Health Benefits Of Asparagus

Asparagus is a well-known food with many potential health benefits that many people aren’t aware of. Consuming a diet rich in nutritious foods is essential to maintaining optimal health and well-being. Asparagus has a good reputation as a body detoxifying vegetable and has also been used for millennia as a medicinal food.

Particularly in China, asparagus has been used medicinally for many years. Various researchers have concluded that asparagus or asparagus extracts have immune stimulating and anticancer properties. While asparagus originated in the eastern world, it is now grown across the globe.

The popularity of asparagus might have originated from the variety of plant phytochemicals available and their health benefits. There are also multiple varieties of asparagus including white asparagus, green asparagus and purple asparagus. We will now cover the potential health benefits of asparagus, including its nutritional content, in more detail.

Nutritional Content Of Asparagus

Asparagus is considered to be in the world’s top ten dishes and has very high nutritional value. Both the tips and stems of asparagus seem to have a similar nutritional content to them. It has a very unique texture and taste that combines really well with fish dishes.

Asparagus is considered by researchers to be a nutrient dense food, rich in proteins, vitamins and minerals. In 100 grams of asparagus there is 13.8mg of magnesium, 0.6mg of zinc, 54mg of phosphorus, 278mg of potassium, 21mg of calcium, 9.2mg of vitamin C and 1.08mg of niacin.

Studies show that asparagus contains all of the essential amino acids for protein metabolism. In addition to this, it is rich in bioactive phytochemicals with antioxidant and antitumour properties.

Health Benefits Of Asparagus Phytochemicals

There are multiple bioactive compounds in asparagus that are of interest to researchers and the wellness community. Asparagus contains phytochemicals, or plant compounds, such as polyphenols, flavonoids and anthocyanins. These compounds show antioxidant, immunomodulatory and anticancer properties that could have potential health benefits.

The infamous reputation that asparagus has for toxin cleansing is backed by studies on its antioxidant phytochemicals. This includes the protection of asparagus extract from Bisphenol A toxicity. The plant specific compounds within asparagus may also support heart health through hypoglycemic and blood pressure lowering qualities. Let’s discuss asparagus phytochemicals in more detail.

Anthocyanins

One of the key phytochemicals found in asparagus are collectively known as anthocyanins. Anthocyanins have a distinct and bright colouration to them and are used in the food industry to provide a natural colouring. Anthocyanins are usually found in very elevated levels in berries and they seem to protect plants from high light stress. Their very low toxicity and natural origin makes them popular in the food industry. Of all of the asparagus varieties, purple asparagus contains the most anthocyanin compared to green or white asparagus.

Because of their strong antioxidant abilities anthocyanins are thought to have anticancer and neuroprotective effects. Antioxidants prevent your DNA from being damaged by high energy molecules. They therefore also protect you from cancers. Free radical molecules can also injure brain cells. This is why powerful antioxidants like anthocyanins are thought to be neuroprotective agents. Anthocyanins can reduce oxidative stress throughout the body.

Recent research suggests that anthocyanins could have anti-diabetic effects, as a result of their potent antioxidant abilities. Anthocyanins can help improve both glucose use and insulin sensitivity. This means they have potential health benefits for people who are obese, at risk of diabetes or who are diabetic.

Anthocyanins are also thought to be mild antimicrobials because of their phenolic nature. Antimicrobial plant phenols are often highly specific and potent antioxidants. Phenolic plant compounds can also express antifungal activity. They can damage bacterial cell membranes, causing them to be severely immobilised. Anthocyanins have strong affects against S.aureus and E.coli.

Polyphenols

Another group of plant chemicals with known health benefits existing within asparagus are known as polyphenols. Research suggests that asparagus polyphenols show a strong antifungal activity. They were seen to inhibits the formation of fungal spores. Because of this Asparagus extracts are thought to have antifungal effects. Polyphenols are also thought to have antioxidant and anticancer properties in the body.

One study has suggested that there might be up to 14 different types of polyphenols in asparagus. The main active polyphenol is thought to be rutin. Rutin is considered to be one of the top therapeutically active plant chemicals. This bioflavonoid is thought to be able to protect nerve cells from toxicity. Through the regulation of sugar use and antioxidant capacity, rutin is thought to be able to promote lowered blood glucose levels in diabetics.

Studies have shown that asparagus extracts may have a glucose or blood sugar level lowering effect. As mentioned, this could help diabetics. These blood glucose lowering effects are comparable to some anti-diabetic drugs. Other clinical trials have also shown that asparagus can lower blood pressure, showing potential as an anti-hypertensive. This might result from the antioxidant phytochemicals in asparagus extracts.

