Getting Acquainted with Nutritious Types of Edible Plants

 

The world we live in would not sustain life without air, sunlight, water, and the different types of plants that grow in it. Plant life includes trees, shrubs, flowering plants, and herbs. And these are just a few. Algae, ferns, and mosses are plants that don’t flower. Some plants have seeds and some that don’t have seeds. All types of plants contribute to releasing oxygen into the environment, without which the entire world population would perish. Needless to say, our health and survival depend on the nutritious types of edible plants that nourish us and make us healthy.

Here we focus on the kinds of plants that we use for sustenance, that is food. To fully understand and appreciate the plants that comprise a significant portion of what we eat, we must first know the different types of plants that are edible. They contribute a lot to our strength and nourishment. Collected in this post are articles, each one focusing on an important aspect of plants.

1 | NUTRITIOUS TYPES OF EDIBLE PLANTS

Kinds of Lettuces for Health

In this article, 10 of the various kinds of lettuces for health and wellness are featured. You see them in the supermarket’s vegetable section. Or when driving along the country road, you pass by farms brimming with various kinds of vegetables. They may not have as many nutrients as other vegetables. But they can be eaten raw, slightly cooked, or added to your daily favorite meals to make them more healthful. Try out the suggested recipes included somewhere here. Below is an excerpt from the article. Click on the title above to access the full version.

 

Butterhead Lettuce

 At first glance, the Butterhead lettuce could be mistaken for a cabbage, or the Iceberg lettuce, which also resembles a cabbage. The rounded leaves and buds are light green. The taste of this lettuce is quite sweet with a smooth, buttery texture. Folate, vitamin A, and vitamin K are the micronutrients it provides. Included in the nutritious types of edible plants, it’s got important health benefits such as:

• Removes cholesterol buildup preventing heart attack and stroke
• Curbs release sugar into the blood
• Contribute to bone health due to vitamin K

 

Little Gem

A gem of a vegetable indeed not only because of its compact size, but also its sweet flavor and crunchiness. It’s a favorite in vegetable salads, sandwich filling, or just enjoyed raw for an extra boost of nutrients. Among its health benefits are:

• Vitamin K for bone health and normal blood clotting
• Source of folate for heart health and enhanced immune system
• Manganese to prevent cell damage
• Thiamin enhances heart, emotional, and mental health

 

 

Lollo Rosso

The Lollo Rosso has crisp, curled light green leaves that gradually change into deep crimson towards the tip. Its mildly bitter taste adds zestiness complementing other greens in a vegetable salad. Here are its health benefits:

• Vitamin C content boosts the immune system
• Vitamin A benefits eye health
• Iron content gives protection against anemia

Enjoy the Lollo Rosso raw, or lightly cooked, to get the most nutrients.

 

Romaine Lettuce

It’s a tad leaner and a bit taller than most lettuces of the same shape, or silhouette. You may find this often in Caesar’s salad, as toppings for sandwiches, for wraps, and as an ingredient in a meal. Romaine lettuce contains vitamins A and C, some antioxidants, and copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and vitamin K. It’s one of the more popular and often used lettuce variety among the nutritious types of edible plants.

So, it is good for the following:

• Bone growth
• Bone loss prevention
• Support cardiovascular health
• Strengthens the immune system

 

Trocadero Lettuce

The soft, smooth, and well-formed Trocadero lettuce takes the shape of a rosette, with its shapely round leaves. Besides its fiber content, it contains Some copper, iron, and zinc. And it’s a popular addition to green salads, or to embellish recipes. Like most vegetables and lettuces, the Trocadero lettuce can safely be eaten raw and chewed well. Its benefits for health are as follows:

• Prevents cholesterol build-up due to fiber
• Contains enough nutrients beneficial to good health
• Contributes to weight loss
• Helps in regularizing sleep patterns for insomniacs

 

2 | NUTRITIOUS TYPES OF EDIBLE PLANTS

High Vitamin C Foods

Vitamin C is one of the vitamins that most kids have grown up knowing. And rightly so. Being water-soluble, it’s recommended we take a lot of it. But there’s that thin line that separates overdose and the safe one. Supplements are good, but getting your daily supply of vitamin C from fruits and vegetables is the best way to go. Now, read up and know them.

Why Always Choose High Vitamin C Foods

Health and nutrition experts recommend eating foods that have high Vitamin C content. Doctors, nutritionists, and dietitians recommend including water-soluble Vitamin C. The reason: the body does not store this chemical compound. Only some of it stays consumption. They do not stay, but only pass through the body tissues and bring about desirable and healthful effects.

