We all are aware of the benefits we obtain from green vegetables. Vegetables have always proved to be our friends in every aspect. Either by cooking or by having it uncooked, the ultimate healthy nutrients supplier is vegetables.

So, have you ever heard anything about the vegetable collard green? If yes, then you have undoubtedly benefited from it. But, if not, then add it to your diet right now and bless your health. The amazing health benefits of collard green are going to amaze you.

Here we come with a complete discussion about the health benefits of collard green, the risks related to it, and the nutritional facts of collard green that you must be accustomed to.

What are collard greens?

These are the extremely potential leafy vegetables that are commonly found in dark colours. They originally belong to the Brassica family. Just like broccoli, cabbages, mustard green, and kales. Nature has made them by including ample health benefits within them. They have often been termed the treasure of nature and grow with an array of benefits.

Collard greens are most commonly found in South American dishes. To enjoy its retaining flavour and also the nutrient it provides, try out one of the healthiest techniques of preserving vegetables that are streaming.

Why are collard greens so important?

Collard greens come up with a very small amount of calorie content in them. Scientists generally term them as the powerhouse of nutrients. Collard greens are highly free from fat and cholesterol. The presence of sodium is minimal in them. They are an outstanding source of vitamins A, C, and K. Your body can intake most of the vitamin K by including this leafy vegetable in your dietary plan.

Who should avoid having collard green?

Though there are some of the excellent health benefits of collard green yet, some individuals have some restrictions in having collard green. Patients who have already been prescribed blood-thinning medicine are never recommended to take collard as this can drastically affect their health. These blood-thinning medications contain some of the essential minerals such as calcium and manganese. These minerals somewhat influence the functioning of the body.

Health benefits of collard green

Do you know the positive health benefits of collard green? They are going to shock you. Collard greens have a positive effect on the health of the bone, digestion, blood sugar levels, and memories to some extent. This is because of the presence of a wide variety of nutrients in it.

The threat of cardiovascular diseases is lessened due to the presence of fiber in them. The fiber constrains the bile salts and forces the cholesterol to function and produce more bile.

This vegetable also benefits individuals who are suffering from hypertension. It is again due to high sources of calcium, magnesium, and the minimum presence of sodium.

It helps in lowering blood sugar levels

You can find a substantial quantity of protein and fibre in collard greens. Thus, the glycemic index is reduced. Collard green has been scientifically proven as a diabetic-friendly food. Your body extracts a large amount of manganese from this leafy vegetable. It, therefore, helps in maintaining a stable blood sugar level.

Heightens the health of your bone

It again stands out to be one of the major health benefits of collard green. Preventing bone health is extremely important with the increasing age. Vitamin K, calcium, and manganese are the nutrients that protect your bone. The secretion of manganese largely controls bone metabolism and the enzymes that build bones.

The calcium from collard greens is absorbed in a better way. It is because of its plant source. Vitamin K plays a vital role in modifying the proteins of the bone matrix. It also elevates the absorption of calcium and diminishes the calcium excretion from urine.

Reduces the risk of cancer

Several phytonutrients such as ferulic acid, kaempferol, caffeic acid, and quercetin are present in abundance in collard greens. Now, these phytonutrients are capable of reducing the risk of cancer. Therefore, it is evident that the health benefits of collard green also include the reduced threat of cancer.

Collard greens are, furthermore, an outstanding source of vitamins A and C. These are the strong antioxidants that act against oxidative stress. It is beneficial because oxidative cells are primarily responsible for the growth of cancer cells.

The chlorophyll content in collard green helps block the carcinogenic effects produced by the heterocyclic amines. These heterocyclic amines are synthesized during meat grilling at high temperatures.

Helps in detoxification

The health benefits of collard green again rock in this regard. Detoxification is one of the most important functions, requires special effort when not normal.

Collard greens possess polyphenols, phenols, and also antioxidant nutrients. The basic antioxidant nutrients are vitamin A and vitamin C. These two are present in excess in collard green leaves. Therefore, collard greens can help us in the detoxification of our bodies.

Collard green also provides us with glucosinolates. It is a sulfur-containing compound and also contributes to detoxification by excreting waste materials from our bodies.

Boosts memory

What? Boosts memory? Astonishing, right? But yes, this is true. The presence of vitamin K in collard greens diminishes the damage of the neurons in an Alzheimer suffering patient. An adequate quantity of choline enhances sleep and also improves the movement of muscles. Learning and also boosting memory can be heightened by the intake of collard green. The transmission of your nerve impulses is also cured by collard green.

