Lettuce

2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is one of the green leafy gifts of spring, which we should use regularly, as long as we are sure that lettuce is a natural and pure product. Lettuce grows quite well in temperate latitudes. They are from the Asteraceae family and are cultivated mainly because of their tender leaves, which we love to eat, prepared in salads.

Lettuce not to be confused with garden salad, although there is not much difference between the two. In most varieties, lettuce has a slightly rounded shape, while lettuce has longer and thicker leaves in some varieties. There are many different types of lettuce - Boston, Chinese, iceberg, summer lettuce, Lolo Rosso, Oak leaf, Belgian and curly chicory and many others.

Any type of this green leafy vegetable could be beneficial to health if grown naturally on pesticide-free soils. The fragile leaves of lettuce they have a fresh, slightly bitter taste due to the milky juice found in their fragile ones.

The history of lettuce begins somewhere in Egypt, and is even depicted on the walls of the tombs of the pharaohs. Later in time, the Romans cultivated the green gift of nature. During the reign of Emperor Domitian, a tradition was created to consume it as an appetizer with various sauces. A big fan of lettuce was Louis XIV, who tried to turn lettuce into a traditional dish grown in the gardens of Versailles, and later throughout Europe.

There are some interesting ones facts related to lettuce. One of them is that it helps men to withstand the love pressure of their loved ones for longer. It is also believed that the consumption of lettuce can act as a sedative because it contains a sleeping pill called Lactucarium. Proof of this comes from the Romans and Egyptians, who ate green leaves for dinner and thus caused sleep faster.

Lettuce composition

Spring lettuce, washed and cleaned well, is the joy of our body. It contains a large amount of useful vitamins and trace elements. Lettuce is an excellent source of chlorophyll and vitamin K. Rich in mineral salts, lutein and beta carotene. Eating fresh lettuce, we supply enviable doses of vitamin C, calcium, a lot of fiber, folic acid and iron.

Lettuce also includes nutrients such as vitamin A and B6, lycopene, potassium. The outer, darker green leaves of lettuce have been shown to contain much more carotene and vitamin C than the inner, lighter leaves. IN the composition of lettuce Lecithin, calcium, potassium, iron and phosphorus salts are also found, and the slightly bitter taste of lettuce is due to the glycoside lactucine, which is found in the milky juice of the stem and leaves.

All varieties of lettuce have a low calorie content.

100 g of lettuce contains 15-18 kcal, 1.36 g of protein, 2.87 g of carbohydrates, 0.15 g of fat, 0.7 g of cellulose, 94.2 ml of water;

Vitamins in mg%: C - 18, B1 - 0.06, B2 - 0.09, PP - 0.37, E - 0.17, Carotene - 1.60

Selection and storage of lettuce

Primarily lettuce it should be fresh, preferably spring. The leaves should be fragile, not soft and stunted and have a smooth structure without rotten areas. Greenhouse lettuce are available all year round, but we need to be more careful with them.

An obligatory condition is to wash the leaves well and if possible soak them for a few hours in water with a little vinegar or 2 pinches of soda. Then rinse once more and dry the leaves. This procedure is a preventive measure against nitrates and unwanted substances with which lettuce has been treated. You should thoroughly clean and wash every lettuce, be it homemade, from your own garden.

Once washed, lettuce can not be stored for long fresh and begins to rot and wither. To keep it fresh longer, wash it with ice water, dry it well and store it in envelopes in the lower compartment of the refrigerator, if possible without air in the envelopes.

Culinary application of lettuce

An ancient Arabic proverb reads:

To be prepare lettuce, you need: A pedant to wash it. A miser to sprinkle it with vinegar. A waster to pour olive oil over it. A prudent one to salt it. A madman, to stir it.

Leaving aside the sayings, lettuce is the preferred choice for salad, especially in the spring months. In combination with red or fresh onions, radishes, cucumbers, boiled egg, lettuce is a classic in our country for the period April-May.

The different combinations of lettuce in the preparation of salads include the addition of tuna, dried tomatoes, nuts, seeds. In combination with flaxseed lettuce is an excellent food for weight loss. The unique Iceberg salad cannot be prepared without the lettuce of the same name. To keep a healthy spirit on a plate with fresh salad, season it first with a little vinegar and then cold pressed olive oil. Add a little salt and consume with a smile.

Before preparing a delicious lettuce, it is always good to dry the leaves thoroughly, because the water on them will prevent the oil or olive oil from spreading evenly and flavoring the vegetables. Cut the lettuce into pieces with your hands and do not cut it with a metal knife, because that way you kill the vitamins in it. Always season the lettuce just before eating with olive oil and vinegar. Important rule: add vinegar first, then olive oil, because the fat covers the surface, and the vinegar manages to penetrate the vegetables.

If you have decided to follow a proper diet, nutritionists advise lettuce to be served at the beginning of the meal, before the main course. By eating green salad first, we stimulate the secretion of gastric juices and facilitate the digestion of the food then taken.

Benefits of lettuce

Lettuce is high in magnesium. This element plays an important role in the repair of tissues, nerves, brain and muscles. The large amounts of folic acid in fresh green leaves prevent birth defects in children in their mothers' wombs. Lettuce is a good helper against anemia and improve the work of the liver. With its abundance of vitamins A and C, lettuce is also a powerful tool in the fight against cancer. The beta-carotene in it is a well-known fighter against various diseases such as cardiovascular disease, stroke and cancer.

On top of it lettuce contain a lot of water and fiber, which create a feeling of satiety for longer and thus protect us from indiscriminate eating, and therefore from gaining weight. In diets for weight loss it is recommended to consume varieties with harder leaves, because they are processed more slowly by the body and contain more cellulose. Lettuce is also rich of water, which allows the body to hydrate better, and fiber helps with good digestion and adds a feeling of satiety.

Lettuce is recommended as a food for men who suffer from premature ejaculation. Along with dill and eggs, lettuce is considered a natural aphrodisiac that enhances sexual desire. Green leafy vegetables have been shown to increase potency in both sexes. Lettuce is also used as a remedy for water retention in the body, as well as for lazy intestines. The fresh one lettuce juice It has been used with great success for physical exhaustion, nervous exhaustion, water retention and edema.

After all that has been said so far, it logically follows that lettuce is a great fighter against constipation, which is again due to the fiber in it, which facilitates the work of the intestines. Lettuce can be beneficial in the treatment of indigestion, arthritis, circulatory problems and colitis.

Harm from lettuce

Harm from consumption of lettuce can occur if it is not grown according to the principles of natural nutrition and is "full" of nitrates, etc. In some cases, food poisoning is possible. As lettuce satiates easily and quickly, overeating with delicious spring salads can cause bloating and a feeling of discomfort and fatigue.