Healthy Food Facts - Romaine Lettuce a Food for Heart

Romaine lettuce is a wonderful food for overall health. But combination of certain nutrients makes it an excellent food for the heart health. All the vitamins, minerals, fiber and phytonutrients are extremely helpful to keep the heart healthy. It is one of most commonly consumed green leafy vegetables and a great addition to salad. Romaine lettuce is very low in calorie and very high in nutritious compounds.

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Romaine lettuce is an excellent source of Vitamin K, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, folate, manganese and chromium. It is a very good source of dietary fiber, thiamin, riboflavin, molybdenum, potassium, phosphorous and iron. In addition, it also contains good amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, tryptophan, calcium, protein, niacin and pyridoxine or Vitamin B6.

Romaine lettuce is a heart healthy green vegetables and it keeps the heart young. Vitamin C plays an important role in the prevention of heart disease. It is an antioxidant that prevents oxygen-based damage to our cells. In this way it protects us from heart attack and stroke.

Another heart friendly nutrient in romaine lettuce is dietary fiber. Dietary fiber is very helpful in lowering the cholesterol levels. It reduces the levels of LDL cholesterol and increases the levels of HDL. Regular intake of high dietary fiber foods reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and coronary heart diseases.

Folic acid is also very important to keep the heart healthy. It is needed by the body to convert homocysteine (an amino acid) into benign substance. Unconverted homocysteine can damage the blood vessels and enhance blood clotting, which can lead to heart attack and stroke. Romaine lettuce is a great source of folic acid and this is another reason why it's such a wonderful vegetable for the heart.

Potassium in romaine lettuce helps to reduce blood pressure levels and also protect from heart diseases.

With so many heart healthy nutrients in it and also in such a high amounts, romaine lettuce can certainly contribute to heart’s health significantly.

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