The rock celery

Parsley is the world's most popular herb. It is one ingredient that we use to enhance the taste of a dish or for the sake of garnishing. However, a sprig of parsley can provide much more to one's health. Parsley contains two types of unusual components that provide unique health benefits. The first type is volatile oil components - including myristicin, limonene, eugenol and alpha-thujene. The second type is flavonoids - including apiin, apigenin, and crisoeriol. It is interesting to note that parsley derives its name from the Greek word meaning 'rock celery'. So, the next time parsley appears on your plate as a garnish, recognize its true worth and its abilities to improve your health. Read on to find out more about the health benefits of parsley.

History

Parsley is native to the Mediterranean region of Southern Europe. While it has been cultivated for more than 2,000 years, parsley was used medicinally prior to being consumed as a food. The ancient Greeks held parsley to be sacred, using it to not only adorn victors of athletic contests, but also for decorating the tombs of the deceased. The practice of using parsley as a garnish actually has a long history that can be traced back to the civilization of the ancient Romans.

Health benefits

1) Enhances your immune system

Parsley essential oil has been proven to suppress an over stimulated immune response, which helps fight against allergies, auto-immune and persistent inflammatory disorders.

2) Protects blood vessels

Parsley is a great generator of B vitamins such as folic acid. This acid can help you to reduce homocysteine; a naturally occurring amino acid within the human body that can damage blood vessels.

3) For a healthy heart

Parsley is a good source of folic acid. While it plays numerous roles in the body, one of its most critical roles in relation to cardiovascular health is its necessary participation in the process through which the body converts homocysteine into benign molecules. Homocysteine is a potentially dangerous molecule that, at high levels, can directly damage blood vessels, and high levels of homocysteine are associated with a significantly increased risk of heart attack and stroke in people with atherosclerosis or diabetic heart disease. Enjoying foods rich in folic acid, like parsley, is especially a good idea for individuals who either have, or wish to prevent, these diseases. A routine garnish of parsley will help defend against cardiovascular issues like stroke, coronary attack, and atherosclerosis.

4) Lowers the risk of cancer

Eating parsley can decrease the danger of cancers like skin, alimentary canal, breast and prostate cancer.

5) Urinary tract infections

Bastyr University, USA has listed parsley as one of its recommended herbs for remedying urinary tract infections as an alternative for antibiotics.

6) Detox

Apigenin and myristicin (found in parsley) boost the productivity of one of our liver's enzymes that detoxes our bodies.

7) Promotes optimal health

Parsley's volatile oils-particularly myristicin-have been shown to inhibit tumour formation particularly, tumour formation in the lungs. Myristicin has also been shown to activate the enzyme glutathione-S-transferase, which helps attach the molecule glutathione to oxidized molecules that would otherwise do damage in the body. The activity of parsley's volatile oils qualifies it as a 'chemo protective' food.

8) A rich source of anti-oxidant nutrients

In addition to its volatile oils and flavonoids, parsley is an excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of vitamin A (notably through its concentration of the pro-vitamin A carotenoid, beta-carotene).

Vitamin C has many different functions. It is the body's primary water-soluble antioxidant, rendering harmless otherwise dangerous free radicals in all water-soluble areas of the body. High levels of free radicals contribute to the development and progression of a wide variety of diseases, including diabetes, and asthma. This may explain why people who consume healthy amounts of vitamin C-containing foods have reduced risks for all these conditions.

Beta-carotene, another important antioxidant, works in the fat-soluble areas of the body. Diets with beta-carotene-rich foods are also associated with a reduced risk for the development and progression of conditions like atherosclerosis, diabetes, and colon cancer. Like vitamin C, beta-carotene may also be helpful in reducing the severity of asthma, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis. And beta-carotene is converted by the body to vitamin A, a nutrient so important to a strong immune system that its nickname is the 'anti-infective vitamin'.

9) Improves bone health

Low intakes of vitamin K have been associated with a higher risk for bone fracture. Adequate vitamin K consumption (which just 10 sprigs of parsley provide) improves bone health by acting as a modifier of bone matrix proteins, improving calcium absorption and reducing urinary excretion of calcium.