Did you know that medieval Europeans, the Romans, and ancient Egyptians all cherished the gorgeous perennial flowering plant “Asparagus” because of its excellent flavor? Greeks and Romans called this vegetable “asparagi.” Asparagus was first mentioned in writing in English in the year 1000 AD when the peasants called it “sparrow grass.”

The term asparagus became popularized in the 1900s.

What Is Asparagus?

Asparagus is an herbaceous perennial plant that belongs to the lily family. The plant’s immature shoots are consumed as a vegetable.

Asparagus plants grow all over the world. China, Germany, Peru, and the United States are the top four producers.

They thrive in temperate climates in the frozen ground. As the ground thaws and the weather gets warmer, the spears come out of the earth. When these reach a height of 6-8 inches, they are picked; the thickest spears have a diameter of about half an inch. The harvest is finished when the spears are as thick as a pencil.

What Are The Uses Of Asparagus?

The spears are typically eaten. The seeds and roots are used in medicine. There are many ways of preparing asparagus such as steaming, roasting, boiling, grilling, and sautéing.   

Asparagus often plays a role in traditional medicine to help with childbirth and treat stomachaches, backaches, and headaches. The root’s external application treats chronic gout, rheumatism, and pain. In addition, it may also act as a diuretic in treating otitis and sore throats.

What Are The Health Benefits Of Asparagus?

Asparagus is one of the most nutritious veggies and possesses many health benefits, including improving the digestive system, lowering blood pressure, reducing the risk of chronic diseases, assisting in weight loss, and supporting a healthy pregnancy.

Asparagus has a high fiber content. According to several studies, consuming a diet that is abundant in fruits and vegetables that are rich in fiber may assist in lowering one’s risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

Asparagus is rich in folates, which are essential for DNA formation, cell proliferation, and healthy pregnancy. Numerous studies demonstrate that consuming enough folate from foods like fruit, green leafy vegetables, and asparagus can help prevent neural tube disorders like spina bifida.

Moreover, asparagus is low in calories and high in fiber. Many studies demonstrated that both of these properties promote weight loss.

What Makes Asparagus An Anticancer Food?

Like other green veggies, asparagus has a lot of antioxidants. These include different flavonoids and polyphenols, vitamins C, E, and glutathione. The flavonoids isorhamnetin, kaempferol, and quercetin are especially abundant in asparagus.

Additionally, research on humans, test tubes, and animals has revealed that these compounds have anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and anticancer effects.

This vegetable is high in folate, giving it a powerful punch. Research indicates that foods rich in folate may help prevent pancreatic cancer. There is also some good evidence that diets high in folate reduce the incidence of bowel and esophagus cancer.

A recent study published in IIAR Journals found that pancreatic cancer cells respond favorably to asparagus extract with a pro-tumor effect.

According to a research study published in Molecules, Asp extracts greatly inhibit cell migration. Additionally, it revealed that Asp extracts had a distinct pro-oxidant effect on tumor cells. More importantly, when combined with menadione, breast cancer cells produced significantly more oxidants than normal cells did.  

References

Health benefits

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26826021
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26021487
3. http://www.bmj.com/content/347/bmj.f6879
4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24284617/
5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17209211/
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4848697/
7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22480489/
8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23885994/

As An Anticancer Food

1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0308814607002956
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28071026/
3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18656928/
4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23497863/
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4808895/
6. https://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/42/5/2425
7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8588164/