The health benefits of collard green also include preventing depression. Depression can be extremely painful and sometimes even lead you to death. Thus, it demands immediate attention and treatment. Collard green again stands out to be a beneficial one. The excessive quantity of the folate in collard greens prevents the production of homocysteine primarily responsible for the deterioration of mental health.

Prevents congenital disabilities

It sounds awkward. But not awkward at all. The best source of folate is undoubtedly this green vegetable named collard green. Now, do you know what folate is? It is a very crucial vitamin. It enhances the growth of your body.

It has been proven extremely important for small children and for women who are expecting a child. Pregnant women are suggested to add a minimum of 500 micrograms of folate to their regular meals. It would prevent congenital disabilities such as spina bifida.

Improves digestive system

Fiber and water are the two most important things required to experience better digestion. Collard greens have both of them in adequate amounts. Therefore, constipation is prevented. In this way, the health benefits of collard greens help maintain a healthy and fit digestive tract.

Maintains a healthy skin

Almost everyone expects to have healthy and glowing skin. With the increase, skin starts developing wrinkles, dark circles, and black holes. Vitamin C and manganese are perfect for treating these problems and giving you back your old skin.

Now, collard green contains a large amount of vitamin A, manganese, and vitamin C. Vitamin A effectively removes wrinkles and spots on the skin. Manganese and vitamin C produce collagen, which is an essential element for good skin health. These skin problems can be thus eradicated with the intake of collard green.

Promotes hair growth

Hair needs your intense care. It can show premature fall if not treated properly. The presence of manganese and vitamin C in collard greens provides a proper structure to your hair. In contrast, the abundance of vitamin A ensures the rapid growth of hair as well.

Also Read: 10 Unbelievable Health Benefits of Cantaloupe

Healthy collard green recipes

The health benefits of collard green can be obtained by adding some of the best collard green recipes to your diet. Know them to bless yourself with some of the best meals. Collard greens are eaten mainly by baking them. Collard green chips are perhaps the best style of having it. You can have apple cider vinegar as well as bacon as complements with collard green.

Collard green coleslaw

To make this recipe, you need to move on with the following method:

● First of all, cut the collard leaves and add some other vegetables such as onion, carrot, and bell pepper.

● Combine vinegar, oil, sugar, salt, mustard, and pepper and put them to boil.

● After a few minutes, pour this mixture completely into the bowl where you have kept the mixture of collard green and vegetables.

● Cover this fish and let it cool for at least 5 hours. Then finally, serve and enjoy!

Collard spaghetti

Follow the below steps to make this recipe with great ease:

● After heating the oil, add some garlic flakes and garlic to the pan and cook for half a minute.

● Now add the collard green leaves and cook it for about 7 minutes.

● Now put the mixture in a bowl and add lemon juice. You can also add pine nuts. Now stir it well.

● Spread some salt from the top.

● In the meantime, make arrangements for your spaghetti. Cook it by pouring it and adding some boiled water to it.

● Now add the spaghetti to the previous mixture kept on the pan.

● Finally, spread some cheese and serve your dish.

Tofu collard scramble

To enjoy this dish, you must proceed in the following ways:

● Cook some chopped garlic, chopped ginger for 4-5 minutes. Also, add some turmeric and onion to it.

● Then pour the leaves and a bit of water into this mixture. Cook this for more or less 3 minutes.

● Now, add the crumbled tofu and mix well. Continue the cooking for 3 minutes. Now, add some pepper and salt.

● This scramble can be served in between a wrap. You can also use it as a filling in a sandwich. It can also be included in your meal as a side course.

Tips for choosing the best collard green

Along with the health benefits of collard green, you have also witnessed its several recipes you can enjoy. There are some ways to choose the best quality of collard green. Choosing the correct alternative will undoubtedly make a variation in your dish and health as well. So, here we go with the suggestive tips:

● The smooth and dark green leaves are the best quality leaves. Make sure that the stem of these vegetables has a sturdy stem. Do not select yellow leaves. Yellow leaves are not recommended as they are on the verge of getting rotten.

● If you desire to store collard green for a prolonged time, you need to refrigerate them. Before refrigerating, try to blanch them. Put them in a zip lock bag that can also be kept in freezers.

