Frequently used as a topping or garnish in a variety of meals, parsley boasts a wealth of awesome health benefits.
Regular parsley consumption helps to reduce the skin cancer risk, prevent halitosis and diabetes, boost immunity and bone health, boosting the immune system, and many others.
Parsley is also a powerful natural antibiotic, which helps to detoxify the body and keep the heart healthy.
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100 grams of parsley provides your body with:
- 53% of a recommended daily intake (RDI) of vitamin A
- 160% of RDI of vitamin C
- 1562% of RDI of vitamin K
- 11% of RDI of zinc
- 12% of RDI of potassium
- 48% of RDI of iron
- 14% of RDI of magnesium and calcium
- 8% of RDI of phosphorus, manganese, and riboflavin.
Parsley is also rich in many other nutrients that benefit your overall health.
Read on to find out the best benefits of eating parsley each day:
1.Reduce the risk factor of many types of cancers
Cancer is one of the widely spread health problems that is highly challenging and sometimes impossible to treat. Prevention is the best medicine, like people say.
Parsley is a great source of unique elements found in its oil called volatile oil components like limonene, myristicin, alpha-thujene, and eugenol. According to a scientific report provided by the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, these potent oil components help to improve the immune system and prevent the cancer formation.
Parsley aids in preventing carcinogens from ruining your health, slowing a tumor growth, and banishing oxidative stress.
Also referred to as a “chemoprotective” plant, parsley also aids in protecting DNA from damage. Researchers claim that eating a bunch of fresh parsley a day can even stop cell mutation and help to induce the process of apoptosis – the death of harmful cells.
Apigenin is one of the most beneficial compounds in parsley has been proven by the American Association of Cancer to prevent progestin-dependent synthesis of the breast cancer cells, drastically suppressing the multiplicity and development of mammary tumors, as well as reducing the incidence of them.
3.Banish free radical damage and inflammation
Parsley is high in a number of the protective and potent flavonoid antioxidants, which make it one of the healthiest plants to ward off plenty of serious diseases and conditions.
The flavonoid antioxidants like apigenin, luteolin, lycopene, alpha carotene, and beta carotene have been shown to inhibit free radical damage and boost your overall health.
These antioxidants aids in slowing down the aging process by combating oxidative stress or free radical damage, along with chronic inflammation within the entire body.
That’s particularly critical as a free radical formation is linked to nearly each age-related condition, such as heart disease, cancer, eye disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases.
A research conducted by The Institute of Food Safety and Toxicology that involved adults who ate the high quantities of fresh parsley, showed that these adults experienced a great improvement in reducing the oxidative stress levels, unlike people who didn’t eat parsley.
Before the study started the participants were asked to follow a diet that had no sources of natural antioxidants. During this experiment, the scientists revealed that when the participants were on the diet low in antioxidants, their oxidative stress markers increased.
Once they began to consume parsley during the second half of the research, the oxidative stress markers dropped.
3.Prevent gallbladder and urinary tract infections and kidney stone formation
Parsley helps to fight inflammation of the bladder and kidneys, gravel, urine retention, and stones. A study showed that when venereal and jaundice diseases were present, the leaves and root work well for the spleen and liver.
Parsley consumption can also aid in relieving edema, when other medications and remedies fail. Fresh parsley juice helps to soothe and treat the blood vessels, especially the arterioles and capillaries.
Parsley is also known for its ability to excess mucoid matter and expel watery poisons, alleviating the enlarged and swollen glands.
Researchers recommend drinking a cup or two of parsley tea a day to help the body to fully detox, prevent edema and bladder problems, and even to combat kidney stones.
If you have an infection, brew a cup of strong parsley tea and drink them slowly throughout the day. Have one half cup each hour if you have kidney stones.
4.Promote your digestive health
Nowadays, the foods we eat during the day can significantly affect our digestive health. Even fruit and veggies sold in the supermarket can trigger some digestive issues.
Multiple studies have proven that organic parsley can improve the digestive health. According to a research conducted by The American University of Beirut, organic parsley acts as a natural diuretic and thus helps to alleviate water retention and relieve or prevent bloating.
