Health Benefits of Leeks – Leek is one type of plant that is widely used as a complement to a dish. Not infrequently in every house, you can also find this leek plant.
However, who would have thought that leek which is often used as a complement to this dish also has various benefits for the health of the human body? So, do you know the benefits of green onions for the health of the human body?
If not, then the explanation in this article regarding the benefits of green onions can help you to know more. Not only the benefits of chives, but this article will also discuss all things related to leeks such as the ingredients in them.
Onion Content
As explained earlier, green onions can not only be used as a complement to dishes. However, leeks can also provide many good benefits for the body. In the 300th century BC, the ancient Egyptians used green onions as a food that could help them lose weight.
This is certainly one of the proofs that chives provide many benefits for the health of the human body. Where in fact, onions are rich in vitamins C, K, and A. Not only that, spring onions also contain good fiber which can support the health of the digestive tract. Iron, manganese, and other types of minerals are also present in the leek content.
Benefits of Onions
Plus it can help you lose weight. Leeks can also provide other benefits. Now for more details, here are some of the benefits of green onions for the health of the human body.
1. Helps Lower Cholesterol Levels
The fiber content in leeks can help lower bad cholesterol or LDL levels in the blood. This has also been proven by research conducted in 2019.
Where the research explains that LDL cholesterol levels can go down if you regularly consume fibrous foods, one of which is green onions. Not only that, but the use of green onions can also help reduce the dose of statin drugs as well as the side effects of their use.
2. Helps Maintain Heart Health
One of the ingredients in leek is the mineral, which mineral content in leek is believed to be able to help maintain heart health. In addition, the presence of ingredients such as potassium, magnesium, and calcium found in leeks can also maintain blood pressure which can affect your heart health.
Then, the presence of sufficient levels of potassium in the human body is also very important to help the process of transferring electrical signals in the nervous system and heart. When you regularly consume foods high in potassium such as green onions, it can also help protect against irregular heartbeat problems.
3. Helps Control Blood Sugar Levels
The presence of vitamin C in leeks has also been shown to play an important role as an antioxidant and can help control blood sugar levels in diabetics. When blood sugar levels are continuously high, it can increase the risk of oxidative stress.
Oxidative stress is a condition in which the body is unable to fight toxic substances such as free radicals which can promote the development of diabetes. However, with the help of consuming chives which have been proven to be rich in antioxidants.
So, this can help you prevent free radicals and can control blood sugar levels or diabetes.
4. Preventing the Risk of Cancer
Leeks also contain quercetin and flavonoids which are believed to provide benefits in preventing the risk of cancer. This has also been strengthened by research conducted in 2017 by Curtin University.
The study explained that the quercetin and flavonoids in leek have anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anticancer properties. This content can help the human body fight the formation of cancer cells.
The use of leek extract is also believed to have a higher effectiveness when you want to use it as one of the preventions of cancer.
5. Preventing Inflammation
The content of quercetin contained in green onions can not only function as a fight against cancer cells. But these ingredients can also help prevent inflammation or inflammation.
In a study conducted in 2020, it was explained that the quercetin content can have many benefits that are good for the body as a whole. In addition, the content of vitamin C contained in leeks can also provide benefits as an antioxidant which turns out to also have an important role in being able to fight inflammation.
6. Helps Maintain Eye Health
Leeks also contain vitamin A which is believed to help maintain eye health, whereas vitamin A in leeks can slow the progress of the development of myopia or nearsightedness, especially for young children to teenagers.
Other ingredients such as vitamin C in green onions are also proven to help prevent oxidative damage that can cause cataracts in the eye. From this explanation, it can be concluded that consuming green onions regularly can help maintain eye health.
7. Helps Increase Bone Density
Increased bone density. Not only that, but the presence of flavonoids in green onions can also help maintain overall bone health.
8. Helps Prevent Digestive Disorders
The fiber content found in green onions is also believed to be able to help prevent digestive disorders such as constipation. Therefore, when you regularly consume chives, of course, it will be easier to get a smoother digestive system.
9. Helps Lose Weight Health
As with other types of vegetables, green onions are also effective in helping diet programs. About 100 grams of green onions have calories of 31 calories. A study also explains that leek is a source of water and fiber which is very good to use to help prevent hunger and can increase satiety.
In addition, leek also has soluble fiber which can form a gel in the intestine. It has also been shown to be effective in reducing appetite naturally. Another study also explained the relationship between diet and eating vegetables and more consistent and stable weight loss.
10. Source of Vitamins
Many vitamins are contained in green onions. When you consume chives regularly. Of course, you also help the availability of vitamin intake in the body.
11. Helps Maintain Brain Function
A study explains that the sulfur in leeks can help protect the brain and prevent a decrease in brain function. Even so, research on the benefits of leeks on this one also still requires further research.
