8 Super Health Benefits of Asparagus
88asparagus spears
8 Health Benefits of Asparagus
Asparagus has so many health benefits, it should be added to the healthy diet. Asparagus is great as a detox vegetable, an anti-aging vegetable, and no surprise - an aphrodisiac, and much more.
The asparagus is a member of the lily family. It grows easily in the home garden right in the flower bed - it is a perennial and can yield a harvest for decades. Asparagus can be planted as seeds or roots any time of the year.
Here is a list of some of the health benefits of asparagus followed by a list further explaining those health benefits.
Asparagus:
1 - can detoxify our system
2 - has anti-aging functions
3 - is considered an aphrodisiac
4 - can protect against cancer
5 - reduces pain and inflammation
6 - can prevent osteoporosis and osteoarthritis
7 - reduces the risk of heart disease
8 - can help prevent birth defects
While there is every kind of supplement on the market to address these health issues, too often Americans turn to pills as a main source of nutrition. Pills should only be used as a supplement and not in the place of whole foods. For example: folic acid is highly recommended in today's diet especially for women who may become pregnant. However, folic acid is the supplemental form of folate. Folate is naturally found in asparagus. In the interest of good health, whole foods are always recommended before supplements.
The Reasons Asparagus Keeps Us Healthy:
1 - As a detox - asparagus has 288 milligrams of potassium per cup. Potassium is known for reducing belly fat (see belly fat link below). It also contains 3 grams of fiber which cleanses the digestive system. It has virtually no natural sodium so no bloating during PMS, has no fat or cholesterol, and one cup has only 40 calories. According to a clinical dietician at UCLA Medical Center, asparagus in the ultimate in detox vegetables.
2 - For anti-aging purposes - asparagus is rich in potassium, vitamin A, and folate. It is also very high in glutathione - an amino acid compound with protent antioxidant properties; a must as an anti-aging deterrent. Glutathione (GSH) is an antioxidant that protects cells from toxins such as free radicals.
3 - As an aphrodisiac - the asparagus is considered a psycho-physiological aphrodisiac because of its shape. It is said to trigger the mind to have a physiological response. The French word for asparagus is asperge; asperge is a slang word for penis.
4 - Against cancer - asparagus in high in folate which is now known to be an important protection against cancer. Note: Folate is found naturally in leafy green vegetables, and citrus fruits. While folic acid is said to be the same as folate, folic acid is the supplemental form. It is always recommeded that you get health benefits from eating healthy whole foods.
5 - Reducing pain and inflammation - it is the folate that helps reduce inflammation.
6 - Preventing osteoporosis and osteoarthritis - asparagus has vitamin K which studies have shown can help prevent osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. Vitamin K aids in bone formation and repair. It is also necessary for the synthesis of osteocalcin. Osteocalcin is the protein in bone tissue on which calcium crystallizes. Asparagus has been listed as the number one source of vitamin K.
7 - Reducing the risk of heart disease - it is the folate that has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease.
8 - Preventing birth defects - getting enough folate (doctors often recommend the folic acid supplement) is especially important for women who are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Having a folate deficiency has been correlated with increased risk of Spina Bifida (a spinal cord birth defect) and also anencephaly (a neural tube defect). Folate helps to regulate embryonic and fetal nerve cell formation and may also help to prevent premature births.
Additionally, studies have shown that the nutritional benefits of asparagus can help prevent and treat urinary tract infections and kidney stones. Overall, asparagus is rich in potassium, vitamin A, folate, glutathione, and vitamin K. It is high in fiber, has no sodium, is low in calories and has no cholesterol or fat.
You may notice some asparagus spears are thick and some are thin. The thick ones are best for roasting or steaming. I find steaming the best and also very quick. The thin spears are ideal for the grill or if you are planning to sautee.
For optimum health benefits it is suggested that asparagus be eaten raw.
Before eating, the woody stem should be removed from both the thick spears and the thin. Peel only the thick spears before cooking.
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Wow, I did't didn't know that the aparagus was so potent, annd vital. thanks for that explosive hub. creativeone59
Hello Moon Daisy! Imagine an asparagus (spargel) market - I love it! Kind of amazing but shows the Germans knew all along the great benefits of asparagus.