Collard greens side effects

Of course, we have witnessed some of the major health benefits of collard green. But do you know that there are a few side effects related to this vegetable? You can risk your health sometimes by having collard green in excess.

Having too much of anything is never recommended. As we all know, collard green contains a large number of fibres. Fibres take more time to digest than any other substance. Therefore, a longer time is taken by the body to digest these fibres.

Moreover, having excess fibre may cause some major health issues. Some of the most uncomfortable side effects of excess fibre intake are bloating or gas.

Nutritional profile

So, what are the reasons behind such wonderful health benefits of collard green? There are sufficient quantities of nutrition put inside collard greens. Let us make you acquainted with them. So, the nutritional profile of this leafy vegetable is as follows:

● 3 g of protein

● 0.4-0.42 g of fat

● 5.4-5.43 g of carbohydrate

● 230-231 mg of calcium

● 0.04-0.06 mg of copper

● 0.46-0.48 mg of iron

● 26-28 mg of Magnesium

● 0.65-0.67 mg of Manganese

● 24-26 mg of phosphorus

● 212-214 mg of potassium

● 1.2-1.3 mcg of selenium

● 16-18 mg of sodium

● 0.20-0.22 mg of zinc

● 5018-5020 IU of vitamin A

● 35.2- 35.4 mg of vitamin C

● 0.15-0.17 mg of vitamin B6

● 2.25-2.27 mg of vitamin E

● 437-437.1mg of vitamin K

● 0.12-0.14 mg of riboflavin

● 0.05-0.06 mg of thiamin

● 128-129 mcg of folate

● 0.74-0.75 mg of niacin

● 0.45-0.46 g of sugars

● 4-4.02 of fibre

● 0 mg of cholesterol

● 89.61-89.63 g of water

● 14-14.02 mcg of carotene, alpha

● 2991-2991.03 mcg of carotene, beta

● 23.2-23.25 mg of choline

● 0 mcg lycopene

Best varieties of collard green

Have you ever tried raw collard greens? You can have it the way it pleases you, but one thing to be noted, this broad leafy vegetable is surely going to amaze you in every aspect. Try it today!

Every vegetable comes up with some of the best varieties. To get the health benefits of collard green, you need to know its best varieties too. Collard green is also not an exception. Collard green also has some of the best varieties. Many of them share a broad and deep history of cultivation. Some are grown annually from their family plots. At the same time, others are grown by hybridization. They are mentioned as follows:

Champion

This variety of collard green matures almost within 75 days. They have an average height of 24-36 inches. More or less, they spread about 30 inches. Quite a large, right?

They possess dark blue or green colour leaves and are huge. They are an advantage as they can be stored for a prolonged time, more than the usual storage time of other varieties. After harvesting, they can even be kept in the refrigerator, and you can be pretty sure that the taste would not be lost even a bit.

They are open-pollinated and thus are slow to bolt. Moreover, they are capable of preventing disease and also frost resistance.

Ellen Felton Dark

It is an heirloom cultivator and had its roots in 1935. They are generally dark green in color and a bit tender. But they possess flavorful leaves.

They encompass an average height of 15-22 inches and spread almost 23-36 inches. They take 70-85 days to show maturity.

Georgia

These are known as the ‘Georgia Hybrid.’ Growers usually prefer this variety for cultivation. When a light frost showers its touch on this variety, the true flavour of leaves is seen to come out.

If you plant this variety of collard green, then you shall plant the first crop during spring and then the next again during summer. It ensures a late-season harvest.

The slightly wrinkled leaf structure accompanied by its dark blue or green colour gives it a unique look. It takes 60-75 days to become completely mature. The average height is 23-35 inches, and it spreads for about 10-13 inches. Their leaves are juicy and are perfect for freezing or canning. You can also have them fresh.

This type of collard green can withstand all kinds of climatic conditions such as humidity, cold, and low soil quality. They can also tolerate light frost. However, the warmer climates suit them the most.

Morris Heading

Loose-leaf varieties. Shocked right? You might be thinking, what is a loose-leaf. Ok, so let me bring you to the limelight. These are the varieties producing loose heads of leaves.

Generally, they are shorter than the other varieties. You can say that they are more compact. Their tender texture and green leaves give them extraordinary beauty. The leaves of this variety are a bit crumpled. The average mature height varies somewhat between 34 and 37 inches. They gain maturity within 70-75 days.

