Romaine Lettuce: Vitamin K, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, folate, Manganese, Chromium, Potassium, Molybdenum, Dietary fiber, Vitamin B1, B2, B3,B6, iron, Phosphorus, Calcium, Protein, Omega 3 fatty acids, and Tryptophan.
If you’re going to have a salad don’t you want to get the MOST out of it?! Well, please note that not all lettuce is created equal. But, if you start your meal with a salad made of romaine lettuce you will be sure to add not only a variety of textures and flavors to your meal but an enormous amount of nutritional value. Packed with phytonutrients, minerals, fiber and vitamins romaine lettuce is a power house in the salad world.
Interested in keeping your heart healthy and lower cholesterol? Romaine’s Vitamin C and Beta-Carotene content make it a heart-healthy green. Vitamin C and beta-carotene work together to prevent the oxidation of cholesterol. When cholesterol becomes oxidized, it becomes sticky and starts to build up in the artery walls forming plaques. If these plaques become too large, they can block off blood flow or break, causing a clot that triggers a heart attack or stroke. FYI Romaine has five times the vitamin C of iceberg lettuce. The fiber in Romaine lettuce adds another plus. In the colon, fiber binds to bile salts and removes them from the body. This forces the body to make more bile, which is helpful because it must break down cholesterol to do so. This is just one way in which fiber is able to lower high cholesterol levels.
Vitamin K helps blood clot properly, preventing blood loss during injury. It keeps blood vessels flexible, deterring arteriosclerosis. According to researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, an initial study found people whose vitamin K intake was in the top quarter were at a 45 percent lower risk for developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma when compared to people whose vitamin K consumption was in the bottom quarter.
Chromium in romaine stabilizes blood sugar and controls appetite. It also has an effect on reducing cholesterol and triglycerides. Without chromium, you are more susceptible to cancer, hardening of the arteries and diabetes. A salad with two cups of romaine will supply 13 percent RDA.
