Salad

Useful properties of lettuce leaves

Salad belongs to the annual early plants which are widely cultivated in many countries. Contain more than one thousand kinds of this garden culture which come from crossing of various grades of salad. Conditionally they can be divided into four main types: headed, sheet, asparagus and Romain.

In spite of the fact that the homeland of salad is unknown, there is a set of the historical sources indicating that this culture was known and was widely used in the ancient time by Romans, Greeks and Egyptians, and in the European countries salad began to cultivate since the sixteenth century.

Thanks to the useful properties lettuce leaves are considered as the best addition to meat, potato and fish dishes. They contain a large amount of the folic acid promoting regulation of a metabolism, and also exerting impact on work of nervous and hemopoietic systems. Also they are a fine source of vitamin A and S. Besides, lettuce leaves have slight diuretic, antibechic, sedative and expectorant properties.

Lettuce leaves contain a large number of microelements, necessary for an organism, among which there are a zinc and copper, manganese and cobalt, titanium and molybdenum, iodine and boron. Also are a part of salad:

Calcium – to 15%;
Potassium – to 38%;
Phosphorus – to 9%;
Iron and magnesium – to 5%;
Silicon – to 8%.

Salad and the sulfur which is its chemical composition which lack of an organism can lead to development of various nervous diseases is appreciated. Together with silicon sulfur contributes to normalization of growth of hair, and also influences a condition of sinews and skin.

The sulfate, nitrate and muriatic salts of potassium which are contained in lettuce leaves are useful to work of a pancreas, a liver, kidneys and circulatory and vascular system.

The magnesium which is contained in lettuce leaves influences a brain, muscular tissue and nerve fibrils. Organic salts of magnesium promote cellular construction of pulmonary fabrics and maintenance of normal blood circulation.

Scientists noted advantage of lettuce leaves for children, and also for elderly people. Besides, this plant is recommended for those who lead a sedentary life and at a disease of a diabetes mellitus.

Caloric content of lettuce leaves low also varies from 10 to 27 kcal depending on a grade. Thanks to it lettuce leaves are recommended to be used as a part of various diets.

Use of lettuce leaves

Lettuce leaves exert beneficial effect on a lipometabolism and promote decrease in level of cholesterol in blood that reduces risk of development of such diseases as a hypertension, atherosclerosis and obesity. Lettuce leaves improve digestion, and also affect soothingly a nervous system as possess easy somnolent action.

Besides, the advantage of lettuce leaves for nursing mothers is noted – leaves and water infusion from the crushed seeds of a plant promote increase in production of milk.

The fresh crushed lettuce leaves infusion in traditional medicine is appointed at chronic gastritis, the increased emotional excitability, sleeplessness, a hypertension, a scurvy, heart troubles and diseases of a liver.

Some grades of salad, for example, a garden cress, are rich with iodine and their leaves can be used as a lotion at treatment of a thyroid gland. The regular use of leaves of a garden cress thanks to the high content of beta carotene and Luteinum reduces probability of development of such eye diseases as a cataract and an age makulodistrofiya.

Useful properties of lettuce leaves use in cosmetology for preparation of various masks which promote rejuvenation of cells of face skin. Also at sunblisters of the place of defeat it is recommended to wipe with juice from fresh lettuce leaves.

Contraindications

Despite of the low caloric content of lettuce leaves and useful properties of this plant, there is a number of contraindications for its consumption. So, it is contraindicated to eat any kinds of salad in large numbers at:

Peptic ulcer of a stomach and duodenum;
To gout;
Aggravation of a chronic duodenitis;
Urolithiasis (at oxalic, uratny and phosphatic stones);
Acute diseases of intestines with the expressed digestion disturbances.

Whether you know that:

According to opinion of many scientists, vitamin complexes are almost useless for the person.

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