Parsley And Its Many Health Benefits Plus The Easiest Summer Pasta With Parsley Recipe To Enjoy Your Herb Harvest

“How could such sweet and wholesome hours be reckoned but with herbs and flowers?”

Andrew Marvell (1621-1678)

“Parsley flourishes where the missus is master.”

Traditional

“Sprinkle parsley seed on the head three times a year to reverse the effects of balding.”

Traditional

Parsley And Its Myriad Benefits -- Not Just A Garnish

Traditional folklore aside, there is something special about the seemingly humble little parsley herb.  Once steeped in superstition and age-old wisdom, in recent times, unfortunately, parsley has become little more than a garnish alongside your restaurant dinner, often overlooked and tossed aside in favor of the more exciting main dish.

After years of being relegated to an afterthought, however, parsley is once again reclaiming it’s rightful place as a flavor-enhancing, nutrient-dense powerhouse that deserves a little more respect, not to mention a more prominent place on your plate and in your medicine cabinet.

Health Disclosure: This article is for informational purposes only, and is not to be construed as medical advice.  I encourage you to do your own research, and to always seek medical advice from your licensed-medical care provider.

A Nutrient-Dense Herb, Parsley Packs A Punch In The Antioxidant Department

The vibrant green parsley is actually one of the garden’s richest sources of Vitamin C, making it a powerful antioxidant in the battle against the aging effects of free radicals and giving other more traditional leafy greens a run for their money.

As an antioxidant, parsley can help boost your body's ability to scavenge free radicals, those enemies of youth and vitality that become ever-more ubiquitous with the passing years.  Incorporating more fresh parsley along with other leafy greens into your diet can help boost your antioxidant reserve to protect your DNA from some of the relentless free-radical damage associated with aging, including age-related diseases such cancer, heart disease and other ailments from years of wear-and-tear and accumulated stress.

Is Parsley Protective Against Diabetes?

In the battle against diabetes, traditional folk medicine has long heralded parsley as potentially possessing anti-diabetic properties with the ability to modulate or control blood-sugar levels.  Interestingly, in Turkish medical tradition, parsley tea has long been considered a natural remedy to stabilize and reduce blood sugar (glucose) levels.  More recent studies and research indicates that there is a flavonoid compound present in parsley known as myricetin that is responsible for lowering blood sugar levels and subsequently decreasing insulin resistance.

Parsley And Skin Benefits

With high levels of antioxidants, it's not a surprise that Parsley has a lot of what your skin loves and needs.  Possessing over 50% of the Recommended Daily Allowance ("RDA") of collagen-boosting Vitamin C makes consuming Parsley an obvious choice if you want to help keep your skin youthful and firm-looking.  Further, with just a half cup of Parsley containing over 500% of the RDA of Vitamin K, which helps the body absorb calcium and regulates blood clotting, consuming Parsley may promote wound healing, and help form collagen and blood vessels, all things that can potentially reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles over time.  Grabbing and munching on some fresh Parsley from your herb garden is an easy and quick way to incorporate both Vitamin C and Vitamin K into your diet.

Parsley For Dark Circles, Too? And Old Bones?

As noted above, Parsley boasts a rich quantity of Vitamin K, which is also regarded as effective nutrient in reducing dark circles under the eyes, as well as an essential vitamin for bone health due to its critical role in synthesizing essential proteins involved in the life-long process of bone remineralization.  For this reason, Vitamin K is often paired with Vitamin D.

Parsley As A Diuretic And An Expectorant

Parsley is also indicated as an effective diuretic and expectorant in herbal medicine.  As it is a beneficial tonic for the kidneys, it is known to aid in reducing kidney stones, gallstones and even jaundice.  Because it almost acts like a "water pill," it can potentially result in blood-thinning effects so be careful if you are already taking any types of blood thinners, and be sure to consult your physician with any questions or concerns.

Parsley - Rich In Trace Minerals For Vitality Boosting Benefits For Body & Hair... Can It Counteract Grey Hair?

Parsley also contains a number of important minerals, including vital trace minerals that we need from our diet such as iron, magnesium, and manganese.  Boasting such life-sustaining minerals, Parsley is even thought to be an aphrodisiac and known to stimulate menstruation, therefore a therapeutic dosage should not ever be consumed during pregnancy.

Another reported usage in traditional herbal medicine is the use of Parsley to stave off aging hair issues such as grey hair.  The rich leafy parsley greens contain concentrated amounts of chlorophyll which not only provide energy for the plant but also cleansing and purification.  The theory is that the antioxidant properties of chlorophyll combined with the other antioxidants present likely helps to counteract the oxidation process occurring in aging hair follicles that results in the dreaded bleached out or grey hair effect.

This oxidation that seems to suddenly turn your normally melanin-rich dark hair into grey or whitewashed strands seemingly overnight occurs from the build up of hydrogen peroxide in follicle cells that basically bleaches hair from the inside; not unlike store-bought hydrogen peroxide, or bleach, would when applied externally.  This oxidation also happens to coincide with our body’s diminishing antioxidant supply including a reduction in critical enzymes that normally serve to break down the hydrogen peroxide build-up in cells, thereby preventing the age-related hair-bleaching effect during our youth.

Restoring hair pigments may be an aspirational, if unattainable goal, depending on our age and lifestyle factors.  However, by supplementing our diets with antioxidant-dense Parsley, at least we can be assured we are reaping as many benefits as possible from nature's best and most inexpensive medicine right in our own gardens.

Parsley Is A Nutritious Herbal Remedy & All-Around Flavor Enhancer

If all of these exciting health benefits and medicinal properties of Parsley don’t inspire you, at least you can enjoy the flavor-enhancing, fresh, brightening taste the rich green herb adds to virtually any dish.  Wonderful in salads, soups, stews, vegetables, eggs, fish and meat dishes, make sure you use parsley fresh from your garden for the best flavor, and for the strongest, most intense flavor, be sure to add parsley to hot dishes just before serving.

Now, for the easiest, quickest summer pasta recipe to enjoy your parsley herb garden’s bounty this season... along with some antioxidant benefits.

Pappardelle With Parsley And Lemon Aka Grown-Up Noodles With Butter

Ingredients                          Serves Four

8 oz. Pappardelle Nests

6-8 Sprigs of Fresh Parsley, roughly chopped

2 Tablespoons Butter, such as Plugra

Zest of One Large Lemon

Pink Himalayan sea salt to taste

1/4 teaspoon White pepper, to taste

3-4 grinds of black pepper, to taste

Boil water and cook pappardelle according to package directions.  Strain and quickly add the butter, chopped fresh parsley, lemon zest, Himalayan salt and both types of pepper, stirring well to combine all ingredients.  Garnish the plate with any remaining chopped parsley.

That’s it!  The easiest, simplest summer pasta dish using antioxidant-rich fresh green parsley straight from the garden.  A “noodles and butter” dish sophisticated enough for adults to enjoy and tasty enough for kids to maybe not notice there are some healthy "green" ingredients in there...

What is your favorite recipe to make use of your fresh parsley?  Let us know in the comments!