The recommended dietary allowance for vitamin C is 90 mg for males and 75 mg for females. For pregnant women, it’s 85 mg for pregnant women, and 120 mg for those who are lactating. You may consume up to 1,000 mg or so, but not recommended by doctors and nutritionists. So, it is often fine to have large servings or many portions of the highest vitamin C content foods.

 

Get Acquainted with the High Vitamin C Foods List

• CITRUS FRUITS

Many know that these fruits are on the list of foods with high Vitamin C content. It’s because of their availability, taste, and ascorbic acid content. They are often in abundance in the late and early months of the year. The sweet and sour flavors of these fruits make them great for snacks, and as ingredients for some dishes. With these citrus fruits available, we get over 50 to 70 mg of vitamin C.

They have carotenoids like beta-carotene which provide antioxidants to fight inflammation. The vitamin C they contain also helps in white blood cell production. That would be effective for treating and preventing infection. That stated, they are fruits with rich Vitamin C content and are highly recommended.

Vitamin C Content of Citrus Fruits

• Orange. A small one with 96 grams yields 51.1 mg and we get 97.9 mg from a big one that is 184 grams.
• Grapefruit. 123 grams supplies 38.4 mg.
• Lemon. 100 grams imparts 77 mg.
• Pomelo. 100 grams gives 61 mg and we get 371 mg from a whole fruit which is 609 grams.
• Kumquat. 19 grams delivers 8.3 mg

 

• BELL PEPPER

Different variants of this vegetable have a grassy or earthy flavor. Yet they are crunchy, juicy, and give a bit of sweetness in every bite. People eat them raw or cooked and whole or chopped. They come in different colors. The green bell pepper has 95.7 mg of ascorbate while the red variety contains 152 mg and 341 mg for the yellow. So, it is tasty and nutritious at the same time. Take note that many add this to their high vitamin C foods list.

All the variants provide beta-carotene, but it’s the red pepper that supplies it the most by having the ideal or preferred ripeness. Green ones are often a bit more bitter since they are unripe. Yellow bell peppers are very mature, but at least have plenty of vitamin C in them.

• CANTALOUPE

Also called sweet melons, these fruits are sweet and juicy. They make great desserts and ingredients for flavorful dishes. An average melon is usually about 5 inches in diameter and weighs 552 grams. The whole fruit can yield 202.6 mg of vitamins. Even if most of it is water, it is also considered one of the highest vitamin C content foods.

Since it has plenty of water, it is great for hydration and very low in calories. That being so, it can help in weight management. It has phytonutrients such as alpha-carotene and beta-carotene. These plant pigments counter inflammation and oxidative stress. Thus, it is great for the skin and n preventing diseases and cancer.

 

Signs Of Vitamin C Deficiency

These are often the usual symptoms of individuals who have a Vitamin C deficiency.

• Excessive weakness or tiredness
• Dry and damaged skin
• Frequent inflamed and painful muscles and joints
• Slow healing of wounds
• High irritability
• Easy Bruising

Here’s a doable approach to make every family member sort of remember the different fruits and vegetables loaded with vitamin C from fruits and vegetables. Hang an infographic of these veggies and fruits in a spot they won’t miss.

 

3 | NUTRITIOUS TYPES OF EDIBLE PLANTS

What Foods Increase Inflammation

Inflammation is the body’s normal response when viruses, bacteria, and harmful chemicals find their way into the body. Sustaining an injury also sets off the same response. Eating certain foods may also trigger or worsen inflammation. And a chronic condition of such needs to be controlled. To keep those distressing symptoms at bay, avoid that food. And as important as knowing and choosing the right nutritious types of edible plants and foods for optimum health, it’s also in our best interest to know those that curb inflammation.

Below are a few highlights from the article. Click on the title above to access the full article.

 

Know the foods that can potentially increase inflammation

You have to understand that food additives are also quite helpful. This would be due to their helpfulness in making food last longer plus taste, feel, and look better. It is only that they may cause harm to the human body after frequent ingestion.

 

• High-Fructose Corn Syrup

Companies use this food additive since using it is cheaper than sucrose or table sugar. This is because the production cost of modern food items is often quite expensive. Plus, the demand for sweeter treats is high. So, it’s easy to find this sweetener in grocery stores. It is likewise incorporated into processed food.

It is for sale in bottles. Yet food manufacturers often distribute it with fast food products and breakfast cereals. It is even in baked and canned goods, dairy products, and sodas. What foods increase inflammation are these and more so be watchful. Taking a lot of it may make you gain weight, according to a study. Thus, you may also end up swollen and having body pains because of the weight gain from having it.

