In the modern world the trend of refusal of animal food and preference of vegetable is more often traced. Of course, such replacement of a diet of daily food cannot completely take place for an organism, at animal products there is a number of important nutritious elements which are difficult for filling by means of vegetables, greens and fruit. Someone says that vegetarianism is very useful, others, on the contrary, consider what cannot do without fats and amino acids of animal products of people, and vegetarianism is fraught with a number of diseases. It is difficult to find right, in each product of our food there are pluses and minuses. And in this article we will talk about such interesting and recently become popular in our latitudes a product as green leek.
Pearl onions
Leek or as it still call pearl onions, in the Mediterranean arose at the time of the Roman Empire.
Whether you know? During an era Roman tsezary leek was considered as vegetable of rich men, properties thanks to which speakers could speak long without halts or breaks on a water drink were attributed to it. The emperor Nero had such qualities. Dishes with addition of pearl onions surely entered its daily diet.
In the Middle Ages leek, on the contrary, became food of beggars as was the great vegetable satisfying hunger. For today it strong became current in many countries of Europe and America, and the area of its cultivation becomes wider every year. Distinguish two types of leek: summer and winter.
Summer
The summer harvest has a thin and graceful rhizome at the expense of what it is widely applied in preparation of various salads or cold cream soups which perfectly are suitable for hot season. Such ingredient is often mixed with mushrooms or other vegetables. Summer leek very easy and saturated with moisture, and therefore it is quickly split in an organism, at the same time feeding it with important minerals and acids.
Winter
The winter type of leek differs in massiveness and fleshiness of a rhizome. It is also widely used in cookery. It is added to many dishes, including salads, soups, meat and fish baked puddings, used as a garnish or combined with mushrooms. This type of onions much more saturated and heavy for digestion, contains more nutritious components and is for a long time capable to satisfy hunger.
How do eat leek?
In food use only an underground, root part of a plant. Leek equally well approaches the fried, boiled, baked or steamed dishes that does it by a universal component for an unimaginable set of recipes. It can be used and in the raw, having cut thin rings and having added to salad. Such ingredient will be excellent addition to meat, fish, vegetable salad or mushrooms, and its gentle and rich texture will not leave indifferent anybody who at least once will taste it.
We study structure of a plant
As well as any other fruit, vegetable or animal product, leek has the features of structure and a combination of vitamins and minerals.
Vitamins
This representative of flora has extremely high level of content of vitamins of group A and C.
Important! 100 grams of leek contain the third part from necessary daily amount of vitamins A and S.A in storage time these indicators can significantly increase.
In addition, at this vegetable there are B1 and B2 vitamins and also vitamin complexes E and SS. In view of the saturation the specified useful elements this product is recommended to be entered into a daily food allowance at avitaminosis, in particular, in the spring and in the fall. But also during the summer, and winter periods such vegetable will be fine and useful addition to any dish.
At avitaminosis it is worth using kissel, lemon juice, a feijoa, a pomelo, a red mountain ash, a dogrose, a white cabbage.
Mineral substances
The usefulness of this representative of flora is not limited to vitamin complexes. Refer to number of nutritious minerals also quite various structure of mineral connections. It contains phosphorus, magnesium, iron, sodium, potassium, sulfur and calcium. But also, as a part of leek there is quite high percent of essential oils and folic acid, important for normal and healthy functioning of a human body. Considering such variety of useful minerals, it is possible to tell safely that leek — one of the most useful vegetables which surely should be included in a daily food allowance to maintain operability of an organism.
Nutrition value and caloric content of onions
The most part of nutrition value is occupied by vitamin and mineral elements. If to speak about a ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, then the last will prevail definitely as in 100 g of their product 14 g contain. In turn, the fats presented by nonsaturated and digestible substances occupy only 0.3 g, and the proteins including mineral salts and vitamin components occupy 1.5 g in 100 g of a product. Caloric content of this representative of flora very low also reaches an indicator of 61 calories that makes this product available to all people, including those who watch closely figures on scales.
