I can eat fields of parsley without ever getting bored of its amazing taste. I just love this herb! Parsley is by far my most favorite plant and I use it as often as possible in my meals. I always try to eat it raw and in fact when its cooked I find that it loses its magnificent taste. Parsley is a very common culinary herb but few people know the wonderful nutritional value and healing potential it has. Let me tell you…
For a start, parsley has next to nothing of calories, so you can literally add it to any dish without compromising your weight loss or maintenance plan, if you are on one. Parsley is super rich in vitamin K; in fact 2 tablespoons can provide us with 154% of our daily recommended dose. It is also rich in vitamin C, A and B1. Just a few words about vitamin C here; this vitamin has very important anti-oxidant properties. It has proven to enhance the immune system responses and its specialty is deactivating free radicals; it protects the body from oxidative stress. Vitamin C is also necessary factor for the production of collagen in humans and its deficiency can cause scurvy, which in extreme cases can be fatal. Parsley has also many minerals like calcium, magnesium, iron and potassium, all very important for us.
I guess that the most impressing and unexpected properties of parsley are the newly found anti-cancer properties. Parsley contains volatile oil components which proved to inhibit tumor formation in cell cultures. Also the same group of components activates a key enzyme for the production of glutathione; the master of detoxification in the human body. Parsley can also easily neutralize certain carcinogen chemicals such as benzopyrene which is found in the smoke of cigarettes.
Parsley is a natural diuretic alleviating the kidneys, bladder and urine retention problems. It has excellent anti-inflammatory and detoxification properties; drinking parsley tea can help flushing out of the body gallstones.