Hello creativeone59! It's nice to know another food person like yourself! Glad you enjoyed reading the hub!
Thanks a lot!
mmmm Asparagus, recently tossed some asparagus spears and fresh mushrooms in olive oil, and roasted them in the oven.. yumm!!
Sounds excellent! I'll look for some tomorrow. And I love mushrooms and olive oil and all that good stuff. Tomorrow! Tomorrow! Thanks for the recipe.
Great information once again. I think I'm going to stock up on some before my surgery this friday since it's good at reducing pain and inflammation! Who new it's an aphrodisiac as well!
BK Creative,
Another Great Healthy Hub! I love asparagus. You have given some very good healthy tips as always! Well done!
Blessings
Regarding the asparagus market, I know that June is the month for asparagus in Germany and when you live there you eat, see and smell nothing but asparagus. Therefore you get an asparagus market.
Great Hub, keep on writing and give me ideas to get rid of my fat belly. Thanks
Hallo! Yes, we were there around that time (in Regensberg). I hadn't realised before that Germans grew so much asparagus. I can imagine that when you're eating, seeing and smelling nothing but asparagus, the novelty must wear off pretty quick! (Although I guess you would get very healthy. :)
Hello Veronica Allen! - that sounds like the best idea. Also looking forward to the next part of your hub about the surgery. That French word for asparagus, I fell across that as I was doing research about aphrodisiacs - who knew about the slang? Meanwhile, take it real easy!
Hello Deborrah K Ogans - thanks so much for the compliment! I'm so glad you like these healthy hubs! It is inspiring me to do more research and write more. There was a time our elders knew the benefits of all foods - and we ate to prevent illness and to heal. I want to be just as great as my mother when it comes to nutrition.
Hello, Hello, hello! (I like how those 3 hellos look)- I'm glad you find the info useful. Soon we all will have great bellies! By next summer we can flaunt it! Perhaps next June in honor of the German asparagus market!
Hello Moon Daisy! I have learned something new - about this asparagus market. Who would just sit around and think 'hmmm I wonder if there are any asparagus markets in the world?' You have to just accidentally come across these things as you did. This is good for me because next time I get together with friends - I can be the one to bring up this fact. We like stuff like this! Thanks for the info.
I just found this!
http://www.financialpost.com/scripts/story.html?id
Everything you ever wanted to know about asparagus in Germany, lol!
What a great article Moon Daisy - I just read it all!
It's interesting to note that the Germans are doing something we used to do - eating this asparagus in season and fresh, right out of the ground - for optimal health benefits. Now we have summer foods in the winter because they are imported from South America. Not a good idea.
Thanks again for taking the time to do this!
You're welcome. I enjoyed reading it too.
Yes, the Germans seem to be getting it right. As well as optimal health benefits they're buying and eating fresh, local food, great for the environment too! We also have summer foods in winter, which is nice up to a point, but not really necessary, and not a very good idea in the big scheme of things.
So true Moon Daisy! We have to remember the big scheme of things - always! Thanks again for the article and the link here in your comment above - because other readers can take a look also! My cousin would love this and I'll send it to him now - he was recently in Germany!
This is a excellent hub i found some good asparages info out here just a pity i can seem to find a supplier here in the u.k anyway thanks and keep up the good work
andy
Thanks for sharing. I couldn't really collect it. Though i could see that the health benefits are enormous.
Hello zeromarket! Thanks for the compliment - it inspires me to keep up with this kind of research!
Hello Philipo - I'm so glad Americans are getting it and going back to real food. As you say the health benefits are enormous!
Thank you for writing!
I am a vegetable fanatic, and I like asparagus, but I didn't know about the multitude of benefits it provides. Now I'm more inclined to eat more asparagus. Thank you for all of your research.
I'm with you fastfreta - love the vegetables. I do need to eat more of everything. I enjoy the research. I'd like to one day be as smart as my mother who knew what we needed to eat, why, and when! Our elders were truly nutritionist!
This hub is so fun and informative. I love asparagus! I didn't know it was considered an aphrodisiac. :)
Nice to meet you olga-kay!
Glad you found the hub informative - and about aphrodisiacs - I'm finding out that so many foods are considered aphrodisiacs and in this case based in appearance. Interesting!
WOW. I love asparagus, but had no idea that the health benefits were so diverse. Great article. Thanks for the education.
