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Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Swiss Chard : Four health benefits

Known by ancient Greeks for its medicinal properties, Swiss chard is one of the most highly nutritious vegetables. Chard is available year round and has a slightly tougher texture and earthier flavor than spinach. The leaves of it are full of vitamins,but the root is not.

Benefits of Swiss chard
  • Rich in fiber a cup of Swiss chard contains about 14.7 percent of the daily requirement. Regular fiber intake can help reduce high cholesterol levels and helps maintain normal blood sugar levels (after a day of stuffing your mouth full of strawberry cupcakes.)
  • Who says broccoli is the only vegetable that provides huge amounts of vitamin K! Organically grown Swiss chard is an awesome source of vitamin K because of an humongous 700 percent of recommended intake of vitamin K. In case you didn't know, vitamin K is needed in your diet to promote bone health and limit neuron damage in the brain.
  •  Tired of eating oranges to get your vitamin C?  Try cooking up a plate of Swiss chard! Chard contains about 33 percent of recommended levels per 100 grams and, if you didn't know vitamin C is needed to eliminate free radicals from the body.
Swiss chard is an excellent source of iron which is needed for red blood cell formation and anemia prevention.

Words of caution

  • Swiss chard contains a high amount of oxalates and when too concentrated in the body can crystallize and create health problems.
  • If possible only buy local organic Swiss chard from  a farmers market or an organic grocery store.
  • Only select leaves that are rich in color and have no holes .
  • Swiss chard is highly perishable so use it as soon as possible.

Fun Random Facts about Swiss Chard 

  •   It is a popular vegetable in the Mediterranean.
  •   Swiss chard is part of a family of vegetables know as goosefoot because their green leaves resembles a goose foot!
  •  Swiss chard is also called Roman Kale.

 

Further reading
Food Reference 



5 comments:

  1. Swiss Chard? Never heard it before. But I will buy some and try it this weekend. You said it's another resource for vitamin K, isn't it?

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  2. Yes it is as well as B ,C and A vitamins.

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  3. Do you have any favorite recipes? I've never used it before. Thanks!

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    Replies
    1. I love Swiss chard steamed and I like it mixed in with polenta and salsa.

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  4. there's a really good soup in the ottolenghi cookbook with red lentils and swiss chard!

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