Regulate parsley consumption helps to trigger the kidney production of the urine and prevent excess water in the stomach. It can also relieve discomfort and ward off indigestion. Moderation is key, though. The high amount of parsley can lead to diarrhea or nausea.
Parsley essential oil is also used to treat a host of gastrointestinal disorders and woes, including constipation, gas, bloating, nausea, and indigestion.
According to the world-known Ayurveda practices, eating parsley regularly improves the digestion since parsley essential oil tends to help to promote the bile production along with beneficial gastric juices, which are vital for healthy enzyme functions.
These enzyme functions are involved in a proper nutrient absorption. You can also add a few drops of parsley essential oil to a bath as well as dilute and rub it on the belly area for a quick relief.
5.Fight off infections and bacteria
Parsley is good for your dental and skin health due to its powerful antifungal and antibacterial properties. The parsley essential oil is suggested to be an effective treatment of fungus.
Moreover, it clears up blemishes on the skin caused by bacteria. Parsley’s antimicrobial properties make it one of the main ingredients in detergents, soaps, perfumes, and many other hygiene products.
Parsley essential oil has a strong ability to fight odors and bacteria, including those found in the mouth.
Parsley has been used as a natural breath freshener for centuries as it combats bacteria. Parsley essential oil is strong though, so it can cause a topical burn or skin reaction, if not used correctly.
Avoid applying it to the skin, without mixing it with almond, olive, or coconut oil to avoid any harmful reactions.
6.Strengthen your immune system
As mentioned above parsley contains 160% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C.
Thanks to its rich levels of immune-boosting antioxidants, including vitamin A and vitamin C, eating parsley helps to reduce the risk of cold and flu. Vitamin C aids in supporting a healthy gut environment, where the immune system is located.
The high consumption of vitamin C that’s found in fresh parsley lowers the levels of chronic inflammation, preventing illnesses and diseases such as atherosclerosis, colon cancer, arthritis, asthma, and diabetes.
7.Improve your bone health
The deficiency of vitamin K or a low intake of it has been proven to increase the risk factor for bone fracture.
Eating a recommended daily amount of this vitamin helps to boost bone health by enhancing absorption of calcium and lowering the calcium excretion in the urine.
A recent study demonstrated that people who consumed vitamin K rich foods had 22% fewer fractures than people who were deficient in vitamin K. 10 sprigs of fresh parsley provide the recommended daily consumption of vitamin K.
Since this single vitamin can’t support the entire bone health, be sure you eat enough foods rich in phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D. Vitamin K works well together with these essential bone-building nutrients.
8.Support your heart health
Parsley is a wonderful source of folate, an essential B vitamin that takes an active part in protecting your heart. The deficiency of folate can lead to numerous cardiovascular issues and diseases, including heart attack.
Therefore, parsley’s folate helps to support a good heart health.
Your body needs folate to aid in converting homocysteine, a kind of amino acid in the blood. This is a potentially harmful molecule that can lead to a damage of the blood vessels. If left untreated, it can cause a stroke or heart attack.
9.Keep your hormones in check
Parsley is often recommended for women as it helps to keep hormones at bay and improve overall woman’s health.
Because parsley consumption helps to ward off the neural tube defects that occur due to a folate deficiency or low intake of it, parsley is vital for a healthy pregnancy.
Scientists suggest that thanks to parsley’s ability to balance hormones, it can help to alleviate the symptoms of PMS and improve fertility.
10.Keep your eyes healthy
Parsley is packed with vitamin A that consists of two potent antioxidants – beta-carotene and pro-vitamin A carotenoid. These antioxidants are used by the body to support eye health.
The antioxidants in parsley have been scientifically proven to protect the cornea and retina from a damage related to aging, helping to avoid eye issues and disorders such as cataracts and macular degeneration.
Vitamin A also reduces the risk of premature aging as well as combats the signs of aging, protecting the skin and eyes from the UV light damage.
Parsley is greatly underrated these days. Despite being a simple plant, it contains a variety of nutrients that will maintain your overall health and treat or prevent a plethora of illnesses, diseases, and conditions.
Start with a bunch of parsley per day to experience all the health benefits it has to offer.
References:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19325799
- https://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/archivos_pdf/apigenin-prevents-cancer-parsley.pdf
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10615220
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11849841
