Salad contains many vital nutrients
Eating a salad every day is healthy because you get vital nutrients, fiber, and good fats.
You may have a feeling that salad is healthy for you. You're right; eating salad every day has many proven health benefits. Learn about 4 healthy reasons to eat salad today.
A study of people who eat salad daily and those who do not found that daily salad eaters had higher levels of the following nutrients in their bloodstream:
- Folic acid. This helps your body make new red blood cells. It can be important to either supplement or try to include folic acid in your diet if you are pregnant or anemic.
- Vitamin C. Beneficial for your bones, blood, muscle, cartilage, and collagen production, vitamin C is essential to your body. Vitamin C also helps your body heal and store iron. However, your body doesn’t naturally produce vitamin C, so you must have a diet that provides it.
- Vitamin E. Full of antioxidant properties, vitamin E can help your body fight against disease, boost your vision, and aid the health of your brain, blood, and skin. It is often found in various nuts and oils.
- Lycopene. This is a natural pigment that gives fruits and vegetables a bright red color. It is also an antioxidant. There is preliminary evidence that lycopene can prevent high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, and prostate cancer.
- Alpha and beta carotene. These yellow, orange, and red pigments are found in brightly colored fruits and vegetables like carrots. They lower the risk of cardiovascular events and cancers and boost blood health.
There is concern that the body does not easily absorb raw fruits and vegetables. Generally speaking, this has proved false. People who eat salad regularly are much more likely to fulfill their recommended intake of nutrients.
Eating salad can help with weight loss
To lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you eat. Fruits and vegetables typically contain more fiber and water than more processed, high-calorie foods. This means that you can eat more fruits and vegetables while staying on a low-calorie diet.
Vegetables are also naturally low in fat and calories. Salads can play an important role in reducing calories while also feeling satisfied.
Salads are often high in fiber
Fiber is the part of plants that your body is unable to digest. Other parts of plants are absorbed, but fiber moves intact through your body. In your diet, fiber can:
- Help prevent constipation
- Lower your chances of cancer in your bowl
- Prevent hemorrhoids
- Regulate your cholesterol levels
- Maintain an even blood sugar level
- Help you lose weight
Eating salads is a simple and painless way to start incorporating fiber into your diet. Most vegetables naturally contain large amounts of fiber. It is recommended that you eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day due to the fiber found inside of them.
However, if you add too much fiber into your diet too quickly, it can often have the reverse effect on your body. So be sure to slowly add fiber to avoid this.
Salads contain good fats
While fats may have an unhealthy reputation, it is recommended you include monosaturated or polyunsaturated fats. These types of fats have been found to boost your heart and brain health.
Ingredients that you might use for your salad containing good fats could be avocado, nuts, or seeds. Oils like olive oil, avocado oil, or sesame oils also contain these good fats. You can use these oils as dressing on your salad. Additionally, lean meats like salmon or tuna can be added to your salad once a week to incorporate more fats.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: "Using Fruits & Vegetables to Manage Your Weight."
Mayo Clinic: "Vitamin C," "Vitamin E," "Dietary fiber: Essential for a healthy diet."
NHS: "Folic acid."
Oregon State University: "Carotenoids."
Poison Control: "What's Lycopene."
UCLA Field School of Public Health: "UCLA/Isu Study Details Nutritional Value Of Salad.?"