Thank you for the compliment and thank you for commenting oilerblue! I'm glad you found the hub useful!
You could probably pick any vegetable and write an entire article on the health benefits of that vegetable. I remember seeing one just the other day from a girl here on the benefits of cabbage. I honestly wonder if there are any vegetables that don't have health benefits? That would be an awesome article. "Don't eat Broccoli... it's not only tastes yucky it's bad for you!"... :) I actually like broccoli though.
So true MikeNV - overall every veg or fruit has tremendous nutritional value! What I aim to do is tell you more specifically what it's good for. That's why we need a variety because we need a variety of nutrients.
There are some we can pass on like iceburg lettuce - not as nutritional as darker greens but easy to grow and ship - but should only be used sparingly.
Then there is the whole issue of blood type and diet - for some reason Americans are not told their blood type but I do believe that means some foods are more beneficial. I'm A-pos - and I should never eat meat and I have no desire for it. Cabbage is not beneficial to me - and blah blah blah - I can go on and on...
Thanks for writing!
I'll have to eat more asparagus now. I love it on my chicken salad sandwich. Will have to check out some recipes! It's always great to learn from you Bk!
Thank you IslandVoice/Soul Sister. I feel the same about you and just enjoyed my bit of kona coffee and kona beer (reading) - thanks a lot!
It really is one of nature's superfoods, and while many people don't like to eat anything green, I love it! Cool hub.
Nice to meet you Cameron Dinsdale!
It surprises me when people announce proudly that they hate vegetables - it makes staying healthy so much easier.
Thank you for the compliment!
Oooh!~ I need to start growing Asparagus right now! :)
Lucky you sheryld30, that you have a garden!
There can be nothing healthier than pulling the asparagus right out of the ground. Great for you!
I enjoyed reading your hubs!
As good as asparagus is for us it is hard to believe that it is not more common on the tables across the country.
So true Mitch King! In fact it was a long time before I discovered asparagus. Years ago it was such a rare vegetable. You almost did want to try it. I think with folks demanding more local foods and fresh - we are seeing more asparagus - finally.
Well - I never realised how good for you it was. I love it. We eat a lot of it when it is in season. We can always get it but I don't like to buy imported vegetables so I only buy seasonal. If you don't want to eat it raw then the thing is to steam for just the shortest time - 2 minutes or less so that it is still firm. Nothing worse than an overcooked asparagus. And of course you can always tell if you have been eating asparagus because it makes the urine smell very strange - much to my children's amusement. If you never noticed this before then you will now!
You can also buy it in glass jars for people with no time to cook. Just pop open a jar and heat it in the microwave.
With hollandaise sauce. Probably not as nutritious but this saves lots of time and energy for the working class with no time to cook much.
J.
Great hub especially this point "can help prevent birth defects". We are working on our 2nd child so I will stock up on the Asparagus
Nothing like fresh food to keep us healthy edguider! There is a food for everything. I'm so glad we are remembering this. What better way to help give our babies a healthy start! Good for you!
Nice to meet you Catherine R! Glad to learn asparagus is getting the recognition it deserves. I've put it in the steamer for perhaps a minute too long and yes, it's mush. Love the urine smell - means it's really fresh!
Healthgoji - I'm glad you said jars. The cans have BPA liners and it's just not tasty at all.
Thanks for commenting!
A very nice hub, BkCreative! Asparagus farming is now an alternative source of income in our country, Philippines, especialy in Minadanao area. Farmers are now exporting it to different parts of the world. You can eat it raw or just parboil it and presto it's already a meal if you are minimizing your carbo intake.
Thanks for that info travel-man1971!
I do like staying on top of things. This is interesting to know. I hadn't thought of it as an export.
An excellent food, excellent hub and now I wish the farmers market was not closed. Oh well there is always tomorrow. Anyway, the whole hub was interesting but I caution about those who take any medications that an increase of potassium would harm them worse. I will have to do some research to find out which synthetic drugs carry that caution for diet.
sharing the light, enlightenment advisor erica hidvegi
Too bad we take so many synthetic drugs that we have to be warned away from real whole foods and side effects and not the deadly side effects of drugs - those are hidden as long as possible. But I do think Americans are finally in transition and making a move away from the endless pharmaceuticals.
