Recently, I learned that Romaine lettuce has more calcium than kale. That surprised me. I never think of green leafy vegetables as being good for my bones, which is a very real concern for many post-menopausal women.
Romaine lettuce is native to western Asia and the eastern Mediterranean region. Lettuce has a long history with drawings appearing on walls of ancient Egyptian tombs. The cultivation of lettuce seems to date back to at least 4500 BC and the ancient Greeks and Romans valued it as a food and for its medicinal properties.
Romaine lettuce, or “cos lettuce,” is a variety of lettuce from the Lactuca sativa L. var. longifolia plant family. It is tall head of sturdy leaves with characteristic firm ribs down the center.
Romaine lettuce traces historically back to the Greek island hundreds of years ago to the island of Cos where the lettuce was first introduced and gets its name.
It spread to Rome where it received its Italian name “romaine.” It is very common in the Mediterranean region and has become popularized in other areas of the world, especially as the primary ingredient in the classic “Caesar salad”. Romaine lettuce is often used in the traditional Passover Seders as a type of bitter herb to symbolize the “bitterness” the Israelites felt as slaves in Egypt thousands of years ago.
Romaine Lettuce Health Benefits:
Excellent Source of Antioxidants Vitamin A and Vitamin C
Helps Prevent Bone Loss
Boosts Heart Health
Promotes Healthy Eye Sight
Helps Heal Skin & Prevent Signs of Aging
Boosts Immunity
Can Help Fight Cancer
Helps Maintain a Healthy Pregnancy
Can Help with Weight Loss
Helps Digestion & Intestine Health
Lettuces are a low calorie green-vegetables and are filled with phyto-nutrients that promote health and help prevent disease. Romaine includes good amounts of minerals like iron, calcium, magnesium, and potassium that are essential for metabolism: Potassium helps control heart rate and blood pressure, manganese is a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme (superoxide dismutase), copper is needed in the production of red blood cells, and iron is essential for red blood cell formation. Romaine contains the B-complex group of vitamins like thiamin, vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), riboflavins. A diet that often includes lettuce salads aides in preventing osteoporosis, iron-deficiency anemia, and believed to protect from cardiovascular diseases, ARMD, Alzheimer's disease and cancers.
The fresh Romaine leaves contain Vitamin A and beta carotenes which are essential for healthy mucus membranes, skin, and vision. Rich in vitamin K, Romaine helps promote bone building activity inside the bone cells. Alzheimer's disease patients will benefit from the vitamin K that may limit neuronal damage in the brain. Folates which are part of enzyme metabolism are required for DNA synthesis and play a vital role in preventing neural tube defects in the baby during pregnancy. Vitamin C, a powerful natural antioxidant, helps build resistance against infectious agents while destroying body damaging, inflammatory free radicals. An important dietary carotenoid in lettuce is absorbed into the retina of the eye, where it aides in filtering UV rays falling on the retina, and may offer some protection against age-related macular degeneration.
Romaine lettuce is easy to add into your diet, very nutritious, is known to not ease digestion and is a wonderful fiber source. Romaine is high in water content, minerals, and fiber content. It helps keep digestion, elimination, and helps the body get get rid of toxins.
Like all leafy greens, romaine lettuce easily absorbs pesticides and chemicals that are sprayed on conventional, non-organic crops. Salad greens are generally highly sprayed since they grow close to the ground and are susceptible for bugs and rodents. Look for and buy organic Romaine lettuce and salad greens to limit exposure to environmental toxins.
When buying Romaine, choose leaves that are sturdy, free of browning and be sure to avoid buying leaves that have slimy spots or brown and yellow patches. The milky fluid found in Romaine creates the characteristic fine-bitter herb taste. Romaine greens, which are sold with their roots attached will stay fresh for longer. It will stay fresh in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. If you wrap the roots in a damp paper towel and place them in a plastic bag they will stay hydrated and fresh longer.
When shopping, look for and choose leaves that are fresh, crispy, free of dark or slimy spots, and bright in color with compact heads. Avoid plants with sunken leaves with spots or discoloration. Many people only wash fresh vegetables right before use to avoid water standing on the leaves creating the condition for plant deterioration. However, some recommend that Romaine and loose leaf-lettuces should be washed making sure excess water is removed before storing in the refrigerator, while Butter head does not need washing before storage. Packed in a plastic bag and keep inside the refrigerator, Romaine will stay fresh for up to seven days while, Butter head and loose-leaf lettuce types loose vital energy after two to three days. Typically, organic vegetables last longer.
To prepare Romaine remove any outer tough, discolored leaves and trim off browned and bitter tips. Chop the leaf to a desired, salad-bite size and discard the white bottom stem or root portion.
Soaking in salt water for a few minutes will remove sand, parasite eggs, and worms. My mother always recommended soaking in clean water at least three times, or after a salt soak you may wash leaves in clean running water. Pat the leaves dry or use a salad spinner to remove the excess water—this is essential to get the salad dressing proportions correct.
The fiber in Romaine helps remove bile salts from the body and also breaks down cholesterol. Romaine lettuce’s calories are 20 percent protein but the amount can be increased by combining with other balanced proteins such as nuts and sunflower seeds. The leaves have relaxing, sleep inducing properties (similar to opium) but without the strong side effects. Romaine has minerals keep the body’s acid/alkaline balance in order, which creates a host of benefits including greater energy, clearer thinking, deep restful sleep, and youthful skin. Because Romaine lettuce is typically eaten raw, it contains micronutrients which are destroyed in cooked or processed food, as well as vital energies.
To reap the benefits of Romaine lettuce, buy organic romaine lettuce or grow your own crop using organic methods. Scientific studies show that outer leaves have the highest phytonutrient content and antioxidant properties. Green leafy vegetables start to lose their nutritional value immediately after harvest so eat them as soon as possible. When you use an oil-based salad dressing the fat-soluble carotenoids in romaine are more available to your body. Avoid storing romaine near fruits, like apples, which produce ethylene gases as these gases continue the ripening process leading to spoilage.
http://preventdisease.com/news/14/041214_10-Reasons-Should-Be-Eating-Romaine-Lettuce.shtml
http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/lettuce.html
https://draxe.com/romaine-lettuce-nutrition/
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