Good nutrition remains to be a major pillar in achieving health and a healthy lifestyle. This season I am learning of another super nutritious plant called Callaloo. Callaloo is a dark-green leafy vegetable used in Jamaican cuisine.

It proves to be a perfect vegetable thanks to its nutritional value. The callaloo is rich in vitamins, dietary fiber, proteins, iron, manganese, potassium, and other minerals, with no fat and cholesterol residues noted. So, what are the health benefits of this Jamaican green super-food vegetable?

Reduces Possibilities of Bone Fractures

Vitamin K is known to activate the proteins involved in the formation and mineralization of the bones. Through this process, bones are strengthened, hence making them less prone to fracturing. The callaloo vegetable is a rich source for vitamin K, with a cup of callaloo cooked in water contains up to 1045% DV of vitamin K. When consumed, one can improve calcium absorption by the body, which results in a strengthened bone matrix.

Helps Reduce the Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases

Cardiovascular diseases to nutritionists are in a great way related to the calories, fats, and cholesterol intake of our bodies. A closer look at what a cup of callaloo offers is zero grams of fat and cholesterol and forty-nine calories. With fewer deposits of fat, cholesterol, and calories made from one’s overall meal, the risk of cardiovascular diseases is by far reduced. Besides, the potassium offered by the callaloo improves one’s cardiovascular health. This follows its ability to reduce blood clots hence steady blood flow.

Improves the Health of the Skin and Hair

Callaloo is rich in vitamin A and vitamin C, with a cup of the vegetable containing 308% DV and 58% DV of each, respectively. Vitamin A is known to keep one’s hair moisturized, helping in the renewal of the hair and skin. Intake of vitamin A also helps in maintaining radiant skin, offering it a healthy glow. With a considerable amount of vitamin C, callaloo also helps in the maintenance of collagen in the hair and skin hence preventing hair loss.

Helps in Weight Loss

Checking on one’s eating habits is one of the key ways to ensure weight is kept on check. Callaloo is one of the vegetables that might help you with weight loss. Here, all credit goes to fiber in the vegetable, which slows down glucose absorption in the cells. The fiber also traps excess fats in the intestines helping one get rid of the LDL cholesterol. Fiber is known to make one feel less hungry after eating. Following this, callaloo, therefore, can help reduce the risk of obesity.

Helps in Boost One’s Immunity

The callaloo plant contains tons of antioxidants that play a key role in boosting our immunity. Antioxidants from the callaloo plant help in the repair and prevention of DNA damage. Also, the green vegetable contains lots of chlorophyll, which blocks carcinogenic effects in grilled foods, hence lowering the risk of cancer.

While callaloo is cheap and easy to grow, it offers quite amazing value to our health, thanks to loads of nutrients it possesses. Callaloo is the Jamaican green super food vegetable with lots of health benefits. The vegetable can be cooked alone or with a mix of other vegetables and proteins. Unpack the best of what callaloo has to offer by making it part of your everyday food during growing season.