Asparagus is least likely to be contaminated with pesticide residues.
Asparagus, its fleshy spears topped with bud-like compact heads, is often thought of as a luxury vegetable, prized for its succulent taste and tender texture.
It is harvested in the spring when it is 6 to 8 inches tall. While the most common variety of asparagus is green in color, two other edible varieties are available. White asparagus, with its more delicate flavor and tender texture, is grown underground to inhibit its development of chlorophyll content, therefore creating its distinctive white coloring. It is generally found canned, although you may find it fresh in some select gourmet shops, and it is generally more expensive than the green variety since its production is more labor intensive.
The other edible variety of asparagus is purple in color. It is much smaller than the green or white variety (usually just 2 to 3 inches tall) and features a fruitier flavor. It also provides benefits from phytonutrients called anthocyanins that give it its purple color. With prolonged cooking, the purple color may disappear.
Health Benefits of Asparagus
- It is high in vitamin K and Folate
- Eat asparagus when you are pregnant or thinking about conceiving – because of it being high in folic acid it helps prevent birth defects such as spina bifida
- Great for your heart
- Helps menstrual cramps with fertility problems
- Great for your gastrointestinal tract and your colon
- Helps menstrual cramps
- Great food to help treat depression
- Has been known to increase the success rate of chemo therapy
- Is considered a diuretic which means it is a good anti-inflammatory – best for arthritis, asthma rheumatism, and even water retention…PMS
- Help get rid of warts
- Helps detoxify your body
- Add more asparagus to your diet to lover cholesterol
- Great for nursing mothers stimulating milk production
- Has antioxidant agents – prevents the effects of aging
- Has antifungal and antiviral qualities
- Great for your kidneys – cleansing your body by stimulating urination and preventing kidney stones
- Helps prevent bladder and urinary tract infections
- Use to be used as an a aphrodisiac – increase sexual and comforting feelings
- Helps with treating HIV
- Helps prevent multiple sclerosis
- Helps prevent scurvy
- Asparagus has anti-cancer agents – especially lung cancer
- Helps fight chronic fatigue syndrome
- Helps fight off high blood pressure
- If you bruise easily – eat more asparagus
- Is considered a laxative – eat an asparagus if you have diarrhea and constipation
- Great for your capillaries – eat more asparagus to avoid varicose veins
- Great for your eyes preventing cataracts
- If you are experiencing hair loss- eat more asparagus
- Helps treat toothaches