The market is full of fruits and vegetables that we don’t give a chance to, either because we don’t know how to cook or prepare them, because we’ve never been interested in them, or because we don’t even know that they exist. This is the case of collard greens, an unbeatable source of essential vitamins and minerals that we should eat every day or at least many times a week.
Today’s protagonist is collard greens, a green leafy vegetable full of benefits for our body and that is thanks to the multitude of vitamins and minerals that it includes among its nutritional values.
Cabbage sounds like a spoon dish that is prepared in the middle of winter and that is typical of the province of Cádiz, specifically Jerez de la Frontera, although over the years and the different generations that have tried it, this recipe has already traveled all over the world, surely. But that dish is named after its main ingredient, collard greens, a dark green leafy vegetable with a firm stem.
Nutritional values of collard greens
These green leaves have very good nutritional values and that is why we wanted to tell everything we know about collard greens. To begin with, 100 grams of this vegetable have only 32 kilocalories, about 5.4 grams of carbohydrates, no sugar, no fat or cholesterol, 4 grams of fiber, just over 3 grams of protein and almost 90% of a collard greens is water.
Apart from these nutritional values, there are others that are much more important and through which all the properties and benefits of collard greens are achieved. We refer to vitamins and minerals. Collard greens are rich in vitamins and many of them far exceed the recommended daily allowances.
This is the case of vitamin A that with only 100 grams of collard greens we obtain 5,019 IU, which is 167% of the recommended daily amount. Then, from vitamin C we get almost 60% of the recommended daily intake, from vitamin E 15%, from vitamin K 546% and from folic acid or B9 32%.
When it comes to minerals, collard greens are not far behind, as only 100 grams of this vegetable give us 232 mg of calcium, 213 mg of potassium, 27 mg of magnesium, 25 mg of phosphorus, 1.3 micrograms of selenium and 12 mg of sodium.
How to add it to the diet and maximum amount
Given the large amount of vitamin A provided by 100 grams of collard greens, experts do not recommend consuming more than those grams. Moreover, if our diet is varied and where there are mainly fruits and vegetables, it is recommended to lower the amount to 75 grams of collard greens at most in one day . Otherwise, it would be too much fiber for the body and an excess of vitamins and minerals, and that is not good either.
If we do not know how to add collard greens to our diet, we are going to give some more or less original ideas so as not to always do the same thing like scrambled eggs with mushrooms, vegetable creams, stuffed with croquettes or empanadas, as a wrap, baked gratin , eat them raw in a mix of green leaves, etc.
Cabbage benefits
We already know the nutritional values of cabbage and based on them we are going to explain its main benefits and properties. With only 75 grams of collard greens per day we can achieve significant improvements in our daily health, it is to seriously consider giving this vegetable a try.
Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and cleansing properties
A small handful of collard greens a day can alleviate the inflammation caused by certain diseases and that is thanks to vitamin K. The results begin to be noticeable after several weeks of taking collard greens daily. For best results, it is recommended to also drink the water where the collard greens were cooked.
This vegetable is 100% natural and helps us detoxify and purify our body from the first moment we add it to our plate. We will notice that we go to the bathroom more times, but this must be compensated by drinking more fluids.
The antioxidant properties are known throughout the world and help us to fight against free radicals and delay skin aging as well as promoting a stronger immune system.
Healthy cardio
When we say that a food is heart-healthy, we mean that it helps us reduce cardiovascular disease. This is, in part, thanks to antioxidants, bad cholesterol, which is the cause of many cardiovascular conditions, is reduced.
To increase the cardiovascular benefits, we must take a lot of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, do sports and have good lifestyle habits. This means leaving out refined oils, fats, reducing salt and sugar, etc. All this will significantly reduce the risk of heart disease, atherosclerosis, heart attacks, etc.
Good for eggs and brain
We have said in the section on nutritional values that collard greens have calcium, magnesium and potassium, all this makes it beneficial to bone health by protecting bones and delaying osteoporosis. We repeat the same, eating collard greens is not a miracle, but it must be teamwork where there is also sport and a varied and healthy diet.
Thanks to iodine and vitamin K, this vegetable helps to preserve brain activity and concentration. So, if we are in exam time or with a lot of work ahead, having a cabbage lunch could help us, but the results are not immediate, but we need to eat this vegetable for several weeks to begin to notice improvement.
Anti-acne and anti-hair loss
This green leafy vegetable is highly regarded in natural cosmetics for its high content of sulfur and silicon, and that is summed up in an effective fight against acne. In addition, it is essential to produce keratin, as well as the hair, nails and skin.
In case the thing stays there, it also helps to purify the blood and cleanse the body of toxins, which improves the appearance of our hair and skin in general.
Contraindications of this vegetable
Cabbage we have already seen some of its contraindications and we refer to vitamin A, since if we take an excess of this vitamin we will begin to feel headaches, weakness, we will have chapped lips, dry skin, weak bones, hair will fall out, calcium concentrations in the blood, etc.
If we have thyroid problems, collard greens are not recommended. If we have kidney problems, it is also not a good idea to eat collard greens, unless a doctor says otherwise and does recommend it.
If we have any anomaly and there are doubts with any food, it is best to consult with a nutrition specialist or directly with the doctor who handles our case.
