December 8, 2009

Health Benefits of Parsley

Posted in Category : Foods that Heal

The delightful and pleasant-tasting savor, coupled, with the wondrous healing attributes of parsley is frequently dismissed in its popular role as a table decoration or as a dressing. Known as an extremely nourishing herb, parsley is made available all the year round in your local grocery store. It is an aromatic herb with flat or crinkly leaves that are cut finely and used to garnish food and is believed to be the world’s most popular herb. A twig of parsley can offer much more than ornamentation on your plate.

Parsley possesses two types of unique constituents that render unparalleled health benefits. The first kind are particular essential oil constituents, including myristicin, terpene, eugenic acid, and alpha-thujene. The second kind is a combination of phytochemicals, such as apiin, apigenin, crisoeriol, and luteolin.

The essential oils in parsley, especially myristicin, show remarkable properties in inhibiting tumor formation, particularly, tumor formation in the lungs, according to studies and medical research done on animals. Parsley also supplies a good quantity of folate, which is part of the vitamin B complex, essential for cell growth and reproduction.

While it offers numerous benefits to the body, one of its most vital functions, in relation to heart and blood vessel health is its essential engagement and involvement in converting homocysteine into harmless molecules. Homocysteine is an amino acid used normally by the body in cellular metabolism and the manufacture of proteins. Elevated concentrations of homocysteine in the blood are thought to increase the risk for heart disease by damaging the lining of blood vessels and enhancing blood clotting.

The phytochemicals in parsley, particularly luteolin have been shown to operate as inhibitors that blend with highly responsive oxygen-containing particles (known as oxygen radicals) and help avoid oxygen-based impairment to normal healthy cells. Moreover, infusions from parsley have been employed in animal studies to help step-up the inhibitory capability of the blood. In addition, to its volatile oils and flavonoids, parsley is an excellent source of two vital nutrients that are also important for the prevention of many diseases: vitamin C and vitamin A (notably through its concentration of the pro-vitamin A carotenoid, beta-carotene).

Parsley Health

Parsley is also rich in Vitamin C and helps to reduce risks for a wide range of disorders, including coronary artery disease, malignant tumors of the colon, polygenic disease, and bronchial asthma. People who consume healthy amounts of parsley foods also experience reduced risks of degenerative joint disease and atrophic arthritis. Moreover since vitamin C is required for the healthy working of the immune system, parsley is also believed to be helpful in forestalling repeated ear infections or respiratory disorders.