Asparagus Nutritional Value and 16 Health Benefits
If those regular vegetables offered to you at the veggie markets are creating boredom, with nothing new to binge on, why not visit an exotic grocery store and explore the fresh produce, which you normally would avoid. Take asparagus, for example. A member of the lily family, asparagus is a green vegetable with spear tops resembling bud-like, compact, and pointed heads.
The tender, succulent stalks make great savory and scrumptious meals when sautéed lightly in oil or added in other recipes. Even though there are over a hundred varieties of asparagus, only a handful of them are edible and offer health benefits. Surprisingly, the delicious green spears of this awesome veggie have been linked with everything, right from curing toothaches to being a reproductive tonic.
Serve them whole or consume chopped, the nutrition content of asparagus is sure to induce you to have it on your regular diet. The following lines provide the nutrition benefits of asparagus.
Asparagus Nutrition Facts
Amount of Asparagus (raw): 1 cup
Total Weight of Asparagus: 134 g
| Nutrients | Amount |
| Basic Components | |
| Protein | 2.9 g |
| Water | 125 g |
| Ash | 0.8 g |
| Phytosterols | 32.2 mg |
| Calories | |
| Total Calories | 26.8 |
| Calories From Carbohydrate | 18.3 |
| Calories From Fat | 1.3 |
| Calories From Protein | 7.2 |
| Carbohydrates | |
| Total Carbohydrate | 5.3 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2.8 g |
| Sugars | 2.5 g |
| Fats & Fatty Acids | |
| Total Fat | 0.2 g |
| Saturated Fat | 0.1 g |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.1 g |
| Total Omega-3 Fatty Acids | 13.4 mg |
| Total Omega-6 Fatty Acids | 53.6 mg |
| Vitamins | |
| Vitamin A | 1013 IU |
| Vitamin C | 7.5 mg |
| Vitamin E | 1.5 mg |
| Vitamin K | 55.7 mcg |
| Thiamin | 0.2 mg |
| Riboflavin | 0.2 mg |
| Niacin | 1.3 mg |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.1 mg |
| Folate | 69.7 mcg |
| Pantothenic Acid | 0.4 mg |
| Choline | 21.4 mg |
| Betaine | 0.8 mg |
| Minerals | |
| Calcium | 32.2 mg |
| Iron | 2.9 mg |
| Magnesium | 18.8 mg |
| Phosphorus | 69.7 mg |
| Potassium | 271 mg |
| Sodium | 2.7 mg |
| Zinc | 0.7 mg |
| Copper | 0.3 mg |
| Manganese | 0.2 mg |
| Selenium | 3.1 mcg |
Health Benefits of Asparagus
- Asparagus is an excellent source of vitamin K, which is essential for the formation and repairing of bones, thereby preventing the risk of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. Further, it is also useful for the healthy functioning of the intestinal tract and converting glucose into glycogen in the liver. Deficiency of this nutrient is associated with bleeding of gums, nose, intestines, and urinary tract.
- Vitamin K found in asparagus is also associated with preventing postmenopausal bone loss, improving blood clotting, and protecting against liver and prostate cancer.
- The presence of the amino acid asparagine in asparagus makes it a great diuretic. These diuretic properties assist in getting rid of the toxic components from the body.
- Enriched with the amino acid tryptophan which produces serotonin, a hormone that relaxes the nerves in the central brain, asparagus is highly valuable for enhancing the mood, inducing sleep, and generating positive feelings.
- Fiber is found in good amounts in asparagus that inhibit the absorption of fat or cholesterol in the colon, thereby lowering and maintaining blood cholesterol levels.
- Asparagus is known for helping women, who are pregnant or wish to get pregnant, and protecting the baby from Spina Bifida (a spinal cord defect) and anencephaly (neural tube defect), due to the mineral folic acid found in abundance. Consuming asparagus after childbirth stimulates the production of breast milk.
- It is a wonderful source of anti-inflammatory nutrients, such as asparagus saponins, and flavonoids quercetin, rutin, kaempferol, and isorhamnetin, which combat arthritis, asthma, and autoimmune diseases.
- The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of asparagus fight back chronic inflammation and oxidation of the body’s cells, thereby preventing the risk of bladder, breast, colon, ling, prostate, ovarian, and other cancers.
- By strengthening the liver function, improving blood flow, and supporting the body’s capillaries, asparagus is found to be useful for enhancing the cardiovascular system.
- The high levels of folate present in asparagus aid in the production of red blood cells, thereby preventing the development of anemia. This folate content is also significant for preventing homocysteine build up in the blood, enhancing cell and nerve function, and inhibiting the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
- Potassium is found in asparagus in rich amounts, which makes this veggie important for maintaining the body’s acid balance, improving nerve and muscle function, lowering the risk of contracting hypertension, and reducing the belly fat by detoxifying the digestive system.
- Asparagus is decently rich in vitamin A, which plays a major role in improving eye health and fighting off viral infections.
- This superfood assists in providing protection to the cells and tissues from free radical damage, due to the abundant presence of beta carotene. This nutrient, further, contributes to the proper health of the immune and reproductive systems.
- Glutathione (GSH) is an amino acid compound possessing potent antioxidant properties, essential for protecting the cells from toxins, such as free radicals. Asparagus is very high in glutathione.
- Asparagus juice contains diuretic properties, which provides relief to PMS symptoms, such as premenstrual swelling, bloating, irritability, fatigue, and depression.
- Kidney stones can be dissolved or completely prevented by consuming asparagus and enjoying its diuretic and alkaline properties. This vegetable breaks up the oxalic acid crystals formed in the kidneys, thereby dissolving the stones.
Asparagus is not just a delicious and delectable treat; it has been proved to be one of the most nutritious vegetables to include in a regular diet. Benefit from this prized delicacy by adding a few pieces to your sumptuous meal.