Lettuce is crispy and crunchy and an indispensable ingredient of salads and sandwiches. Lettuce benefits the health and beauty of hair and skin with its plentiful supply of nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
What is Lettuce?
The origin of lettuce (Lactuca sativa) lies in ancient Egypt. The vegetable enjoyed a religious reverence amongst the ancient Egyptians. Lettuce belongs to the family Asteraceae. It is a green leafy vegetable that is primarily added to salads and also used in soups, sandwiches, and other kinds of foods. Lettuce benefits health with its strong medicinal powers and rich variety of antioxidants contained in leaves, stems, and seeds.
Lettuce Nutrition Profile
Lettuce calories: 15 calories in 100g of lettuce
Nutrients
- Lettuce energy: 15kcal
- Lettuce carbs: 2.8g
- Dietary fiber: 1.30g
- Fats: 0.15g
- Proteins: 1.37g
Vitamins
- Vitamin K: 126.3µg
- Vitamin E: 0.290mg
- Vitamin C: 9.20mg
- Vitamin A: 7.405mg
- Thiamin: 0.07mg
- Pyridoxine: 0.09mg
- Pantothenic acid: 0.13mg
- Riboflavin: 0.08mg
- Niacin: 0.38mg
- Folate: 38µg
Electrolytes
- Potassium: 194 mg
- Sodium: 28 mg
Minerals
- Zinc: 0.18mg
- Phosphorus: 29mg
- Manganese: 0.250mg
- Magnesium: 13mg
- Iron: 0.029mg
- Copper: 0.029mg
- Calcium: 36mg
Phytonutrients
- Lutein-zeaxanthin: 1730µg
- Beta-carotene: 4443µg
What are the different lettuce types?
- Loose-leaf lettuce
- Romaine lettuce
- Iceberg lettuce
- Butterhead lettuce
- Summer crisp lettuce
- Celtuce lettuce
- Oilseed lettuce
Top 5 Lettuce Benefits For Hair, Skin and Physiological Health
1. How to use Sea Lettuce Extract for the Cure of Inflammatory Diseases?
Lettuce benefits the natural treatment of inflammatory diseases. The administration of sea lettuce extract can cure inflammation caused by carrageenan and lipoxygenase. The antioxidants protect the body against oxidative stress, cell mutation, and damage caused to the body by the toxic free radicals.
2. How to use Leaf Lettuce Benefit Extract for the Protection of Neurons?
Lettuce benefits the health of the nervous system. Cell death of neurons associated with disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, deterioration of cognitive functioning and more. Consumption of leaf lettuce can inhibit the death of neurons by playing a significant role in the deprivation of glucose or serum. It has also been revealed by medical research that you can use leaf lettuce extract as a natural cure for neurodegenerative disorders.
3. How to use Lettuce Seeds and Wilted Lettuce Benefits to Fight Against Cancer?
Lettuce benefits the prevention and cure of cancer. The administration of the extract of wilted lettuce leaves and seeds can fight against breast cancer and leukemia by promoting apoptosis or death of cancer cells and preventing the metastasis or spreading of cancerous cells.
4. How to use Wild Lettuce Seeds for the Beauty of Hair and Skin?
Lettuce benefits the health and beauty of hair and skin. You can topically apply the oil extracted from wild lettuce seeds on the scalp and skin surface for the natural cure of dermatological disorders. The application of the oil diluted with coconut oil on the skin can prevent premature aging, make the skin glow with health, and protects it against skin cancer and oxidative stress with its rich antioxidant content.
Consumption of grilled lettuce and application of lettuce seeds oil diluted with olive oil to the scalp helps to keep the scalp supple and healthy. It can also cure scalp and hair diseases like hair fall, hair thinning, scalp psoriasis, dandruff, and blistering.
[Also Read: Benefits of Wild Lettuce ]
5. How to use Green Leaf Lettuce Benefits to Cure the Yeast Infection?
Green leaf lettuce benefits the natural treatment of yeast infection. It contains latex that is known for its powerful antimicrobial action. Administration of this latex can destroy several different strains of yeast including Candida albicans and more. The cardenolides and terpenes contained in the latex of green leaf lettuce can effectively cure yeast infection.
How to cook lettuce?
