asparagus may even be beneficial in reducing the damage done to the liver by alcohol, but further study is required.
3. It is an excellent source of folate
A strong source of folate, a vitamin that is essential for the production of red blood cells as well as cell division (the synthetic form of this vitamin is folic acid), asparagus is a nutritious vegetable.
In pregnancy, folate is considered an important vitamin since it is required for proper foetal development as well as protection against neural tube disorders such as spina bifida. The daily reference intake (RI) for asparagus is 120g of boiling asparagus, which equals one serving (200mcg). In contrast, the National Health Service (NHS) advises that women contemplating pregnancy or in the first trimester of pregnancy consume 400 micrograms of folic acid every day.
4. May be beneficial in the treatment of inflammatory disorders
Along with being high in vitamins C and E, asparagus is also high in polyphenols, which are plant components with anti-inflammatory properties. This is why eating asparagus may help to alleviate inflammatory illnesses such as arthritis.
5. It has the potential to reduce blood pressure
It is well accepted that increasing your potassium consumption while decreasing your salt intake has a beneficial impact on high blood pressure levels. When it comes to potassium, asparagus is a decent provider, with a single serving supplying around 5% of your daily recommended requirement (RI).
In addition, animal studies have shown that a natural chemical found in asparagus functions as an ACE inhibitor, allowing blood vessels to widen and blood pressure to be reduced. It does this by inhibiting the production of angiotensin II by an enzyme in your body, which is a chemical that narrows blood vessels and raises blood pressure as a result. Despite the fact that this is a promising discovery, the same effects have not been duplicated in people to this point.
Is asparagus a healthy food for everyone to consume?
Asparagus has a high concentration of purines, which are substances that promote the body's synthesis of uric acid and may have an impact on illnesses such as kidney stones and gout, among others. Because of this, if you have been instructed to minimise the amount of purines in your diet, asparagus may not be the best choice for you.
It is possible to be allergic to asparagus; if this is the case, you may also be allergic to other members of the same botanical family, such as garlic and chives, as a result.
If you are not used to consuming a lot of fibre in your diet, eating a large amount of asparagus in one sitting may cause bloating and wind in your stomach. Some individuals report experiencing unpleasant urine after ingesting asparagus, which some believe is related. This is due to the presence of a chemical known as asparaguisic acid, which is broken down into sulfur-containing molecules, which have a strong odour when cooked with asparagus.