Useful properties
Leek renders quite wide range of positive impacts on our organism and its state. Regular or course consumption of this vegetable promotes treatment of a number of diseases and illnesses, such as:
- avitaminosis;
- problems with gout;
- nervousness and tendency to a hysterics;
- rheumatic manifestations;
- depression;
- physical reloading;
- diseases of a cardiovascular system;
- ateroskleroza;
- violations in work of a liver;
- bile outflow improvement;
- makes the stimulating impact on processes of digestion of food, at the same time without promoting excessive irritation of a mucous membrane of a stomach;
- effectively purifies blood and blood vessels;
- promotes the general tone of an organism, cheerfulness and an optimistichnost;
- slows down and reduces the rate of aging;
- in traditional medicine it is used for doctoring of grazes and wounds, including after a furunkulez;
- enhances ability of assimilation of iron, and it favorably affects balance of hemoglobin;
- improves memory;
- increases ability of an organism to protection against external infections and viruses;
- reduces weight of catarrhal diseases, accelerates process of self-healing of an organism;
- reduces the probability of emergence and progressing of malignant tumoral processes at oncological diseases;
- course of exchange processes balances.
Further we will in details consider positive influence of leek on an organism of men, women and children.
For men
Besides the general maintenance of operability of an organism, saturation of its systems and bodies useful vitamins, minerals and amino acids, leek, as well as some other products, such as parsley, celery, fennel and garlic, possesses strong impact on a reproductive system. So, it is possible to refer to number of positive impacts of this representative of flora:
- clarification of blood and acceleration of its address that affects potency;
- as a part of leek there are powerful aphrodisiacs in the form of sex hormone of androsterone which influences strengthening of sexual desire;
- also this vegetable is good prophylactic of prostatitis and other diseases of an urinogenital system.
Whether you know? In monasteries even it is forbidden to enter any onions as the use it within only several days strengthens sexual desire into a food allowance of monks today.
Thus, adding and combining leek with other vegetables and herbs, say, in salad, it is possible to reach substantial increase of male activity not only in the sexual plan, but also in the general physical sense.
For women
Leek is also valuable to an organism of women. It sates and feeds internal systems and bodies, promotes clarification of blood and prevention of diseases of cardiovascular character. It is also widely applied to treatment of gout, obesity and rheumatism. Pearl onions have especially effective effect on kidneys as he acts as cystitis prophylactic.
Positive influence of a pearl of the onions kingdom on the urinogenital system of women is proved. It promotes activization of development of female gametes and also increases sexual inclination.
And still leek is applied at treatment of respiratory diseases and to additional vitaminization of an organism. Also positive influence of juice of this gift of the nature on indumentum and skin is known thanks to what this plant is used in cosmetology.
For children
How to make so that your child was ill less?
This product is also useful and invaluable to children, as well as to adults. It is known that children in much bigger degree are subject to various diseases, especially viral infections and cold. Thanks to consumption even if in insignificant amounts of leek, you are able to minimize risk of such diseases, to increase protective ability to resist to viruses and undesirable infections and also in a complex to vitaminize and strengthen an organism of your kid.
Besides, leek is capable to increase cheerfulness and activity of the child and also works as antidepressant though the concept of a depression meets at children quite seldom. Here it is possible to speak more likely about change of seasons when instead of solar summer the cloudy and cold fall comes. At this time the organism needs not only performing additional vitamin therapy, but also a charge of cheerfulness and optimism.
Whether it is possible at GV and pregnancy?
As well as for the ordinary woman, leek is also useful and invaluable to pregnant women. This gift of the nature is included into the list of the products supporting hemoglobin level and also interfering emergence and development of anemia. Thanks to rich composition of vitamins and minerals, leek will become an excellent source of useful substances for an organism of mother and her future kid.
Learn what vitamins are necessary for pregnant women and the feeding mothers.
High content of calcium will contribute to the fastest development and strengthening of a bone skeleton in the child and also will support mineral balance in mother's organism that too is very important indicator. And still this plant promotes assimilation improvement by an organism of the nutrients split in a stomach.
