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Parsley is an herb native to the Mediterranean region. It has been used as a cooking additive for more than 2000 years. Lately, research into parsley has shown that they have a number of health benefits. The name parsley itself comes from the Greek work which means ‘rock celery’. Although it is a biennial (plant which lives for two seasons), it is usually harvested at the end of the first season because that is when the flavor is best for cooking. Surprisingly, parsley was first used as a medicinal plant before being used for cooking. In this article, we will discuss briefly what parsley is and the different kinds of parsley, and then detail its health benefits.

What is Parsley? Parsley is a leafy herb and is known botanically as Petroselinum crispum. It is a biennial herb and resembles coriander. There are three different varieties of parsley.

• The curly leaf
• The flat leaf
• Hamburg variety

Out of these three varieties, the curly leaf and the flat leaf are the most commonly used. The flat leaf variety is more pungent and aromatic than the curly leaf variety and is therefore more popular.
Place in history

The early Greeks were known to place a lot of importance on parsley, and it was considered almost holy. They adorned visitors, contestants in athletic competitions, and even the deceased with parsley as a mark of respect. They also used to use parsley as garnish in food served during ceremonial occasions. This is probably the origin of using parsley as garnish.

Nutrition Facts: Parsley provides 153% of the recommended daily intake (RDI) of vitamin K in just two tablespoons.

• It provides 16% of the RDI of vitamin C in two tablespoons.
• It provides 12% of vitamin A in two tablespoons.
• It provides 77.5% of the RDI of iron in 100 grams.
• It provides 38% RDI of folate in 100 grams.
• It provides 14% RDI of calcium in 100 grams.

Apart from this, it is also rich in beta carotene and zeaxanthin.

Calories in Parsley Juice: Parsley has a very low calorie count and gives just 36 Kcal per 100 grams.

Health Benefits of Parsley: Parsley is known to have a number of health benefits and as mentioned above was used as a medicinal herb far longer than as an herb in cooking. It is one of the most powerful antioxidants known and is very rich in antioxidants such as beta carotene and zeaxanthin and vitamins C, K and E. Some of the most common health benefits of parsley leaves are given below.

• Zeaxanthin is especially important in preventing macular degeneration (the degeneration of the retina of the eye due to old age and ultra violet light).
• Parsley is known to neutralize certain carcinogens and to also inhibit tumor growth.
• It is known to be an anti-inflammatory agent and may help in rheumatoid arthritis.
• Powerful antibacterial agent.
• Parsley is also very useful in treating urinary tract infections.
• Parsley in known to be effective in preventing gastrointestinal disorders such as intestinal gas, constipation and indigestion.
• Parsley has also been used to treat jaundice for hundreds of years.
• Parsley relieves cough and is also useful in treating asthma and edema (fluid retention).
• Parsley is sometimes used to start menstrual flow.
• Applying parsley directly on the skin relives everything from insect bites to cuts and bruises.

These are all just some of the many advantages of parsley.

Side Effects of Parsley Juice

• One of the biggest dangers of using parsley is that it will stimulate menstrual flow and should therefore, not be used during pregnancy.
• Taking parsley in large quantities “quantities higher than traditionally used in food” during the first three months of pregnancy is also suspected to cause serious birth defects.
• Parsley tends to cause the body to retain sodium salts, thereby increasing fluid retention in the body. This is thought to worsen blood pressure conditions in people.
• Certain chemicals found in parsley can worsen kidney diseases, so you should be careful using them if you have any such condition.
• Taking parsley in medical amounts along with blood thinning medication is not recommended.
• People who are sensitive to aspirin also show sensitivity to parsley. Although why this is so is not known.
  

Iron in Parsley Juice: Since parsley is considered to be rich in iron, many people feel that juicing parsley and drinking it will work as a good iron supplement. This is however fraught with peril because parsley is not so rich in iron that it can function as an iron supplement, and consuming large quantities of parsley can have unintended side effects as detailed above.

Although parsley has a number of health benefits, it is primarily used as an antioxidant simply because the concentrations of vitamins A, C and K are much higher than comparable amounts of almost any other fruit or vegetable. The other advantages of parsley are more subsidiary.