Vegetables nutrition – Asparagus nutrition, asparagus health
Vegetables nutrition – Asparagus nutrition facts
Today on vegetables nutrition we will discuss the amazing Asparagus, and asparagus nutrition facts. The spear-like asparagus we see in the store is not the entire plant, as it is actually only the shoots that comes out of the crown that is entirely underground. It is a delicious spring vegetables, and it is mentioned in a recipe in the oldest surviving recipe book – which is dated back to early 5Th century AD. I could see why it was so loved back then, as I love asparagus as well, and it probably tasted even better in those times.
Asparagus could be eaten raw, cooked, sautéed, baked and fried. Either way you make it, asparagus tastes great. Obviously, It is recommended to have fresh asparagus rather then canned one. It is common to have them all year round nowadays, but again, as I recommend any vegetable (or fruit for that matter) it is best eaten in season, and freshly picked from an organic field. Other then culinary prizes, this great vegetables also carries interesting nutritional values that I will introduce here -
Vegetables nutrition – Asparagus nutrition value
I like to write about foods that have a distinct medicinal effect here on vegetables nutrition, because I find the information sticks to the readers mind much better if it can connect it to the direct benefits it can get in case of real need. The nutritional benefits of asparagus are in its high content of vitamins such as vitamin C, while having a very low calorie count (like broccoli for example ). While giving us a large quantity of Vitamin C, K, B1 and B2, it carries only around twenty-five calories for a hundred grams. This means we can enjoy the vitamin rush and not worry about over eating calorie wise. It is light on the stomach, easy to digest, and helps our bowel movements. It also has super high levels of folate, around thirty-five per a hundred grams, which means it is a life saviour when it comes to heart diseases. According to studies done in the US, the intake of folate lowers the chances of heart attacks by remarkable percentages, and so asparagus it is well worth it.
Being a natural diuretic, is useful for medicinal purposes. It will make your urine smell funky, but come out plentiful. Asparagus is also helpful when it comes to our cell structure and healthy DNA. When pregnant, it is an essential ingredient in your diet, as it will support the cellular division and DNA synthesis to help your baby develop healthy and strong.
A fair warning about asparagus and kidney stones – There are many advantages in this great vegetable, BUT, it also carries a large amount of Purines, which are naturally found in all plants, animals and humans. The thing is, that some of us don’t deal very well with it, and tend to be effected by it more than others. The accumulation of purines in some of us may lead to the formation of stones in the kidney and gout. It doesn’t mean you must avoid asparagus, as it is healthy in many other aspects, and if you look deep into any vegetable, there is a risk factor hiding in it somewhere. It is dangerous being alive, some even say deadly. Eat it, but responsibly, knowing if you are susceptible to common purin related syndromes.
Vegetables nutrition – asparagus: How to treat it and eat it
There are many ways to handle asparagus. As I have said, you can eat it raw or cooked, but there are many little things that you should know about it before handling it. It is a super special vegetable, and deserves a special handling. First of all, the base of the asparagus is very (!) fibrous and you should cut it off. You might want to keep it on to use as a handle if you steam it, but i wouldn’t recommend trying to eat it. I you are to steam asparagus, have a bowl of ice-water ready on site, so you can put the min immediately after the quick boil. It stoops the cooking and allows them to keep the nutrients other wise lost for the heat of cooking. Do not let them linger in the water, boiling or ice-water, as they get soggy and lose their taste.
Another good advice is to avoid cooking it in iron pots. The tannins in it may react with the iron and will hurt both the color and the nutritional value of the asparagus.
Enjoy your asparagus, until the next one on vegetables nutrition
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