Other Antioxidants Within Asparagus

Asparagus is usually rich in selenium. It has a high affinity for selenium uptake from the soil. This vegetable is thought to be one of the best vegetables for selenium intake.

Selenium is an important antioxidant in the body, that also has an influence on thyroid health, heart health and your overall metabolism. Selenium protects the body from free radical damage and cancers in the form of selenoproteins. Asparagus also contains some zinc, which is another key antioxidant. Zinc supports optimal fertility and immunity. Of 3 herbal extracts, including walnuts, asparagus had the highest antioxidant potential.

Previously we wrote about sulforaphane and broccoli antioxidant power. One study suggests that juices from asparagus have a higher antioxidant activity than broccoli. Antioxidant levels are also important in the ageing process and can have antiaging effects. Many of the potential health benefits of asparagus result from its high antioxidant levels.

Antioxidant levels are also essential for optimal immunity and asparagus extracts have been shown to have immunomodulatory effects. Asparagus extracts improve the functioning of different immune cells in the body including macrophages. Immunity is a key function of the body and immunomodulation is another potential health benefit of asparagus.

Asparagus And Electrolytic Mineral Balance

Green asparagus is rich in minerals such as calcium, magnesium and potassium. These are essential electrolytes needed for optimal functioning of the body. Electrolytes are important for optimal nervous system signalling and communication within the body. These can be lost through sweating and it is important to maintain optimal levels of electrolytes. Regular consumption of asparagus may have health benefits through the support of optimal electrolytic balance.

Asparagus For Body Detoxification

Considering the sheer number of harmful compounds in the food chain and those that we are exposed to every single day, regular body detoxification has become very popular.

As mentioned previously, asparagus extract was shown to effectively detoxify the body from bisphenol A. Extract of asparagus has also been shown to be an effective herbal medicine for alcohol induced hangovers. The antioxidant content is likely to be a massive contributing factor to these properties. In addition, asparagus extract has been tested and shown to have anti-nerve toxin effects. Again, this is very likely to be because of its antioxidant properties. Extracts of asparagus have potential health benefits through their ability to protect the liver from the effects of harmful toxins.

Asparagus And Lean Muscle Growth

Asparagus is also rich in the amino acid known as asparagine, sharing part of its name with asparagus. It contains far more of this amino acid than most other vegetables or fruits. Asparagine is a non-essential amino acid, implicated in protein metabolism and biosynthesis.

Some scientists believe that it may be able to improve muscle endurance, being a precursor to methionine. Methionine is needed to start protein production from your DNA. It is also the precursor to isoleucine, which are activators of muscle growth. This means that asparagus might be able to assist with your lean muscle growth at the gym. It also is a precursor to lysine, an essential amino acid, which is implicated in wound healing. These are all potential health benefits from the consumption of asparagus.

Healthy Dietary Fibre Within Asparagus

Asparagus has healthy levels of dietary fibres. While dietary fibre can’t be absorbed by the small intestine, microbes within your gut digest dietary fibre. This encourages optimum gut health through healthy and diverse gut microbes. Your gut microbiota can have a massive influence on your health. They are thought to be able to influence your overall weight and also encourage optimal brain health too. You can read our article on the health benefits of dietary fibre here.

Conclusion

Ancient cultures have used asparagus in their medicines for millennia and the health promoting properties of their plant phytochemicals may have led to their spread worldwide.

Extracts of asparagus contain high levels of phytochemicals such as anthocyanins and polyphenols. Anthocyanins are brightly coloured and show potent antioxidant effects. These effects are thought to have the potential to protect the body from cancer and could also protect nerve cells from oxidative damage. Anthocyanins may reduce oxidative stress throughout the body. Their phenolic properties might have effects against fungi and bacteria.

The main polyphenol in asparagus is called rutin. Polyphenols within asparagus extract might also have antifungal activities, while rutin may have nerve protection properties from its antioxidant abilities. It is one of the top therapeutically active plant chemicals. Rutin may lower blood glucose levels in diabetics, offering potential health benefits from regular asparagus consumption. These blood glucose lowering effects are comparable to some anti-diabetic drugs. Asparagus also has a comparable antioxidant activity to extracts of broccoli. High antioxidant levels in the body can have antiaging effects.

Another potential health benefit of regular asparagus consumption might be the support of body detoxification. Asparagus extract has been shown to help detoxify various harmful compounds in the body including bisphenol A, alcohol and nerve toxins, while also protecting the liver from toxin damage. Asparagus extract might also support optimal lean muscle growth through stimulating the muscle growth signalling pathways and helping with wound healing.

There seem to be so many important potential health benefits to including asparagus in your diet and this vegetable can be easily included in your diet more often.

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