According to Jose Luis Guil, a professor of food technology at the University of Almeria that participated in the "Sustainable agriculture and healthy eating, looking to the future" round table organized by this university and the Primaflor company, lettuce is the vegetable with the best benefit to cost ratio. "It is a functional food with so many properties that its price should be higher," he said. This vegetable provides multiple health benefits.
Lettuce contains minerals, such as potassium and magnesium, as well as different vitamins, such as thiamine, riboflavin, and vitamin B6, and antioxidants. In addition, this vegetable has a high amount of fiber and is very useful to help control weight. Moreover, it has hydrating and anti-inflammatory properties, helps regulate intestinal transit, and has an anti-diabetic action.
Lettuce is a fresh and toxin-free alternative in a society with significant obesity problems, caused in part by the consumption of ultra-processed foods. In fact, if we take into account the relationship between the digestive system and our brain, lettuce could become a kind of natural antidepressant, Jose Luis Guil stated.
The protective power of fruits and vegetables
Consumption of fruits and vegetables can help protect us from diseases such as cancer, the professor stated. Broccoli or cabbages protect against heart disease, soy affects up to 123 genes related to prostate cancer and turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory that helps prevent many diseases, such as Alzheimer's, he said.