Parsley: Nutritional Value & Benefits

Parsley: Nutritional value

Parsley Benefits

• Anti-Cancer
• Anti-Inflammatory
• Antioxidant
• Detoxifying
• Good for the Heart
• Good for the Skin
• Immunity-Boosting

Parsley is much, much more than a simple garnish for your dish.

Regarded as the world’s most popular culinary herb, no doubt because of its ample use in diverse cuisines around the world, there’s much more to this lovely herb than just a taste enhancer and dish decoration. Parsley is widely used also for it’s medicinal qualities and health benefits.

Parsley is a source of cancer-fighting known antioxidants. Rich in vitamin C and the flavonoid luteolin, this herb has been used for a long time to improve conditions such as Arthritis and Rheumatism. It also improves the balance of fluids levels in the body, through the increasing of potassium stats and also encouraging the bodily release of water and sodium.

Because of these abilities, Parsley is regarded as a natural herbal diuretic. Indirectly, this also helps to regulate and control high blood pressure.

Another amazing use for this herb is in the treatment of the symptoms of insects bites. Parsley is believed to bring relief to the irritation caused as a result of insect bites.

Parsley is also used as an aid to freshen the breath, as it is also the case with other herbs know to fight bad breath such as mint, basil, rosemary, thyme and wintergreen. Simply chew a sprig and feel your breath freshen up!

There’s only one health reservation regarding Parsley. Pregnant women shouldn’t consume it in large quantities because it can have uterotonic effects. That means juicing it if you’re pregnant is a no-no. It is though still perfectly safe to consume it in normal food quantities.

We wrote this article using mainly information available online, on Wikipedia, and also on the book The Top 100 Healing Foods: 100 Foods to Relieve Common Ailments and Enhance Health and Vitality (The Top 100 Recipes Series), by Paula Bartimeus. Available from Amazon.