Just like what they’re called suggests, mustard greens are the leafy parts of the plant Brassica juncea — that’s mustard for you and everyone else. Farmed for over 5,000 years now, mustard greens are staples in the southern United States cuisine.
Including more mustard greens in your diet is certainly a must. No matter if consumed raw as salad or juice, or steamed or stir-fried together with other vegetables, the numerous benefits offered by mustard greens are hard to miss. Continue reading to know how these very common cruciferous vegetables can help give you enjoy longer, quality life.
They Help Ward Off Chronic Inflammation
Vitamin K and omega-3 fatty acids in mustard greens are nutrients known to be very good at combating inflammation. Experts associate inflammation with an assortment of health problems, including obesity, arthritis, cancer and heart disease. Adding mustard greens to the diet helps in keeping inflammation at bay, as well as the various complications it brings.
Mustard Greens Detoxify the Body
Leading a stressful life, having an unhealthy diet and being exposed to environmental pollutants can cause toxins to accumulate within the body. An effective way to have those poisonous substances neutralized is by consuming sufficient amounts of mustard greens. These vegetables contain antioxidants and sulfur that help in detoxifying the body.
Eating Them Promotes Normal Bowel Movement
Just like other leafy vegetables, mustard greens are excellent sources of dietary fiber. An indigestible type of carbohydrates, dietary fiber helps maintain normal bowel movement, thus saving you from ending up with constipation. Good amounts of this nutrient in the diet is also said to help in lowering colon cancer risk.
Mustard Greens Promote Healthy Eyes
There are many health-giving nutrients in every serving of mustard greens, and one of them is vitamin A. The inclusion of these cruciferous vegetables in the diet helps maintain healthy eyes and sharp vision. According to medical authorities, vitamin A is also very good at preventing cancer of the oral cavity and the lungs.
Consuming Them Helps Prevent Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a condition wherein the bones lose tissue, making them soft and fragile, and thus susceptible to ending up fractured. Eating mustard greens on a regular basis helps prevent this debilitating disease because they contain excellent amounts of calcium and potassium, both of which are essential for strengthening the bones.
They Help You Slim Down Effectively
It’s no secret that limiting the consumption of foods packed with calories and saturated fats and replacing them with fruits and vegetables helps promote weight loss. The inclusion of mustard greens in the diet helps make you feel satisfied. These green leafy vegetables also flush out toxins, help speed up the metabolism and nourish your body.
Mustard Greens Help Lower Certain Cancer Risk
Experts say that the consumption of mustard greens helps prevent certain types of cancer, such as that of the colon, prostate, ovaries, breasts, bladder and prostate. This is attributed to the ability of mustard greens to help combat inflammation and toxins, both of which can trigger cancer cell development.
Eating Them Helps Promote a Healthy Heart
Mustard greens are wonderful sources of dietary fiber that helps unclog the arteries, thereby regulating the blood pressure and keeping the heart from being damaged. As earlier mentioned, these cruciferous vegetables also ward off inflammation, something that can certainly wreak havoc to the cardiovascular system.