The Benefits of Dark Green Leafy Vegetables

Do you know which color of vegetables is the most nutritious and beneficial in our food supply?
   The answer comes as no surprise: dark green, leafy vegetables.

  These vegetables are packed with vitamins A, C, E and K minerals and an abundance of
phytochemicals so vast that nutrition
professionals are still trying to uncover all of
their goodness.

  Examples of dark green, leafy vegetables are kale, collard greens, spinach, cabbage.

  Green foods are crucial to our health for a
plethora of reasons including their role in
strengthening the immune system, cancer
prevention, improved blood circulation, blood
purification, lowering cholesterol, promotion of healthy intestinal flora, increased energy,
detoxification through improved liver, gall
bladder functions, kidney function, and even
clearing congestion.

  If you still aren’t convinced of the importance of leafy greens, check out these five important benefits you’ll get if you consume them on a regular basis.

••   Easily Manage Your Weight

Adding more leafy greens into your daily diet
can play a dramatic role in your efforts to lose
weight or to maintain a healthy weight. They’re
so nutrient dense that you can consume a lot of food for just a few calories. In fact, most greens have less than 25 calories per cup which means you can fill up on as much as you like without packing on the calories.
Leafy greens are virtually fat free and the little bit of carbohydrates they provide are full of fiber which is also important in aiding weight loss.

••   Keep Your Heart Healthy

Leafy greens are known for controlling blood
pressure and blood sugar levels which in turn
lowers the risk of heart disease and heart
attacks. Furthermore, the more of these
vegetables you eat the less room you have for
fattier, less healthy fare and the more satisfied
and full you’ll feel throughout the day.

••   Keep Your Body Healthy

Consuming at least two servings of leafy greens
on a daily basis will help keep colds, wrinkles
and other illness away. This is because green
vegetables like spinach, kale, and collards are
full of phytonutrients and antioxidants which are known to fight anything from the common cold to cancer.
Fresh or cooked, the important part is
making sure that these veggies are made a
regular part of a healthy diet.

••   Avoid Type 2 Diabetes

Due to the high amount of magnesium and the
fact that leafy greens are on the low glycemic
index, they’re perfect for those who are dealing with diabetes or trying to avoid it. Incorporating dark leafy green vegetables into your daily diet while limiting sugary, processed foods can make a big difference in your blood sugar levels and help keep potential disease such as diabetes at bay.

••   Protect Your Eyesight

Dark leafy greens contain a high amount of
lutein and zeaxanthin. These are carotenoids
that are considered vital nutrients to help
prevent degeneration of the eyes. These kinds of veggies even protect against cataracts and can even help the elderly to avoid blindness due to macular degeneration.

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