Replace it with…

• Look for foods prepared with naturally sweet options such as fruit, plants such as stevia, or derivatives such as allulose.
• When baking, use these same natural sweeteners, too. Most substitute one-for-one with sugar or corn syrup.
• Avoid dependence on sweetness. Studies indicate that people often become addicted to sugars. As with any addiction, avoiding the substance may be difficult at first, but the way to break the addiction is to avoid the substance. Remember, corn syrup and refined sugars offer no real food value but do contribute to several health issues.

 

 

• Trans Fat

Making this involves a process called hydrogenation by combining vegetable oil with hydrogen. Its purpose is to prevent spoilage and also give food a unique texture. You can get it from a lot of food sources because many companies use it. It is most common in fast or fried food, snack, and cake products.

It is fat and thus grams of it have plenty of calories too. So, consuming a lot of it may result in different health problems. It can increase your fat deposits and triglycerides. Thus, it may make your arteries swell from plaques and put you at risk of cardiac issues.

Replace it with…

• Many mistakenly believe that plant-based foods don’t contain trans fats. However, the truth is, some do. Consider fried foods, bakery items, and even that vegetable shortening your grandma uses to make flakey pie crust.
• Avoid products that contain partially hydrogenated oils. Instead, choose healthier oils such as extra-virgin olive oil or coconut oil.

When possible, avoid oils entirely. Try sautéing in broth, rather than frying in oil, for instance.

 

 

• MSG Or Monosodium Glutamate

This crystalline substance is a flavor enhancer used in many places around the globe. Many even consider it an important ingredient and mix it in their dishes and light meals. People use them to make their broths, spices, and sauces taste better. They are also for enhancing the flavor of soups, veggies, meat, and poultry. Accessing it is easy because it is in the household, commercial, and processed foods. A person who would search what foods cause the most inflammation may find this one on top.

It binds to glutamate receptors of the body and things occur when that happens. Prolonged use can lead to health problems. One research says they are obesity, Chinese restaurant syndrome, and reproductive issues. All the conditions mentioned involve internal tissue swelling.

Replace it with…

• Rather than replacing MSG, consider just avoiding the substance. While it does offer some flavor enhancement, switching to other ingredients makes sense. These might include broths, herbs, spices, or stronger flavored vegetables such as mushrooms.
• When eating out or buying ready-made, look for foods made without MSG. With more awareness, restaurants and manufacturers are providing more options without MSG.

 

 

• Artificial Flavorings and Colorings

Flavor experts combine inorganic ingredients to make synthetic products. These copy the taste of spices, fruits, veggies, meat, and poultry among many things. Many say they are bad add-ons to foods that cause the most inflammation. That is because plenty of folks reported being sensitive to it.

There are a lot of people who claim to have had their diseases exacerbated because of consuming it. Some even said that they experienced gastric upset too. This is all after having taken it for a lengthy period. Having repeated inflammatory responses such as allergies can be dangerous. It is possible to have breathlessness as part of an allergic reaction caused by a food additive.

Replace it with…

• Natural flavorings. These offer better flavor and often contain nutritional benefits, too.
• Consider if you truly need those extreme colors. If so, look for natural colorings such as beet juice, spinach, etc.

 

 

• Alcoholic Beverages, Sodas, Fruit Drinks

Binge drinking does not only cause intoxication but also gut problems. For instance, when you drink a lot, your liver gets inflamed. The proof of this is having increased C-reactive Protein or CRP levels. This is indicative of inflammation. Plus, excessive consumption leads to bowel issues. So, it is best to drink in moderation.

Drinks are also foods that cause the most inflammation for a few reasons. They disrupt the gut homeostasis. Alcohol stays in the body for a day or two and is an addictive substance. So, you might get hooked on it.

Replace it with…

1. Healthier options include herbal tea, coffee, and of course, water. Not a fan of plain water? Add a little lemon juice or lime juice. You might even prefer a spritz of cherry juice or other fruit.
2. Smoothies made with whole fruit and vegetables (leave the sugars out).

 

 

4 | NUTRITIOUS TYPES OF EDIBLE PLANTS

Top Foods with Iron that Vegans Eat

A typical vegan food plate must include iron. And vegetarians who strictly follow recommended foods are discouraged to get their iron from meat products, which are rich in iron. And since our body can’t synthesize it, we need to get it from other sources, like vegetables and other nutritious types of edible plants. Not enough iron in the diet could result in deficiency which may lead to health issues. On the other hand, an overdose of it could be harmful.

