Why I Love Asparagus - Ridiculously Low In Calories, High In Nutrients

By Felicitas Ramos

Fruits and vegetables are indisputably the best components of healthy diet. They boost your energy and spirit; they make you full and they make you healthy. If you want to reduce your risk to a number of diseases, eat plenty of these. They can never over-dose and the right kinds of fruits and vegetables will not make you gain weight. Many of them are perfect for a low-calorie diet.

I have loved asparagus, in whatever preparation - be it fresh or canned. I love all parts of its shoot - tips and spears. I enjoy eating them boiled, grilled, steamed or as garnishing. And perhaps, you will not believe it, but they are the usual contents of my snack box. It is fun munching a piece while you are at the train station or bus stop waiting for your ride.

You might think that I am advertising this vegetable. Yes I am, but not for ads that will earn me some dollars. I want to spread the goodness in every bit of asparagus, my favorite greens. Aside from its appeal to my taste buds, asparagus is ridiculously very low in calories. But then - there are so many benefits that make the body healthy, fit but slim.

In many researches and analyses, hundred grams of fresh asparagus will only give you 20 calories. Then digesting this vegetable will require you to burn more calories than what it contains such that some nutritionists classify it as negative calorie food or at least low-calorie vegetable.

Asparagus is loaded with nutrients - potassium, folic acid (folate) and dietary fiber. The potassium had been researched to be helpful in reducing blood pressure. Folic acid is an important nutrient for the DNA synthesis in your cells. The fiber content helps in detoxification, prevention of constipation and decrease in the level of bad cholesterol. Furthermore, the dietary fiber regulates the blood sugar. From the asparagus shoot's dietary fiber alone, you reduce your risk of stroke, heart ailment, diabetes and colon cancer.

For vitamins, asparagus contains vitamins K, C, A, E and B-complex (niacin, thiamine, riboflavin). These vitamins make the immune system stronger. Vitamin K, if you are not yet aware is needed by your body for healthy bones. Fresh asparagus spears are good sources of anti-oxidants which again are reducing your risk of cancer. The anti-oxidants help remove the harmful free-radicals that aside from lowering cancer risks also protect the body from viral infections.

My favorite snacks (asparagus shoots) also contain minerals like copper and iron. Copper is needed in the production of red blood cells while iron is essential in the formation of red blood cells.

With this information, you should already develop the habit of adding some asparagus shoots in your lunch box. These are not expensive vegetables and you can eat as much as you want - they are not only low in calories, they can even have zero or negative calories.