Why Salad Greens is Great for Middle-Aged Men?
1. Antioxidant: Lettuce, escarole, and endive are rich in many antioxidants like vitamin A, C, etc. Antioxidants are protective agents that protect the body against oxidative damage. Long-term exposure to free radicals that cause oxidative damage leads to chronic inflammation. Kaempferol is an antioxidant present in escarole and it protects the body against chronic inflammation. Vitamin A and C present in lettuce also reduce oxidative stress by eliminating free radicals from the body.
2. Heart Health: Romaine lettuce is rich in potassium which is important for maintaining cardiovascular health. Folate present in Roman lettuce further protects the heart by breaking homocysteine so that body can remove it. Accumulation of homocysteine in the body contributes to heart complications. So, romaine lettuce is a good way of keeping your homocysteine levels in check.
3. Eye Health: Romaine lettuce and escarole both are rich in vitamin A. Vitamin A is an important part of rhodopsin a pigment in the eye that differentiates between light and darkness. Similarly, deficiency of Vitamin A can cause a number of eye-related diseases for example cataracts, night blindness, etc.
4. Bone Health: Endive and escarole both are rich in vitamin K which plays a vital role in blood clotting and bone metabolism. It also increases calcium absorption which further strengthens the bones. Similarly, increased intake of Vitamin K can reduce the risk of bone fractures.
