Chard to Your Health
What chard is to your health
Recent Findings
Recent studies have found Swiss chard to contain as many as 13 different polyphenol antioxidants and a particular flavonoid called syringic acid which appears to have blood sugar regulating properties. In short, eating Swiss Chard may help to control blood sugar levels. This would be of particular interest to those with diabetes or pre-diabetic conditions or a familial history of such health issues. Researchers continue to investigate in this area.
Available in an amazing variety of colours, including reds, purples, and yellows in the stalks and veins, Swiss chard also comes in white. This wide range of rich colours hints at the varieties of phytonutrients it contains. Those phytonutrients help to boost immunity and maintain good health.
Researchers have found in repeated studies with animals that chard can help protect the liver from damage where animals had experimentally induced diabetes. Given the liver’s key role in eliminating toxins from the blood stream, anything that prevents liver damage supports better health.
More Benefits from Swiss Chard
If you’re watching your weight or counting calories, you’ll be glad to know that a cup of chopped Swiss chard has merely 35 calories while being high in antioxidants and phytonutrients. Just a cup can provide 3 times the daily recommended value for vitamin K, necessary for healthy blood.
A word of warning though.
In spite of its many nutritional benefits, if you have kidney stones, Swiss Chard may not be for you. Consuming Swiss chard may exacerbate the condition and cause irritation.
Please note that none of the above is meant to be taken as or take the place of medical advice or dietary recommendations of a medical practitioner.
