Collard Greens Nutrition

Coming from the plant family Brassica oleracea, just like kale, cauliflower and broccoli, collard greens are also descendants of the wild cabbage, a plant that have originated in Asia Minor and consumed as food since prehistoric times. Being a staple vegetable of the Southern United States, collard greens have a distinct mild, smoky flavor and are prepared in variety of ways in different countries. They have a unique appearance, featuring dark blue green leaves that are smooth in texture and comparatively broader than the frilly edged leaves of kale. However while selecting, ensure that the leaves are deep green in color with no signs of yellowing or browning and should be smaller in size as they are more tender and have a mild flavor. Although they are available all round the season, they are at their best from January to April.

Collard Greens Nutritional Facts

Collard greens are rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, manganese, folate, dietary fiber, and calcium. Also they are an excellent source of potassium, vitamin B2 and vitamin B6, vitamin E, magnesium, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B1, vitamin B5, niacin, zinc, phosphorus, and iron. Hence, they are loaded with vitamins and minerals that are essential for our body. Unlike other vegetables, cooked collard greens offer more nutritional benefits than raw, as cooking breaks down their cell walls and releases higher levels of vitamins and minerals. But what about the calories in them? Well, being low in calorie, fat and sodium content, they are considered to be a dieter's delight. In fact, one cup of freshly cooked collards contains 49 calories, while raw collard greens contain 11 calories.

Collard Greens Health Benefits

Being a rich nutritional source, the health benefits of collard greens are many, few of them are mentioned below:

• Being rich in calcium, they help maintaining the strength and density of bones and prevent bone loss due to menopause or other conditions like rheumatoid arthritis or osteoporosis.
• Collard greens are an excellent source of vitamin A, commonly in the form of beta-carotene, which protects against cancer, heart disease, cataracts, and other ailments of aging with its antioxidant properties.
• Besides this, vitamin A in them promotes lung health by reducing risks of having emphysema, an abnormal condition of the lungs marked by decreased respiratory function due to smoking, chronic bronchitis, vitamin A deficiency or aging.
• Their antioxidant properties also help improving the body's immune system and preventing free radical damage that contribute to the development and progression of virtually all degenerative diseases like atherosclerosis, colon cancer, osteoarthritis, diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis.
• Collard greens are also rich sources of phytonutrients like lutein and lipoic acid. Lutein benefits the body by improving the vision and preventing age-related macular degeneration and cataracts. While lipoic acid helps to regenerate vitamin C and vitamin E in the body that improve the immune system and boost the energy levels.
• Also phytonutrients present in them increase production of enzymes involved in detoxification, hence enhance the body's cleansing process by eliminating harmful compounds and toxins from the body.
• Besides being good source of antioxidant vitamin C, dark, leafy collard greens also contain appreciable amounts of magnesium and the B-vitamin team of folate and B6. These nutrients are not only good for heart health but also offers a few additional health boosters like increased red blood cells production, normal nerve function and reduced homocysteine levels in the blood, which may prevent dementia and bone fractures especially in people with osteoporosis.

After knowing all this, I am sure one can not fail to incorporate collard greens in their daily diet. In fact, to reap maximum benefits, having 2½ cups of these green vegetables daily will surely help in minimizing risks of different ailments and would give a boost to your health.