The potassium content in iceberg lettuce helps to check blood pressure and heart rate and thereby takes care of your heart. Iceberg lettuce also contains essential nutrients that help to harden the arteries while the dietary fiber in this vegetable regulates the blood flow rate to the heart.
Like all lettuces, Iceberg is absolutely a good-for-you choice. It's low in calories, cholesterol-free and extremely low in sodium—it provides important vitamins and minerals that support our overall health.
Iceberg lettuce is a great bridge food for people who don't eat enough other vegetables. It has a mild, sweet flavor and a pleasant crunch. And while iceberg lettuce gets a bad reputation for not being as nutritious as other lettuces, it's packed with Vitamin A, Vitamin K, and folate.
Promotes Heart Health
Although iceberg lettuce isn't as nutrient-dense as some darker greens, it still provides essential nutrients for heart health, including folate, vitamin C, and potassium.
So, to answer your question, the most nutritious lettuce is Romaine. Compared to red leaf, green leaf, butterhead (Boston and bib types) and iceberg, it delivers more folate, potassium, beta carotene and lutein.
People can use raw spinach as a lettuce alternative, and it has a much better nutritional profile. In comparison with iceberg lettuce, it has the following amounts of nutrients: 469 mcg of vitamin A (19 times as much as iceberg lettuce) 79 mg of magnesium (11 times as much)
The high levels of potassium within romaine lettuce can help maintain cardiovascular health. In addition, the antioxidant vitamins A and C in the lettuce may help prevent cholesterol from building up and forming plaque in the arteries. The folate in romaine lettuce may also help prevent serious heart complications.
Romaine lettuce is also rich in phytonutrients that can lower blood pressure. According to studies, romaine lettuce can lower blood pressure by reducing oxidative stress. Romaine lettuce contains flavonoids and carotenoids that can regulate blood pressure.
DaVita is here to help guide you in a kidney-friendly direction. First, let's start with the base of the salad: lettuce. Your safest bets include iceberg, arugula, Bibb, Boston, red leaf or green leaf lettuces. If you are not on a blood thinning medication, raw spinach, romaine and kale are good options as well.
As iceberg lettuce is mostly made up of water, harm to your health can only be caused if you consume a lot of it. Excessive consumption of this vegetable can lead to carotenodermia as it contains beta-carotene.
Like romaine, green, butter and red leaf lettuces, iceberg is a member of the asteraceae family and is actually related to the daisy. Often thought to be lacking in nutrient content, iceberg is a good source of vitamin K and has folate. It holds up well in storage and can be less expensive than other types of lettuce.
Lettuce is an excellent source of beta carotene (vitamin A) which is needed for healthy skin, bones, and eyes. Lettuce is a fair source of folate, which is needed for healthy cells and the healthy growth of babies during pregnancy in order to prevent neural tube defects.
Lettuce has a glycemic index of 15, making it a low-GI food. Therefore it is less likely to induce blood sugar increase as compared to foods with a high glycemic index score.
Leafy greens (mixed greens, romaine lettuce, spinach, kale, etc.) are probably the most nutrient-packed foods you can eat. They are high in vitamin A, C, and K, all of which have anti-inflammatory properties. Anti-inflammatory leafy greens do not include iceberg lettuce, which has very little nutritional value.
Tomatoes are low in calories and provide important nutrients like vitamin C and potassium. They're also rich in antioxidants—one called lycopene, responsible for tomatoes' characteristic color, is linked to several benefits, such as a reduced risk of heart disease and certain cancers.
Leafy greens: Cabbage, collard greens, spinach, kale, and other greens are high in nitrates, which have been found to offer blood pressure benefits. It's easier to get your daily dose of greens by varying how you eat them.
Tomatoes are a good source of potassium, which also plays a role in lowering blood pressure.
Carrots are rich in phenolic compounds which are found to reduce inflammation and relax blood vessels. A study with over 2,000 people found that eating raw carrots helped to lower the group's blood pressure levels.
These cells line the inner surface of blood vessels and help with blood flow and blood pressure regulation. The researchers added that blueberries may not only help control high blood pressure, but also may prevent people from developing hypertension.
Nutritionally speaking, romaine is deemed superior to iceberg. Romaine is packed with nutrients, including vitamins A and C, and good amounts of folic acid and magnesium. The darker green leafy parts provide more nutritional value than the white crunchy centers, but all of it provides fiber in a healthy diet.
Just 2 cups of green leaf lettuce gives you about 30 percent of your daily vitamin A, says the USDA. Like many salad greens, it's a little low in fiber though, so bulk up your salad with higher-fiber veggies such as broccoli, carrots, and legumes, Kennedy recommends.
Iceberg is about 13 calories per serving while romaine is about 15 calories. However, romaine tends to have more nutrients than its cousin. It contains fiber, folate, iron, potassium, manganese, vitamin A, vitamin c and vitamin K. It also contains calcium, magnesium and several other key vitamins.