Whether you know? Leek is excellent morning nausea and toxicosis medicine. Including this product in the daily diet, it is possible to minimize by-effects at pregnancy.
If to speak about influence of leek on breastfeeding, then here it is expedient to apply the principle: if mother during pregnancy ate this product, then and during breastfeeding it can also be used. In any case, such plant cannot cause harm, and will be only useful. As a rule, intake of onions in food of mother nursing has to be made is dosed and gradually, without pereuserdstvovaniye. Then the child will get used to new feelings and tastes, and milk will become even more useful.
As it is correct to choose a quality product
All of us want to buy only the checked and quality products which were grown up, collected and packed properly, so, will bring only benefit to us as to consumers. And in the choice of leek there are also nuances which should be known, coming in shop or for the market to do shopping. So, here the main recommendations when choosing this vegetable:
- it is better when fruits of pearl onions are not packed into plastic;
- greens have to be saturated and monophonic color, without any natural or mechanical damages;
- white part has to be a cylindrical form and if at a tip the bulb began to be formed, then such fruit is considered overripe;
- it is impossible to buy too soft fruit;
- you should not buy a leek in which basis the beginning of maturing of a tsvetonos is noticeable. Such onions will be rough and rigid, but not edible;
- average length of a white part of a pearl fruit is 6-8 centimeters. You should not take too big leek: it is grown obviously up with addition of chemicals;
- the basis of onions has to be more than 1.5 centimeters.
Being guided by these rules, you will be able unmistakably to choose the necessary, useful and tasty leek.
It is important! In spite of the fact that leek is on sale all the year round, the most useful, tasty and, as they say, the correct fruit can be bought in September-October. Also quite good period it is possible to call winter months and March.
Use of useful properties
Leek is widely used in various fields of activity of the person from which traditional medicine, cosmetology, cookery and some other about which we will in details talk in this section are distinguished.
In traditional medicine
In traditional medicine onions are used most often at respiratory diseases of respiratory organs and also in a case of indigestion and intestines. But also application of leek when healing wounds is interesting. Below we collected several effective recipes of use of this fragrant vegetable in traditional medicine.
- At cold. In case of a respiratory disease it is possible to use fresh juice of this gift of the nature. So, it is necessary to drip several times a day in each nostril on 2-3 drops of juice of this vegetable or to moisten cotton turundochka and to leave them in a nose for a while. Simplification will come already through several burying, and on an absolute recovery can leave from 5 to 10 days, depending on disease severity.
- For healing of wounds and furuncles. If it happened so that you are hurt by joints, you were wounded or want to get rid rather of painful feelings at a furunkuleza, then you will be come to the rescue by the simple recipe from leek. It is necessary to prepare pyureobrazny substance from white and green parts of vegetable then to apply the received mix on the damaged site and to cover from above with cotton wool. Then to wind vatu with bandage or a gauze and to carry such compress within six-eight hours. Such therapy will also help to remove puffiness at stings of insects: bees, wasps, gadflies, mosquitoes, etc.
- At locks. In such inconvenient case as a lock, you will be helped by the drastic remedy including pyurirovanny leek, kefir, a tablespoon of small polished ginger on a teaspoon of castor, sea-buckthorn and fir oils. This substance is calculated on a glass of kefir and has enormous effect.
- From pneumonia. From such serious illness inhalations with addition of small cut leek will be effective. Having filled in with onions ring boiled water, inhale fumes of this infusion. Such procedure will facilitate a condition of the patient and will accelerate recovery process.
- From a tonsillitis. The original and effective way of fight against a tonsillitis is in drinking or rinsing a mouth with fresh juice of leek within three-four days. After this term the disease has to recede.
- For strengthening of potency. In this national recipe leek and a celery is combined. They are pounded to gruel, and later accept 2-3 tablespoons a day within 2-3 months. This therapy is also excellent means for prevention of diseases of an urinogenital system at men.
