The Benefits of Getting More Greens In Your Diet

Whether you incorporate them into your diet as salads or cook them up into a veggie soup, they are surely a green signal to go ahead and eat as much green, leafy vegetables as possible. The health benefits that they bring you are numerous. All the vegetables are beneficial for the mind and body but the green, leafy ones like spinach, kale, collards, turnip greens, chard, broccoli, lettuce, cabbage etc. are especially advantageous. Some of the many benefits of consuming these veggies are listed below.

Anti-aging properties

Green vegetables are know to keep the skin looking young, aglow and fresh, preventing the formation of wrinkles and creases, thereby helping you look far younger than your years. This might be due to increase in the concentration of Vitamin K within the body that prevents aging. Kale, dandelion greens and chards are rich sources of vitamin K.

Low cholesterol

Studies have shown green leaves tend to lower the amount of fat in the body by burning away all the excess fats due to their anti-oxidant properties. Thus the amount of cholesterol is cut down, reducing the risk of development of atherosclerosis and consequently, stroke and coronary heart disease etc. According to this study, steamed vegetables work better to lower the concentration of cholesterol.

Source of energy

Vegetables are a good source of your entire nutrient and vitamin requirements for the day, helping you store away energy for the whole day. This way, you don’t have to rely on carbs for energy to sustain you through the day.

bone Health

The nutrients and minerals (especially calcium and phosphorous) derived from the vegetables have been said to lay down more bone mass and keep them strong, preventing the risk of fractures. This becomes especially important in old age when the bone density decreases due to hormonal imbalances and the vegetables help prevent senility related bone fractures.

muscles Support

The presence of inorganic nitrates, especially in spinach, are extremely beneficial for muscles as they typically lower the oxygen demand of the muscles, making them work more efficiently while at the same time, reducing the work load for the heart.