The different methods of preparation of lettuce are listed below:
1. Grilled Lettuce
Grilled lettuce can be prepared by smearing the green leaf lettuce with miso butter and then roasting the buttered lettuce over an electric grill, barbecue, or charcoal grill.
2. Steamed Lettuce
Steam the green leaf lettuce either in an electric steamer or with the traditional methods of using water and a metal rack to brew the leaves into a tender and soft pulp.
3. Sautéed lettuce
Chop the wilted lettuce leaves and stir-fry them with garlic and ginger in a few tablespoons of vegetable oil to prepare sautéed lettuce.
Lettuce Recipes
Lettuce and Egg Sandwich
Ingredients
- Twelve boiled eggs
- 2-3 cups of chopped crisphead lettuce
- 1/2 a cup of mayonnaise
- 8-10 slices of brown bread or sandwich buns
- Four slices of paper cheese
- Four tablespoons of butter
- One teaspoon of salt
- One teaspoon of ground black pepper
- One teaspoon of chili flakes
Procedure
- Toast the slices of bread and slit their sides
- Butter the toasts on both sides
- Slice the boiled eggs and chop them
- Place the chopped eggs in a bowl/pan
- Add the mayonnaise, salt, pepper, and chili flakes
- Mash the contents of the bowl/pan
- Place one slice of the brown bread or sandwich bun
- Smear the upper portion of the slab with the egg mash
- Add another thick layer of the paste
- Place the lettuce in reasonable quantity
- Place a slice of paper cheese on top of the lettuce
- Cover the cheese with another slab of brown bread
- Serve with tea or coffee
Lettuce soup
Ingredients
- One average-sized lettuce
- 250g of green-crested radish
- 200g of potatoes
- One onion
- Two tablespoons of olive oil
- Two cloves of garlic
- 5-6 cups of vegetable broth
- 100g of plain cheese
- 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice
- One teaspoon of salt
- One teaspoon of ground black pepper
- One teaspoon of chili flakes
- One teaspoon of powdered nutmeg.
Procedure
- Wash the lettuce and shred the leaves into tiny pieces
- Pluck the green plumes off the radishes and slice them into thin wedges
- Rinse the green crests of the radishes and slice them into thin strips
- Rinse and peel all the potatoes and cut them into small cubes
- Peel the garlic and onion and mince them into a paste
- Sauté the minced garlic and onion in the oil
- Add the potatoes to the work containing the onion and garlic as soon as the mixture changes color
- Let the contents of the wok simmer for about 15-17 minutes
- Toss in the lettuce and the green crests of radishes and pour in the vegetable broth into the wok
- Stir the cheese into the soup and add a few teaspoons of freshly extracted lemon juice
- Season the soup with salt, ground black pepper, powdered nutmeg, and chili flakes
- Serve hot with toasted bread or rice cakes
Lettuce Side Effects
- Topical application of lettuce leaf and seeds extract on the scalp, and the skin can trigger allergies and rashes
- Excessive consumption of lettuce might cause indigestion and acid reflux
Cabbage vs. Lettuce
- There are 25 calories in 100g of cabbage and 15 calories in 100g of lettuce
- The amount of fibrous content of cabbage is double than that of lettuce
- 60 percent of cabbage is vitamin C whereas only 4 percent of lettuce is vitamin C
- Experts say that cabbage is healthier as compared to lettuce
Lettuce benefits are remarkable beneficial for health and make for a deliciously crunchy and nutritious snack. From decreasing the levels of unhealthy cholesterol to increasing the body immunity with its potent antioxidants, consumption of lettuce helps to stay fit, healthy, glowing and gorgeous.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is it bad to eat a lot of lettuce?
Excessive consumption of lettuce is detrimental for health and can have several harmful effects on different parts of the body.
2. Can you freeze lettuce?
Lettuce can be frozen to preserve its crisp. The simplest method is to rinse the fresh lettuce with ice-cold water and then let it dry in the air. Put the dry lettuce in a ziplock bag and place the pack in the refrigerator. Another method is to make lettuce ice cubes by placing the green leaves of lettuce in an ice-tray and pouring a little water in each compartment. Put the ice-tray in the deep freezer and thaw a cube of ice to extract the frozen lettuce.
3. Is raw lettuce edible?
Raw lettuce is delicious and edible. Toss in a cup of cold and crispy lettuce into a bowl of salad for a healthy and nutritious dish.