The bottom line: vegans and others who want to stick to a plant-based diet should work together with a registered dietitian or certified nutrition specialist to work out a diet plan exclusively for them.

Why Doctors Insist on a Diet with Foods Having Iron

Physicians often tell their patients which foods are a good source of iron when there is anemia. Even to those who might seem to have it, experts recommend a diet modification. Here are some signs that may show low iron levels.

• A Complete Blood Count that reveals low hemoglobin levels.

• Low numbers of immature blood cells mature to be those that transport oxygen. Small reticulocyte count.

• A peripheral smear that shows small and pale red blood cells.

• Serum iron is low in our bodies.

• Transferring levels are high, but have no iron.

 

PLANTS THAT ARE TOP FOODS WITH IRON

 

Soy Products

These items are derivatives of the legumes called soybeans. Examples of these are soy milk, soy sauce, tempeh, tofu, and natto. They have plenty of iron. To be specific, for instance, a cup of soybeans provides about 6 to 8.8 mg of iron. A comparable amount of natto can likewise grant 15 mg of the element. Thus, it can be quite dependable when it comes to getting the mineral.

They often have high amounts of macronutrients like fiber and protein too. A cup may supply 13 grams of fiber and 68 grams of protein. So, with it, we already have plenty for our digestion and muscle building. Likewise, it is free of cholesterols and also has low saturated fat. Thus, it’s one of the recommended foods having iron.

Lentils

Of the many food crops, this too is one of the foods enriched in iron. There are brown, red, green, black, and yellow lentils. The brown ones often have an earthy taste while the green and red have peppery and sweet flavors. 100 grams of stir-fried, sprouted lentils already yield 3.1 mg of iron. You get 3.3 mg with the boiled version. Hence, a cup that has a little over 200 grams will already give you 6.6 mg of iron.

It is also loaded with potassium which helps with iron absorption. 100 grams of boiled lentils give 369 mg of potassium. That amount also provides 36 mg of magnesium, which is good for bone health. Take note that magnesium helps with bone density. Also, the production of red blood cells happens in the bone marrow. Thus, it’s one of the foods having iron content that addresses anemia too.

 

Mixed Nuts

These are also top foods with iron because of their non-heme iron content. They are not only nutritious and edible but also tasty and come in a variety to suit different tastes. There are pecans, pistachios, cashews, Ginko, and macadamia to name a few. A cup or 134 grams of mixed and oil roasted nuts will already grant us 3.5 mg of iron.

Nuts often are high in calories and fat, but this can be a good thing for vegans to have energy. 28 grams of mixed nuts can even already supply 5 grams of protein, 6 grams of carbs, and 3 grams of fiber. Plus, we can get vitamin E for antioxidants that can prevent iron toxicity. Therefore, we get a lot already for our bodies from having nuts as snacks.

 

Nutritional Yeast

9 grams of this can give you 1 mg of iron. It’s one of the foods having iron and other beneficial elements. It even has vitamin B12 which vegans often experience a deficiency of. Eating it involves sprinkling it over salads, rice, and pasta to add more flavor to dishes. It takes a bit like cheese and so people like it for that reason too. So, it’s nutritious, flavorful, and versatile when it comes to eating.

It’s a dietary supplement that packs a lot of things like vitamin B complex. Since it does have the B vitamins, it aids in treating and preventing anemia, DNA, and nerve problems. It’s a great food choice for people with concerns about their iron levels. This supplement already helps improve blood quality and volume.

 

Green Leafy Vegetables

These nutritious types of edible plants are top foods with iron and are usually fine for consumption whether raw or cooked. These greens are often what folks eat in vegan dishes like salads, pasta, and noodles. Sometimes they come in snacks like chips. There are enough of them to go around in community markets and groceries even if they are in season. So, these crops make excellent sources of iron.

Examples of these are spinach and kale. Both have protein and iron yet one has more of the two nutrients than the other. Spinach has more iron than kale. Per 100 grams, spinach can give 2.7 mg of iron while kale has 1.5 mg of it only. But two are useful when it comes to being iron sources. Both are rich in carotenoids, calcium, and vitamins A, C, and K.

Calcium helps strengthen the bones where the blood comes from. Iron makes hemoglobin which makes blood oxygenated from the lungs. Vitamins A and C promote iron absorption. Vitamin K helps with blood clotting to prevent blood loss and also anemia. Thus, green leafy veggies aid plenty in making sure people have enough iron.

In a nutshell…

Knowing more about the many nutritious types of edible plants will hopefully expand your choice of plant-based foods in your meals. That gives you a more healthful and satisfying addition to your arsenal of life-prolonging choices and endeavors.

 

 

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