They are also able to resist cold and humidity and tolerates warm temperatures. Though they are primarily found the zones 3-12

Old-Timey Blue

Here comes a very unique cultivated variety of collard green. They are extremely appealing, and this ornamental appeal is provided to them by nature. They are also known as ‘Alabama Blue.’ They possess purple-coloured stems and veins and blue-green leaves. This remarkable and rare color would not occur in any of the other varieties.

These are perfect for canning purposes. They can also be used for sauteing and for some other preparations as well. They witness an upright growth and grow almost to a height of 23-25 inches. Within 65-85 days, they gain full maturity.

Tiger Hybrid

Their upright growth habit with large and thick leaves is worth their name ‘Tiger Hybrid.’ The leaves are slightly wrinkled. They are one of the highest-yielding varieties.

It has been opined that they have a satisfactory flavour. But they can be repeatedly harvested, and that is what makes them different from others. The matured leaves can be noticed within 60-65 days. The expected height is 22-25 inches and is also 20-23 inches wide.

Vates

Firstly they can resist disease and frost. They are commonly found between zones 3-12. They have dark green leaves and yellow stems. The leaves of this variety are a bit crumpled and also shiny.

They have a mounding habit and attain an average height of 35 inches. More or less 80-87 days are enough to let them mature.

The advantages of developing strong and healthy dietary and lifestyle structures from a very young age can positively influence people’s nutrition. It also improves their health throughout their grown-up vitalities and enhances the productivity of individuals. Consequently, it will lead to an upgrade of the nation’s welfare.

Further, now we all are aware of all the remarkable health benefits of collard green as well as the threats related to it. Isn’t that mesmerizing? Not only treating health issues but also leaving its evidence in the case of skin and hair care. Now it is your turn to grab the most feasible option for you.

What are you exactly waiting for now? Snatch this incredible vegetable immediately and bless yourself with its pinch. Add this to your routined nutriment and gaze at the transformations it brings about.

FAQs on health benefits of collard green

Is it better to have cooked collard green or raw collard green?

If you desire to have a perfect amount of folate, then you must have collard greens. It is because one glass of raw collard possesses 45 micrograms of folate. On the contrary, the same quantity of cooked collard contains 20 micrograms of folate. However, you can obtain the health benefits of collard green either way.

Are collard greens a superfood?

Because of the mesmerizing health benefits of collard green, they have earned the title and reputation of being a superfood. They are beneficial for you when you are trying to lose weight vigorously.

Is collard green good for your liver?

Of course, they contribute a lot to the proper functioning of your liver due to the high content of antioxidants and vitamins. You must start having collard green juice regularly as soon as you realize that you suffer from liver problems.

Is collard green juice good for you?

As we know, collard green comes with an adequate quantity of vitamin C and soluble fiber. They possess several nutrients with multiple positive properties. They also have anti-cancer properties. If you are suffering from any cardiac issues or bronchitis, you must have collard green juice. You can have them all year-round as they are available all the time.

Can you eat collard green stems?

The stems of collard green are hard, fibrous, and chewy. Most individuals enjoy having raw collard periodically as a salad. You are never suggested to have raw stems of collard green.

Furthermore, while cooking, you must be careful enough regarding the stems. The stems are hard, and so you need a longer time to cook them. If not cooked properly, they would taste bitter and also hard to chew.

How long should you soak collard green before having it?

You can soak collard greens for about 10 to 15 minutes in clean and cold water. Then, slowly remove the dirt. Moreover, cooking them by keeping them oaked for some time heightens the taste of the leaves.

What is the best way to clean collard green?

Put the collard green leaves in a bowl and then wash them thoroughly with fresh water. Coldwater is always preferable to washing them. Allow the collard green to soak for some time. It ensures the loosening of dirt from their skin. Utilize your hand to wash it in a precise way and eradicate the remaining dirt.

Is collard green low Fodmap?

An overall rating of green has already been given to this leafy green vegetable – collard green. The assisting sizes determined here are insufficient in Fodmaps. Thus, they are to be tolerated by most people with IBS.

How long can you exactly store raw collard green?

You can refrigerate raw collard green to increase its storage time. Furthermore, you are recommended to store in plastic bags and then keep it inside the freezer. It is effective in heightening the shelf life of collard. Though generally, raw collard green can thrive for a maximum of 5 to 6 days.