Leafy Green Vegetables: It's Time to Go Green

Leafy Green Vegetables: It's Time to Go Green by Ricki Heller Originally a subsistence food in the American South, greens are one of the richest sources of nutrients in the vegetable kingdom. Yet many of us still regularly stroll past those deeply colored, exotic-looking leaves in the produce aisle. From familiar varieties like spinach to lesser-known such as mizuna or kale, greens offer great nutrition, delicious taste, and an uplifting burst of color all in one package—so why not give them a try? Most greens are an excellent source of cancer-fighting antioxidants, high in beta-carotene (which is converted to vitamin A in the body), folic acid and iron, and provide substantial amounts of fibre and chlorophyll (which lends them their deep emerald hue). Chlorophyll, besides being a blood purifier, is also known to help populate “good” intestinal bacteria, and so could be useful for those fighting candida. For individuals on a dairy-free diet, greens are a substantial source of calcium as well.

One drawback in some greens (notably spinach) are oxalates, substances that bind to calcium and prevent the body from absorbing it fully. Adding vitamin D to your diet will help counteract this effect, as will cooking to neutralize some of the oxalates. Similarly, adding vitamin C (or other acids such as apple cider vinegar, in a dressing) to the greens makes the minerals more bioavailable, or more easily assimilated by the body.