Thanks for the reminder.
I absolutely LOVE asparagus! Eat it just about every day. Glad to know it has so many health benefits!! Thanks for sharing!
Hello PWalker! So glad you love asparagus and all it's health benefits! So nice to meet you and I enjoy all your great hubs!
Thanks for commenting!
A great hub and informative as well. I never have been a fan of asparagus but with this new information will be getting in on the benefits of having some in my diet.
Robert Elias Ballard
I have to tell you, this is amazing information. I always eat asparagus but did not really think it offers so much. Now I am going to make it part of my diet. Way to go!
Thank you Robert Ballard! I'm so glad the hub is making a difference - mainly with Americans going back to eating real foods. And we need to know what everything is good for so we can eat accordingly!
Nice to meet you Leop. Glad you found the information amazing! Some things surprised me too, like the aphrodisiac benefits!
Yay for food!
Thanks for writing!
I love them. Best is to roast them and pour a little olive oil and pepper on them. I don't eat salt. And yum.
Lord Bryan
Thank you Lord Bryan! It sounds so good - a little olive oil - oh yeah!
I love asparagus! Put olive oil on them and throw em on the grill. PERFECTO!
Great informative Hub about health benefits of wonderful Asparagus. This is a good for vegetarians! Thanks a lot!
Hello hgsouth - it seems a bit of olive oil and a grill are the eating methods of choice. Sounds great! I throw them in the wok with a little olive oil, garlic and sea salt for a quick roll around - sooooo good!
You're welcome ratnaveera! I'm not a meat/poultry eater so asparagus and all these great foods keep me healthy.
Thank you for commenting!
I love asparagus too. Ever notice after eating asparagus your urine stinks? Great hub by the way!
Hello seemorebangkok - I have heard that from my cousin who tends to a) eat too much of it, and b) get the freshest - often out of his garden. It seems if you do one or the other you may get those wonderful results.
Glad to hear from you!
I had no idea it was so good for you. It makes a nice change to read about he health benefits of somthing I like instead of things I don't like.
Thanks for writing kephrira. I'm glad you found the information useful. I have to think of some more healthy hubs to write. It's good to know what certain foods are good for so we can eat what we need to stay healthy!
I love asparagus my country Peru produces a lot of asparagus
Nice article.
Thank you
Nice to meet you Jose Aliaga. Yay - for Peru!
Thanks for writing!
Awesome hub. I love asparagus and would eat it even if it wasn't so good for you!
Glad you found the hub awesome! What a grand thing to say about asparagus!
Thanks for writing!
again, nice useful and well written hub BK-)
Asparagus, yea love it to bits, as some of your German readers stated already, its one of the things everyone looks forward to here, the taste and smell is almost synonymous with the European summer getting underway.
The health benefits sometimes get dropped a bit since a lot of Germans smother them in hollandaise sauce which is not quite that good for the girt, personally I'll go with just a dab of butter.
I am not too sure about the aphrodisiac effect though, since it does make you reek just a bit, its hard to imagine the oral variations being much of a turn on. Other than that, great article, great vegetable but unfortunately a long wait for the next season.
Thank you for the compliment Lee Boolean!
How lucky that you get to eat asparagus in season. It makes a tremendous difference. I think many of us forgot what that meant. I never thought about it as a visual aphrodisiac until I read about it - and now I will forever see it that way! That's what happens.
Glad you found the hub useful!
I knew that it had a ton of health benefits, but did not realize that they had this much! I finally got my husband to enjoy them as much as I do.
Nice to meet you Isabellas! I'm so glad you found this information useful - and in getting your husband to enjoy them as well!
Thanks for writing!
Thoroughly enjoyed the information from this hub!
Thank you desert blondie. Nice to meet you and so glad you enjoyed the information.
Thanks for commenting!
I have been hearing alot of good things about this vegetable, I have tried them steamed and it just is a taste that will take awhile to get used to.
Love your new avatar Research Analyst! And thanks for writing!
Moon Daisy says:
2 months ago
I love asparagus, so it's good to know that it's also good for me! So many health benefits I had no idea about. I was in Germany recently and they had an asparagus (spargel) market, it was so great, stalls and stalls of the stuff!
A great hub, thanks!