National Asparagus Month

May is National Asparagus Month and this vegetable packs a lot of goodness!

Asparagus is a herbaceous, perennial plant.  It comes in green, white and purple with green being the most plentiful in our area.

Asparagus is very low in calories and it’s loaded with essential vitamins and minerals,  including folate and Vitamins A, C and K.

It’s a good source of antioxidants.  These are the compounds that help protect your cells from unstable molecules that can damage your DNA and lead to chronic disease.  It’s also excellent for digestive health because it contains good dietary fiber.

If you are pregnant the CDC encourages a diet rich in folic acid and in folate (Vitamin B9).  Asparagus is high in Vitamin B9.  Both are important early in the pregnancy to help prevent neural tube defects.  Neural tubes are involved in early brain and spine development.

More research is still needed but since asparagus is a good source of potassium it is believed that it can help keep blood pressure in the healthy range and it may even help lower it.

Asparagus is a healthy choice for a vegetable and Private Home Health Care would like to share how to pick out the freshest bunches.

#1 – make sure the stalks are firm.  They should not be dried out, wrinkly, rubbery, soft or limp.

#2 – the tips should be tightly closed and look fresh.  Avoid if they look dry or if they are starting to open.

#3 – the store should have the stalks sitting in water.  Water gives a better chance of them being fresh.

Happy shopping!