Lettuce slimming or fattening? how to consume, benefits!

Lettuce is widely consumed in Brazil and there is this doubt if lettuce is slimming or fattening ? Very common in Brazilian dishes, it’s the first thing we think of when someone talks about salad, rich in nutrients and chlorophyll, it brings many health benefits.

Many people think that, because it is a light green food, lettuce contains less vitamins and minerals than dark green foods , and that’s why it  ends up being left out.

Based on the fact that, normally, the more vivid the color of the vegetable, the greater the amount of phytochemicals present. But whoever thinks that, she is very wrong, she is indeed very rich in nutrients.

Lettuce Properties:

Lettuce is considered a great source of fiber, vitamins and minerals essential for the proper functioning of our body, among them the main ones are:

• Potassium: A mineral necessary for the formation and transmission of nerve impulses and for muscle activity. In addition, potassium is a natural diuretic that helps eliminate fluids and prevent weight gain due to fluid retention.
• Magnesium: The intake of this mineral is also important in the defense of muscle cramps .
• Selenium: This is an antioxidant mineral that helps keep cells strong and delay aging.

Lettuce is a vegetable rich in fiber and easy to include in the daily diet, being responsible for bringing health benefits.

Health benefits of lettuce:

1. For the skin: 

The vitamin A in lettuce also provides skin benefits. Another beneficial nutrient for the skin is vitamin C.

Ascorbic acid participates in the synthesis of collagen , a protein that makes the skin firmer. In addition, because it has a low glycemic index, the vegetable helps to prevent the emergence of acnes.

2. Against cancer: 

Lettuce’s cancer-fighting benefits are promoted by its important antioxidant activity. When in excess, free radicals , compounds generated through cell metabolism itself, cause damage to the body, including at the DNA level , which can transform healthy cells into cancer cells.

3. Contra a anemia:

The benefits of lettuce to fight anemia stem from its iron and copper minerals . Iron is a constituent element of hemoglobin, copper , in turn, helps to mobilize the body’s iron for the production of this red blood cell pigment.

Lettuce make you fat?

Lettuce  is fattening , this is a misconception that leads many people to exclude it from the diet, which is not true because it has very few calories, only 17 kcal per 100g and is made up of a large amount of water . If consumed only with salt, vinegar and or lemon , it can be eaten freely in your daily meals.

So, lettuce is slimming?

Lettuce loses weight “   YES ” and is a welcome food in most diets. And it is not for less, the vegetable is low in calories, at the same time that it provides part of the nutrients that the organism needs for its functioning.