What is parsley?
Parsley is a flowering herb in the Apiaceous family that is a native to the central and eastern Mediterranean regions. The most common types of parsley are French curly-leaf and Italian flat-leaf.
It is bright green in color, has a mild, bitter flavor, and is used in many recipes. Parsley is edible and used to flavor dishes, soups, and salads. It is highly nutritious and packed with many health benefits.
Parsley is also used to treat diseases. The leaves, seeds, and roots of parsley are used to make medicine.
It is one of the most powerful diseases healing herbs whether used fresh or dried. The health benefits of parsley are treating conditions such as high blood pressure, inflammatory diseases, and many others in this article.
What are the health benefits of parsley?
With plenty of nutrients and healing powers, parsley has many health benefits and they are;
-
Parsley is packed with essential nutrients
Parsley is an immune booster as it contains essential nutrients for a healthy body. In parsley are healthy proteins, fat, fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, and potassium.
It is also rich in vitamin K that is responsible for healthy blood clotting. Vitamins A and C present in parsley are essential nutrients for eye health and skin health improving conditions such as acne on the skin and better eyesight.
2. Parsley can improve blood sugar.
Taking parsley can blood sugar levels by balancing them. Spiked sugar levels can increase the risk of insulin resistance, diabetes, heart disease, and metabolic syndrome all of which are caused by unbalanced sugar levels.
Parsley’s ability to improve blood sugars is linked to antioxidants.
Combining parsley and a balanced diet can guarantee healthy blood sugar levels and fewer chances of diabetes.
3. It can support bone health.
A variety of nutrients such as vitamin K in parsley can support bone health.
Vitamin K present in parsley supports bone-building cells and also activates proteins responsible for increasing bone density.
Stronger bones reduce the chances of fracturing, development of rickets in infants and
4. Parsley has cancer-fighting properties.
The compounds in parsley have anti-cancer effects. Parsley is rich in vitamin and antioxidants which lowers the risk of certain cancers such as colon cancer
.
Apigenin a compound found in parsley is also known for inhibiting breast cancer cell growth.
Through test-tube tests, myricetin and apigenin which are flavonoids in parsley showed anti-cancer activities in animal studies.
Other studies showed that an increased intake of vitamin C found in parsley reduced the risk of overall cancer in the body.
5. It freshens the breath.
Eating parsley is known for killing some sulfur compounds that cause bad breath.
Parsley acts as a natural breath freshener especially after consuming foods such as garlic and onions.
6. Parsley improves digestion.
Parsley is known for treating many digestion disorders such as gas, constipation, bloating, indigestion, and nausea.
Eating parsley can increase the production of bile and other gastric juices that are needed for digestion and nutrient absorption.
The fiber content in parsley also plays a major role in digestion. It helps in moving food and preventing constipation.
In some studies, parsley also proved to be anti-ulcer in mice as it was able to inhibit the secretion of excess gastric juice.
7. Parsley is healthy for the heart.
Parsley contains many plant compounds that are responsible for a healthy heart and reduction of the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Compounds such as carotenoid antioxidants are able to reduce heart health risks. Taking parsley can improve heart disease risk factors such as chronic inflammation, high blood pressure, and bad cholesterol levels.
Vitamin C and folate contained in parsley also benefits heart health.
8. parsley improves eye health.
The presence of plant-based vitamin A in parsley ensures the health of the eyes preventing night blindness, eye dryness, and cataracts.
Parsley also contains carotenes such as lutein and zeaxanthin which are essential for eye health. These are antioxidants that protect the eyes from oxidative damage as well as reducing the risk of macular degeneration.
9. Parsley has powerful antioxidants.
Parsley is packed with powerful antioxidants such as flavonoids, carotenoids, Vitamins like C, A, and E which can help fight inflammation and related diseases such as arthritis.
They prevent cell damage to the body by balancing free radicals in the body.
These antioxidants also help reduce the risk of many chronic diseases such as atherosclerosis, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease.
Vitamin C is also a powerful antioxidant that supports the immune system.
What happens when you eat too much parsley?
The recommended daily dosage is about 6 grams. However, no clinical studies have been made to back this dose.
Although parsley may have a lot of health benefits, it had downsides too. Most of these side effects come from eating too much parsley or when people have certain conditions.
Below are the side effects of parsley.
- Diabetes.
Parsley is known for lowering blood sugar however if you have diabetes and you use parsley, it will lower blood sugars beyond the advisable.
it may make blood sugar levels worse therefore as you use parsley, be cautious if you have diabetes.
- Bleeding disorders.
Parsley can increase the risk of bleeding in people with bleeding disorders especially to people using blood-thinning medications like Coumadin.
- Toxic to pregnant women.
The use of parsley by pregnant women can cause uterotonic effects. Uterotonics are used to induce labor and postpartum hemorrhage. However, when they come early before labor, a miscarriage may happen.
- Parsley is not recommended to diuretics as it may cause excess water loss.
Can I boil parsley and drink it?
When you talk about drinking and drinking parsley, let me hope it translates to parsley tea.
Parsley tea is soothing, sweet, and very nutritious since parsley is packed with many health benefits.
It is very nutritious and very safe to drink if you take in moderate quantities.
It is also safe to drink parsley tea if you are not pregnant and while not on blood-thinning medications.
Side effects to the side, parsley tea has health benefits and they are;
- The tea is high in antioxidants which help to defend the body from damage caused by free radicals.
- Parsley tea can help prevent kidney stones.
- Parsley tea has cancer-fighting properties that can suppress tumor growth and other forms of cancer like colon cancer.
- It is used as a natural remedy to treat menstruation-related conditions and disorders.
- May promote healthy blood sugar control.
How to make parsley tea.
- Boil 250 ml of water in a pot.
- Chop or grate 1/4 cup of parsley (15 grams).
- Alternatively, if you have ground parsley, use 2 tablespoons.
- Put the chopped or ground parsley into the pot and let it boil for 5 minutes on low heat.
- Finally, use a mesh to sieve the parsley leaves from your tea.
- Your tea is ready, you can add sweeteners if desired. Sweeteners such as honey, lemon juice, or sugar can be used.
How can I use Parsley?
Parsley is used in various ways depending on the need.
- Cooking and salads.
Many people use parsley in food to give it a mildly bitter flavor.
It is used to garnish and flavor almost any savory dish.
Parsley supplements fresh salads or can be used as toppings on meats and dishes.
- For medication purposes.
For medication purposes, parsley can be grated alone, added to juice smoothies during the making, or simply eaten in food.
- Tea.
Parsley is boiled for tea. This tea has a lot of health benefits.
Can I eat parsley every day?
Parsley can be eaten or used every day as long as it is in moderate quantities.
Though not clinically proved, around 6 grams is the healthy amount of parsley to take daily.
More than 6 grams can cause complications like nausea, stomach upset, and vomiting.
The bottom line:
Parsley has a lot of health benefits that can be got from consuming parsley by cooking, in juice, or tea. It is however not recommended for pregnant women and people on blood-thinning medications.
Did you know that Knitspice has articles about other health benefits of spices and herbs in the exception of parsley?
Read some of them from the links below.
Health benefits of saffron I wish I had known before
What are the health benefits of cinnamon and honey?
What are the health benefits of garlic?
Subscribe for Insights on herbs and spices