With the improvement of living standards, our diet has become more and more abundant, especially with the consumption of meat and fish every day. This has led to an increasing prevalence of the "three highs" in younger populations. It used to be believed that these issues only occurred in middle-aged and elderly people, but it seems that this is a health problem that deserves attention from the whole population. Although taking medication is inevitable when we get sick, we must not ignore the role of diet therapy. Today, I want to introduce a vegetable that can effectively lower the "three highs".
【How to prevent the "three highs"】
The "three highs" refer to high blood pressure, high blood lipids, and high blood sugar. These three conditions can exist separately or be interrelated and mutually influential. For example, diabetic patients are more prone to develop hypertension or hyperlipidemia. Hyperlipidemia is also a major factor in the formation and development of arteriosclerosis. Poor elasticity of blood vessels in arteriosclerosis patients can exacerbate hypertension. Therefore, the appearance of any of these symptoms can potentially lead to the "three highs". Now, let's take a look at one of the foods that can effectively lower the "three highs" - lettuce.
Lettuce is a common vegetable in spring and is also known as "the vegetable of a thousand gold". Lettuce has a crisp texture and can be served cold or hot, with or without meat. It is loved by many people because of its rich nutrients and delicious taste. Of course, besides that, lettuce can effectively prevent the "three highs".
Lettuce contains 27 times more potassium than sodium, which helps promote urination and maintain water-electrolyte balance. It is beneficial for patients with hypertension and heart disease. In addition, lettuce has a low sugar content and a high content of niacin. Niacin is considered an activator of insulin, so lettuce can effectively improve glucose metabolism in the body and is suitable for diabetic patients to consume.
In addition, lettuce also contains a small amount of iodine, which can have a positive effect on the body's basic metabolism, mental and physical development, and emotional regulation. Lettuce can also have a calming effect, helping to relieve tension and promote sleep.
Furthermore, it is worth noting that lettuce leaves have a much higher nutritional value than the stems. The carotene content in lettuce leaves is 72 times higher than in the stems, vitamin B1 is twice as much, vitamin B2 is five times as much, and vitamin C is three times as much. So when consuming lettuce, be sure not to discard the leaves. In my home, we blanch the lettuce leaves and then toss them in a cold salad.
When consuming lettuce, it is better to pair it with mushrooms or black fungus for better cholesterol-lowering and blood pressure-lowering effects. Additionally, combining lettuce and black fungus can also promote beauty and make the skin radiant.
Although lettuce has many nutritional benefits, it is best not to consume it excessively without moderation. Otherwise, it may cause symptoms of dizziness and drowsiness, and may even induce night blindness or other eye diseases. However, if such symptoms do occur due to consuming lettuce, there is no need to worry too much. Simply stopping consumption will lead to improvement. Also, lettuce should be used with less salt as it is sensitive to saltiness.
