How Lettuce Helps Promote a Healthy Lifestyle : RiskAverse

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How Lettuce Promotes a Healthy Lifestyle

Nutrient Content

Vitamins

All types of lettuce are good sources of vitamin A, vitamin K, and vitamin C. Specifically, butterhead, romaine, and red leaf lettuce are rich in these vitamins.

Minerals

Lettuce has been shown to be rich in minerals such as calcium, potassium, and phosphorus. Specifically, red leaf and butterhead lettuce are the richest in these minerals.

Other

Lettuce contains a good amount of fiber, especially insoluble fiber.

*nutritional info from (1)

Click on each type of lettuce for an in-depth breakdown of their nutritional profile.

How Lettuce Prevents Chronic Disease

How Lettuce Prevents Cancer

Lettuce has several health benefits that can reduce your risk of several types of cancer.

Lettuce contains a substantial amount of vitamin C, which has been shown to prevent several cancers including lung, breast, and stomach. (2, 3, 4)
- Vitamin C helps produce white blood cells. White blood cells are a vital part of your immune response as they help eliminate foreign particles and prevent the spread of cancer cells.
Cancers are often caused by oxidative stress and chronic inflammation. Often, oxidative stress is driven by an excess number of free radicals. When in excess, free radicals are small molecules that attack tissues and damage many bodily systems. This allows cancer cells to spread to other areas of the body and become more deadly. (5)

How Lettuce Prevents Diabetes

Studies have shown that lettuce can reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes. Lettuce is low on the glycemic index chart, so it will not drastically affect your blood sugar levels.

High blood sugar levels often cause type 2 diabetes, so it is essential to have foods high in fiber and low in sugar. Lettuce has a high fiber content a low sugar content. (6)

It has also been shown that leafy vegetables can reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes. One study found significant reduction in blood sugar levels in individuals who consume them every day compared to a control group. (7)

How Lettuce Prevents Cardiovascular Disease

Lettuce has been shown to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease due to high vitamin K content. Vitamin K prevents blood clotting. Blood clotting is often the cause of heart attacks because it restricts blood flow. (8)

Lettuce Promotes a Number of Health Benefits

How Lettuce Promotes Bone Health

Lettuce promotes bone health through the bioactivity of vitamin K, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium. All four of these nutrients have been heavily associated with enhanced bone health. (9, 10, 11)

Specifically, vitamin K, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium help improve overall bone density and strength and prevent diseases such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. (12)

How Lettuce Promotes Eye Health

Lettuce is rich in vitamin A. Vitamin A is essential for good night vision. So, the more vitamin A you consume over the course of the day, the better you will be able to see at night. (13)