12. Helps Maintain Skin Health
The presence of allicin in leeks is also believed to help improve human skin health. In addition, these compounds are also able to prevent the occurrence of wrinkles and signs of premature aging.
13. Helps Get Healthy Pregnancy Conditions
Leeks also contain folate which is quite important for a healthier pregnancy. Because the amount of folate can help cell division and absorption of DNA. This can also prevent neural tube defects and miscarriages.
Apart from that, it is also important for pregnant women with a gestation period of 28 to 31 weeks. Where at this time the baby needs enough time to be able to develop in the womb so that it can be born healthy and safe.
Leeks can also help the baby’s bowel movements more regularly. Then the addition of green onions to the diet of nursing mothers is also believed to be able to prevent constipation in newborns.
14. Prevent Infection
Leeks can also help heal and prevent infections such as fever, flu, and colds to infections in the urinary tract due to the presence of antiseptic and handling measures. The content of vitamin A in leek can help the development of red blood cells and white blood cells which can transport oxygen throughout the body and fight infection.
15. Helps Treat Anemia
Low levels of hemoglobin in red blood cells can also cause anemia. This can also be caused by the low amount of oxygen that enters the human body.
This condition can also cause low energy levels and decreased immunity so that brain function slowly gets worse. WHO assesses that half of the anemia cases in 1.62 billion cases are due to iron deficiency and are caused by genetic factors.
16. Help Handling Damage Caused by Free Radicals
Vitamin C contained in leeks is also a form of antioxidant that can prevent damage caused by free radicals, pollutants such as smoke, cigarette smoke, and toxic chemicals.
The buildup of free radicals present in the human body contributes to health problems. Starting from arthritis, heart disease, and cancer. During the process of decomposition, food is in the body, and when exposed to tobacco, radiation to free radicals develop in the human body.
17. Preventing Stroke
A study shows the results if people who consume high amounts of vitamin C will have a reduced risk of stroke by up to 42 percent compared to those who have low intakes. Adding vegetables such as green onions and fruits to your diet can help increase the availability of vitamin C in your blood.
18. Antioxidant
The presence of polyphenols and sulfur compounds makes leeks rich in antioxidants. Where this antioxidant has a function to fight oxidation which can damage cells and can cause diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.
Apart from that, chives are also a plant that is a source of kaempferol which is so good for health. Leeks also contain allicin which is very good and has antimicrobial properties which are proven to be effective in reducing cholesterol levels to be anti-cancer.
So, those are some of the benefits of chives that you might not know about. Of the many benefits provided, of course, you can also start regularly consuming the leeks.
4 Types of Scallions
After we know what the benefits provided by chives are. Next, we will learn together about the types of green onions. Because some people still know one type of spring onion that is used as a complement to cooking.
For more details, here are some types of green onions.
1. Leek (Spring Onion Or Scallion)
Leek is a type of vegetable that belongs to the allium family. This type of leek has a bright green leaf color that is so smooth and the parts will have a white and stringy color.
Two parts of leeks are commonly used for cooking, namely the stem with a white color and the leaves with a green color. The stalks of leeks have a sweeter taste and the leaves have a softer, fresher taste and do not have a strong odor. This type of leek is more often used as a mixture of vegetable soups, various stir-fries, fried foods, and also egg snacks.
2. Leek
Leeks are one type of spring onion. The shape of this type of leek resembles a spring onion or spring onion. However, these two types of spring onions are different in terms of use and taste characteristics.
The taste of spring onions is slightly sweeter, almost like onions. Then for the aroma it has, it’s not too strong. Although in terms of size, leeks are bigger. However, this type of vegetable is mostly used on the white stem only. Most people use this type of leek to make broth or eat it raw as a salad mix.
3. Chives (Chinese Chives)
The shape of the leaves is small, elongated, and bright green. Chives do not have tubers even though they are still included in the Allium tuberosum group. Compared to leeks, chives are slightly sharper and stronger in terms of taste. The taste of chives is more likely to be similar to garlic. Usually, chives will be used for a mixture of Chinese dishes such as stir-fries. But over time, this type of green onion is also often used as a mixture of Japanese dishes.
4. Chives (Fresh Chives)
The shape of the chives looks similar to the chives, but the chives have two different leeks. This chive has a hump that is more likely to be white and is shaped like an onion. In addition, chives have an elongated shape and are also small, like chives. Compared to chives, the taste of chives is slightly lighter and less pungent. Usually, chives are used as a decoration or to add color to food menus such as soups and dressings. So, those are some explanations about leeks, starting from the ingredients, and the benefits of leeks, to the types of leeks, which have been explained more deeply in this article. Of course, this information can help you to know more about green onions.
