There are numerous species of lettuce. Each one has different properties and characteristics. Today we are going to talk about the benefits and properties of the purple lettuce. It is a lettuce that helps maintain your weight and improve the functionality of your body. Therefore, it is quite interesting to add this food to your diet to have good results.
If you want to know more about purple lettuce, this is your post.
Characteristics and cultivation
It is a very low calorie lettuce (like all lettuces) so it is advisable to include in a low calorie diet. With this food or we will get enough nutrients and decrease our appetite by adding few calories to the total. The highest content of this lettuce is water and it does not have any fat. It is not that fat is bad but that it provides a greater number of calories per gram.
The portions of the purple lettuce can be eaten in different ways and even the amounts you want. We will not be running the risk of increasing our weight by adding a huge amount of this lettuce.
When it comes to cultivating it is not a plant that requires a lot of care. It has a fairly short cycle and can be harvested in a short time. This means that it can be combined with other types of vegetables with a longer cycle to take advantage of the space in a more optimal way. Too It can be combined with different varieties of lettuce to be able to have a harvest throughout the year. It is a culture that adapts quite well to almost any type of container.
Among its requirements we find a moderately demanding irrigation, especially when it forms the bud. You need a fairly fertile soil since all leafy vegetables consume a lot of nutrients. You need a volume of approximately 3 liters of substrate. Sowing should be done in the months between March and November and can be harvested throughout the year.
It is very common to sow in the nursery, although it can also be done by direct sowing. If it is done by direct sowing, it will later need some thinning. Ideally, leave a distance of 20-30 cm between planting plants. In the case of which we have to transplant from the seedbed to the definitive container, the right moment is when the plant has about 4-5 true leaves.
When the bud is tight and about 5-10 weeks have passed, the harvest can be done. When the season is hotter, the lettuce may spike or rise and this means that it blooms and the leaves become tougher with a bitter taste. This is not recommended at all if we want to use it in salads.
If we want to have a harvest throughout the year, we must carry out a staggered planting. To do this, the seedlings that have been removed during thinning can be kept in smaller pots until it is time to plant another shift of lettuce. We can also leave the root balls bare for a few days in a basin with water.
Most frequent pests and diseases
Purple lettuce is often attacked with some of the following pests and diseases:
- Slugs and snails. It takes place if they are grown on land and to eliminate them the best thing is their manual collection or being the action of beer traps.
- MushroomsThese fungi appear if watering is done excessively and there is enough humidity. To eliminate the fungus, it is best to remove the affected areas and improve aeration.
- Aphids These aphids appear when there is an excess of nitrogen in the soil. To alleviate this problem, it is best to use nettle slurry or vegetable insecticides.
- Birds. To avoid the attack of birds before they eat part of the leaves, it is best to cover them with a mesh.
Benefits of purple lettuce
Now we are going to analyze all the health benefits of frequent consumption of purple lettuce. This lettuce can be recognized quite easily by the shape of its head and the color of its leaves that varies between purple and dark red. The nutritional values of this lettuce are very similar to those of romaine and curly lettuce. However, the taste is somewhat different.
Among its nutrients we find a high content of vitamins A and K which produces a benefit for the body of:
- Helps our cardiovascular system making it more resistant.
- Keeps bad cholesterol levels low.
- Prevents arteriosclerosis.
- It helps to eliminate the retentin of liquids helping to get rid of cellulite.
- It is perfect for a low calorie diet and good satiety control.
- Provides an antioxidant effect on the body. This effect helps us prevent diseases such as diabetes and other types of degenerative diseases.
- It has an anti-inflammatory effect for those who suffer from autoimmune and hormonal diseases.
- Helps neutralize the existence of acids in the blood.
- Improves the digestion process making it easier.
- Prevents the appearance of tumors.
Medicinal properties of purple lettuce
Although it may not seem like it, apart from being a great food to include in almost any type of diet, it also has numerous medicinal effects. The flavor that it has helps to calm the appetite and satisfies the needs of the body at that time. The best way to eat this lettuce is natural.
Let's see some of the medicinal properties it has:
- It is high in beta-carotene which are converted into retinol in the body. It will be here it does not help us to store vitamin A.
- Being a source of vitamin K, it gives us having stronger bones and healthier blood. This vitamin helps counteract any effects that may cause blood clots. It also maintains the good condition and density of the bones so that they have a good absorption of calcium.
- It helps you against the minerals that are retained in the blood vessels. One serving of purple lettuce is equivalent to 40% of all the vitamin K you need every day.
- It has although less quantities riboflavin, thiamine and vitamin B6.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about purple lettuce and introduce it into your diet to benefit from all its properties.