The delicious and vibrant taste and wonderful healing properties of parsley are often ignored in its popular role as a table garnish. Highly nutritious, parsley can be found year round in your local supermarket.
Parsley is the world's most popular herb. It derives its name from the Greek word meaning "rock celery" (parsley is a relative to celery). It is a biennial plant that will return to the garden year after year once it is established.
While parsley is a wonderfully nutritious and healing food, it is often under-appreciated. Most people do not realize that this vegetable has more uses than just being a decorative garnish that accompanies restaurant meals. They do not know that parsley is actually a storehouse of nutrients and that it features a delicious green and vibrant taste.
The two most popular types of parsley are curly parsley and Italian flat leaf parsley. The Italian variety has a more fragrant and less bitter taste than the curly variety. There is also another type of parsley known as turnip-rooted (or Hamburg) that is cultivated for its roots, which resemble salsify and burdock. Parsley belongs to the Umbelliferae family of plants, and its Latin name is Petroselinum crispum.
Health Benefits of Parsley
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Parsley is one of low calorific herb. 100 g of fresh leaves carry just 36 calories. Additionally, its leaves hold zero cholesterol and fat, but rich in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber. On the whole, the herb helps in controlling blood cholesterol and may offer protection against free radical-mediated injury and cancers.
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Parsley contains health benefiting essential volatile oils that include myristicin, limonene, eugenol, and α-thujene.
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The essential oil, Eugenol, present in this herb has been in therapeutic application in dentistry as a local anesthetic and antiseptic agent for teeth and gum diseases. Eugenol has also been found to reduce blood sugar levels in diabetics; however, further detailed studies required to establish its role.
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Parsley is rich in polyphenolic flavonoid antioxidants, including apiin, apigenin, crisoeriol, and luteolin; and has been rated as one of the plant sources with quality antioxidant activities. Total ORAC value, which measures the antioxidant strength of 100 g of fresh, raw parsley, is 1301 µmol TE (Trolox equivalents).
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The herb is a good source of minerals like potassium, calcium, manganese, iron, and magnesium. 100 g fresh herb provides 554 mg or 12% of daily required levels of potassium. Potassium is the chief component of cell and body fluids that helps control heart rate and blood pressure by countering pressing effects of sodium. Iron is essential for the production of heme, which is a critical oxygen-carrying component inside the red blood cells. The human body uses manganese as co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase.
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Additionally, the herb is also rich in many antioxidant vitamins, including vitamin-A, β-carotene, vitamin-C, vitamin-E, zeaxanthin, lutein, and cryptoxanthin. The herb is an excellent source of vitamin-K and folates. Zeaxanthin helps prevent age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) in the retina (eye) in the elderly population through its antioxidant and ultraviolet light filtering functions.
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Fresh herb leaves are also rich in many essential vitamins such as pantothenic acid (vitamin B-5), riboflavin (vitamin B-2), niacin (vitamin B-3), pyridoxine (vitamin B-6) and thiamin (vitamin B-1). These vitamins play a vital role in carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism by acting as co-enzymes inside the human body.
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It is, perhaps, the richest herbal source of vitamin-K; provide 1640 µg or 1366% of recommended daily intake. Vitamin K has been found to have the potential role in bone health by promoting osteoblastic activity in the bones. It also has an established role in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease patients by limiting neuronal damage in their brain.
Shipping - To ensure fresh & pure products are delivered at your doorstep, we procure these directly from the Local farmers/ Women's Self Help Groups in small batches. It therefore sometimes takes 7-21 days for the shipment to get delivered to you depending upon your location.