The Metabolism Boosting Properties of Asparagus

Organic asparagus is widely available that is now in season so be sure to take advantage of the supremely nutritious, detoxifying and metabolism boosting properties of this vegetable offers people. It so packed with nutrition it is ideal for those trying to maintain a hormonally balanced and healthy diet.

Asparagus is now widely grown commercial all over the world in the United States, Australia, Peru and China but it is best to by locally from an organic farmer if at all possible.  Steam it until it is soft and then season with salt, pepper and your favorite fruit vinegar.

The Asparagus Story

Asparagus is a common garden vegetable, but exotic versions also grow wild and can be foraged in some areas of the world.   Asparagus has long been recognized for its nutritious qualities and it was served up as delicacy to ancient Greeks and Romans. 

The asparagus is technically a lily that belongs in the illaceae family, which includes daffodils, tulips, but also sulphuric alliums like onion and garlic.  The plant is usually grown from a seedling and when it matures, it can reach feet in height.  The most nutritious edible asparagus spears first appear at the base of the plant in early May and continue growing throughout most of the summer.

White asparagus, by the way, is not really white. These delicate looking spears result when farmers cover emerging shirts with dirt to prevent them from turning green.  This is done because asparagus spears that spend too much in the sun tend to be less tasty and tougher.  When shaded from light the asparagus spear develops a delicate taste that is reminiscent of mushrooms. When young the shoots also tend to be purple or reddish in color.  So when you buy purple asparagus, it is likely that you are buying younger, tender shoots.

 Asparagus is Highly Nutritious

Asparagus has the overall effect of boosting your metabolism because it is such an effective cleanser and body builder.  Here is a quick look at the many benefits of consuming this vegetable.

Asparagus is the ideal diet food. Just 100 grams, or about six medium sized spears, provides just 20 calories while at the same time providing high amounts of vitamin and fibre. 

Asparagus cleans out the digestive and cardiovascular systems.  Asparagus is one of those vegetables that has several beneficial effects to both your heart and stomach because it is super-high in fibre with 2.1 grams per six spears.  Dietary fibre cleans the colon, decreases LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and helps balance blood sugar.

Asparagus is rich in folates and B vitamins. Folates rev the metabolism by helping cell DNA in cells breathe and regenerate themselves and asparagus shoots are one of the few vegetables to contain a complete B-vitamin complex.

Asparagus is also very high in antioxidants.  The shoots provide about 35% of the RDA of Vitamin K and high amounts of the synergistic combination of A, C and E.

Asparagus is high in minerals. The young shoots are especially rich in copper, iron, calcium, potassium, manganese and phosphorus.

Finally, realize that this is an alkaline food that helps balance out the kind of acidosis in your system that can cause disruptions to your metabolism and weight gain. The vegetables fibrous bulk acts like a little broom, sweeping out all debris out of your system so it can operate more efficiently.