Most of us think of parsley as an herb that is used to garnish various foods.
But, what you might not know, is that this green-colored Mediterranean herb does a lot more than simply add color to your plate and make it look beautiful.
Packed with iron, potassium, vitamins A, B, C and K, antioxidants, and many other beneficial nutrients, parsley offers a wide range of health benefits, even when eaten in small amounts.
100 grams of this humble herb has just 36 calories but is packed with the following phytonutrients:
| Nutrients | Percentage of Recommended Daily Allowance |
| Vitamin A | 281 % |
| Vitamin C | 220 % |
| Vitamin K | 1366 % |
| Folates | 38 % |
| Calcium | 14 % |
| Iron | 77.5 % |
Here are the three of the major health benefits of parsley:
1. Parsley Helps You Lose Weight
Parsley is a particularly good food for people who are trying to lose weight.
Whether you want to lose a few pounds before that big event, or are looking for a long-term weight solution, parsley can offer great help.
Parsley helps reduce water retention in the body by removing excess fluid from the body without depleting it of potassium or any other essential nutrients. The herb also helps by reducing bloating and maintaining a healthy blood sugar level.
This is one of the main reasons that parsley is a popular food choice among celebrities – many use it to quickly lose excess water weight before photo shoots and big events.
2. Parsley Promotes Heart Health
Parsley contains folic acid, which plays a crucial role in the conversion of ‘homocysteine’ into an inactive compound; a process that is critical to cardiovascular health.
Keep in mind that high levels of homocysteine can cause damage to blood vessels. Homocysteine also greatly increases the risk of stroke and heart attack, especially in people suffering from diabetic heart disease or atherosclerosis.
3. Parsley Offers Protection Against Cancer
Parsley is also a good source of flavonoids which help our bodies counter many disease-causing elements, especially the cancerous elements.
Myricetin is a type of flavonoid that has been found to help prevent, as well as, fight against skin cancer. Parsley is one of the best natural sources of this compound.
Luteolin is another type of flavonoid present in parsley. This non-toxic plant compound supports the treatment of breast cancer patients by blocking the growth and metastasis Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) cells, which are the leading cause of breast cancer related deaths.
Parsley also contains apigenin, a chemical compound that is effective in reducing the size of breast cancer tumors.
Furthermore, parsley also helps prevent colon and cervix cancer due to the presence of folic acid, which has been found to help maintain a regular cell division process.
The anti-cancerous benefits of parsley have given scientists some hope for finding a natural, non-toxic treatment for cancer.
Final Thoughts
Whether you are looking to lose weight, or are interested in a healthier lifestyle, parsley is a food that should be a part of your diet. You can sprinkle it on your meat, use it in a salad, or simply use it as a garnish. Your taste buds are in for a tasty treat!