At weight loss
Thanks to the low caloric content, high rates of nutrition value and abundance of nutritious minerals, leek is especially effective as a dietary product. Not for nothing during the Middle Ages era this vegetable was the main food at the begging population, it is very nutritious. Its fleshy fibers and abundance of carbohydrates help an organism to feel satiety and for a long time to keep such effect, at the same time without gaining excess calories.
As a dietary product pumpkin, a celery, broccoli, grapefruit, spinach, an asparagus, a cauliflower also well will approach.
Besides, useful properties of this fragrant gift of the nature will help:
- to improve removal from an organism of cholesterol, harmful fats and toxins;
- to improve digestive process;
- to accelerate exchange processes and abilities of an organism to acquire only useful substances;
- to raise hemoglobin;
- to strengthen immunity;
- to purify blood;
- to make the all-strengthening and all-restoring influence.
Thanks to such complex influence, leek surely should be included in the daily food allowance if your purpose to see considerable decrease in a digital indicator on scales.
In baby food
This product it is possible and it is necessary to enter into a food allowance of the child. From first years of life this vegetable can become favourite among other at your kid, thanks to the delicate and unostentatious taste. It is simpler to impart love for such ingredient when mother ate it during pregnancy and in the course of breastfeeding. Upon transition to a feeding up onions will not cause whims, and on the contrary, will be absorbed with pleasure and enthusiasm your child. Initially the kid should give onions in the form of gruel, and a bit later to enter in a firm look, combining with other vegetable cultures.
In cosmetology
Leek is often included in structures of srubs and peelings for face skin as has the cleaning and moistening effect. Besides, to them can use a leek as remarkable means for acceleration of growth of hair and giving of silky texture. So, it is necessary to apply the mass of this vegetable wiped in porridge on roots of hair then to wait about 20-25 minutes and to wash away it flowing water.
Your person can make the face packs giving freshness and youth in house conditions of beet, parsley, a celery, vegetable marrows, seeds of fennel, oil of avocado, black radish.
The effect will be noticeable after the first sessions of application of such restoring and strengthening therapy, and it will be possible to forget about existence of dandruff once and for all. In addition, kasheobrazny substance from leek can be applied on nails then to roll up them in polyethylene and to take about half an hour. Such procedure will prevent fragility and lamination of nails, having made them brilliant, strong and beautiful. And still this vegetable is capable to remove undesirable spots, acne rashes or freckles. For this purpose it is necessary to rub its juice to problem sites, and the result will not keep itself waiting long.
In cookery
There is great variety of recipes where it is possible to add leek. It both soups, and snack, and salads, fish and meat dishes and also great number of others, sometimes exotic culinary creations. We will provide the recipe of the Turkish national dish which is called the praca that in translation and means leek.
It is required to you:
- 4-5 stalks of leek;
- 2 carrots of the average size;
- 1 glass of rice;
- 1 glass of tomato juice (or the ripe tomatoes ground in puree);
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil;
- 1 tablespoon of salt;
- 1 tablespoon of sugar;
- various seasonings (to taste).
Preparation process:
- For a start we will cut half rings or circles carrots. It is important that in this dish each component was felt, and therefore the sizes of ringlets have to be quite large.
- Next stage: we stew the cut carrots in olive oil. For convenience not to soil a lot of ware, it is possible to extinguish in a pan. Time of suppression takes about 2-3 minutes.
- Meanwhile it is necessary to be engaged in a millet (leek). Also we cut it quite largely. We use not only a white, but also green part. After the leek is cut, we send it to carrot.
- Carefully mixing, we weary 2-3 more minutes.
- Further we add salt and sugar. Afterwards we send to a pan tomato juice (or the fresh tomato grated on a small grater). If you see that it is not enough, then it is possible to add a quarter of a glass of boiled water.
- Now we enter rice then we balance liquid volume by means of water so that all ingredients were covered half (not completely). You close a cover and you leave this mix on slow fire for 10-12 minutes.
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