They’re one of the healthiest—yet overlooked—foods you can eat. Turnip greens aren’t just the tops of your turnips…
They’re full of quality nutrition that puts many other vegetables to shame. You definitely don’t want to throw these away.
Here are five reasons to try turnip greens:
1. Keeps Skin and Hair Healthy: Turnip greens are rich in vitamin A. You need it to produce sebum. It’s an oily substance made in your skin. Sebum’s main function is to protect your hair and skin from getting too dry. It also helps keep them water resistant.1
Not only that, one cup of boiled turnip greens will give you around half your daily vitamin C requirement.2 This is important for building collagen that keeps skin supple and young. It may even help prevent wrinkles. Eating these greens may even help keep your hair on your head… Losing iron can lead to hair loss. And speaking of iron…
2. Prevents Iron Deficiency: Eating these greens will give you a good amount of dietary iron. But the vitamin C in them may help you absorb the iron more efficiently.3 This can help you prevent anemia.
Over time, being anemic can steal your energy. It may make you feel cold and even dizzy. You may find yourself having mood swings. But over time it can affect the way your organs function. Remember, they need oxygen too. Adding turnip greens to your diet is a great way to get more iron—and help your body put it to good use.
3. Builds Strong Bones: These greens aren’t just a good source of vitamins A and C… In fact, they have more vitamin K than almost any other vegetable. One serving will give you nearly six times the amount of it you should aim for in a day. It also gives you four times the amount of calcium you’ll find in cabbage.4
Combining vitamin K with calcium is your best bet for improving bone health. Vitamin K works with the vitamin D in your body to control calcium. Getting enough vitamin K can reduce your risk for hip fractures by nearly 80%.
4. Fights Cancer: Cruciferous veggies—like turnip greens—are a great way to get sulforaphane. It’s a compound with cancer-fighting power. Research shows that it can kill human leukemia cells. Even more impressive is that it leaves healthy cells unharmed. Studies on mice with cancer revealed sulforaphane can reduce tumor size by up to 75%. Even stop growth completely.
Another benefit that comes with eating turnip greens is its chlorophyll content. It helps bind up cancer-causing toxins—like mycotoxins and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons—and remove them as waste.5
5. Controls Blood Sugar: Adding turnip greens to your dinner might help prevent—or control—diabetes. That’s because it contains alpha-lipoic acid (ALA). It’s a powerful antioxidant that can help you prevent blood sugar spikes. ALA may also improve insulin sensitivity and fat metabolism in people with type 2 diabetes. Studies show it works fast. You can see lower glucose levels in about eight weeks.6
Eating turnip greens also gives you a good amount of dietary fiber. And adding fiber to your diet is a simple way to help control your blood sugar. It helps leave you feeling full and satisfied after meals.7
Turnip greens may not be a food you’ve considered before. But eating them may be a simple way to help look and feel years younger… Not to mention protect your bones during the winter chill. Try gently steaming them to tone down their bitter taste. You can also add it to a smoothie or green juice for an extra boost of vitamins A, C, and K.
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References:
1http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-sebum.htm
2http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=144
3http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/285961.php
4Idem
5http://www.nutrition411.com/specials-centers/ck139-oncology/for-your-patients/diet-and-nutrition/item/28354-anticancer-compounds-found-in-food/
6http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21666939
7http://www.joslin.org/info/how_does_fiber_affect_blood_glucose_levels.html