Lettuce promotes blood coagulation and controls blood sugar. Lettuce has a lot of water and a crisp taste. It is often mistaken for fewer nutrients. But in fact, it contains nutrients such as vitamin K and dietary fibre. They have the functions of promoting blood coagulation and blood sugar control, and it is deficient in calories. It is very suitable for weight loss and is known as “diet food”. However, lettuce is more prone to discolouration and rot. It takes some methods and skills to absorb its nutrients properly.
Lettuce nutrients promote blood coagulation and control blood sugar.
Lettuce is divided into Romaine Lettuce, Boston Lettuce, Iceberg lettuce, Chicory, etc., according to the shape of the leaves. The most common one is iceberg lettuce. Lettuce contains four essential nutrients and their functions necessary for the human body.
1. Vitamin K
There are about 29 micrograms of vitamin K in every 100 grams of head lettuce. Vitamin K promotes blood clotting, helps heal wounds, prevents heavy bleeding. It plays a crucial role in maintaining bone density to avoid fractures, inhibiting arteriosclerosis, and regulating cell growth.
In addition, a 2020 study in the Netherlands showed that vitamin K-deficient COVID-19 patients might be more severely affected than average patients, leading to vitamin K’s recent attention.
2. B vitamins, folic acid
Lettuce also contains various other vitamins necessary for the human body, such as beta-carotene, vitamin E, vitamin B1, B2, B6 and niacin, etc. It also contains folic acid called “hematopoietic vitamin”, which is 73 micrograms per 100 grams.
3. Potassium
Ball lettuce contains a variety of trace elements necessary for the human body. The potassium content is the most, and every 100 grams of ball lettuce includes 200 mg of potassium. Potassium can help the body excrete sodium, maintain the heart muscle and nervous system, and play an essential role in regulating the body’s acidity and alkalinity.
4. Dietary fibre
Every 100 grams of head lettuce contains 1.1 grams of dietary fibre. Dietary fibre, also known as the “sixth nutrient”, can stimulate large intestine motility. It also relieves constipation, slow down the absorption of carbohydrates, and inhibit the rise of postprandial blood sugar.
How to eat lettuce: eat with oil to absorb nutrients more easily
To better absorb these nutrients of lettuce, the correct consumption method is required. Since β-carotene, vitamin E, vitamin K in head lettuce are fat-soluble components, the absorption rate increases when taken with edible oil.
Serve with olive oil dressing or mayonnaise when eating ball lettuce salad;
Use bulb lettuce as a stir-fry ingredient. But pay attention to the proper amount of oil. Excessive consumption will lead to excessive body fat.
One way to save lettuce: no discolouration, fresh and crisp taste, no astringency
Lettuce bulbs are easy to change colour. Even if they are kept in the refrigerator, the leaves will gradually turn yellow. Especially the bulb roots tend to turn red due to the oxidation of chlorophyll, so it is best to eat them as soon as possible.
If you buy too much lettuce to eat in time, you can store it in the refrigerator. The key is to prevent the lettuce from drying, wrap it in damp kitchen paper, and put it in a breathable plastic bag. However, freshness cannot be guaranteed for a long time. Some folks recommend cutting it into appropriate blocks and storing it in the refrigerator.
There is another way to store it. After cutting the lettuce, soak it in warm water and put it in the refrigerator. It can be stored for at least three or four days without discolouration, and it can also retain nutrients to the greatest extent.
The dietary fibre contained in the lettuce is insoluble. The vitamins contained in it are primarily fat-soluble. The block lettuce preserved after soaking in warm water does not change colour, is rich in nutrients, and removes the astringency. Better taste.
Lettuce is rich in nutrients, which can strengthen the digestion and absorption of protein and fat and protect the liver, promote the formation of bile, prevent cholestasis, and effectively prevent cholelithiasis and cholecystitis. In addition, lettuce can remove garbage in the blood, have blood disinfection and diuretic effects, remove intestinal toxins, and avoid constipation.
The effect of lettuce
1. Lettuce stems and leaves are slightly bitter. It is suitable for high cholesterol, neurasthenia, and hepatobiliary disease.
2. Lettuce contains mannitol and other active ingredients, which affect diuresis and promote blood circulation.
3. Lettuce contains an “interferon inducer”. It stimulates normal human cells to produce interferon. It also has an “antiviral protein” to inhibit the virus.
4. There are more dietary fibre and vitamin C in lettuce, which eliminates excess fat and nourishes the stomach. It is suitable for stomach problems, vitamin C deficiency, obesity, and weight loss. Raw food and regular food can help women maintain a slim body.
Can pregnant women eat lettuce?
Pregnant women can eat lettuce to resist disease and beauty. But lettuce should be washed before eating because sometimes there are pesticide residues on the lettuce, so they should be cleaned.
1. Lettuce has more dietary fibre and vitamin C than cabbage, eliminating excess fat. Eating lettuce can lose weight. Obese and pregnant mothers afraid of getting out of shape can eat more lettuce.
2. Eating lettuce during pregnancy can have a diuretic effect and promote blood circulation. It is because lettuce contains nutrients like mannitol. It is also beneficial for friends who have a stone disease and constipation to eat more. Eating lettuce during pregnancy can also effectively prevent constipation during pregnancy.
3. Eating lettuce during pregnancy can also inhibit viruses because lettuce is very high in vitamins, which can promote gastrointestinal motility and is very beneficial to digestion. Eating lettuce regularly during pregnancy can enhance the physical fitness of pregnant women, which is very helpful for pregnant women to resist diseases.
4. The stems and leaves of lettuce can lower cholesterol and assist in treating neurasthenia. Pregnant women can relieve tension during pregnancy and help maintain a normal state of mind.
What are the types of lettuce?
There are three varieties of lettuce: romaine lettuce, wrinkled lettuce, and head lettuce. Long-leaf lettuce leaves are long and narrow and erect, generally not balled or rolled in a cylindrical shape. The leaf surface of wrinkled lettuce is shrivelled. The leaf margin is deeply split and does not form balls. Wrinkled lettuce can be divided into green leaf wrinkled lettuce and purple leaf wrinkled lettuce according to leaf colour. The leaves of head lettuce are spherical or oblate. The head lettuce is divided into two types according to the leaf texture: soft leaf head lettuce and crispy leaf head lettuce. The leaf head of lettuce is thin, yellow-green in colour, smooth in texture, tiny in leaf ball, resistant to extrusion and transportation. Crispy leaf head lettuce, the leaf texture is crisp and tender. The colour is green, the wrapping is not tight. It is easy to break, and it is not resistant to extrusion transportation.