Asparagus is a green vegetable with spear shaped stalks. It grows best in sandy soil and is part of the Lily family along with garlic, onions and leeks. It has a high content of folic acid, potassium, thiamin, and fiber. Asparagus is a good source for vitamins A, B6 and C.
Asparagus is one of nature’s most perfect foods. It is low in calories and sodium, loaded with vitamins and minerals, cholesterol and fat free. Asparagus also contains the phyto-chemical glutathione, which has antioxidant and anti-carcinogenic properties.
According to John Heinerman in Heinerman’s Encyclopedia of Fruits and Vegetabless, asparagus helps “to dissolve uric acid deposits in the extremities as well as inducing urination… Asparagus is especially useful in cases of hypertension where the amount of sodium in the blood far exceeds the potassium present. Cooked asparagus also increases bowel evacuations (Heinerman 14).”
Asparagus contains high levels of glutathione, one of the body’s most potent cancer fighters. Glutathione is a protein composed of the amino acids; cysteine, glutamic acid, and glycine. Glutathione helps with detoxification by binding to fat-soluble toxins, such as heavy metals, solvents and pesticides and transforms them into a water-soluble form that can be excreted in the urine.
A controversial e-mail has been circulating for years purporting that asparagus is a cure for cancer. Although asparagus testing indicates that one of its constituents, Asparanin A “shows promise as a preventive and/or therapeutic agent” against human liver cancer (Liu 2009), it still remains that there is no clinical proof that asparagus cures the wide variety of cancers that some people claim.
After studying the research, the truth is in the hands of the individual, as many anecdotes making claims for asparagus as a cure for cancer persist. What harm can be done by consuming Asparagus daily? Surely, there are only benefits because asparagus is so highly nutritious.
The recipe for the controversial asparagus cure recommends using pesticide and preservative free asparagus. Select organic asparagus if possible when using the fresh vegetable. Both Green Giant and Stokley brand foods claim to be free of pesticides and preservatives. This is a way to get a little bit of the benefits of asparagus every day.
Asparagus recipe:
In a food processor or blender, liquefy cooked (cooled) asparagus including the juice and store refrigerated. (Asparagus can be home-cooked or commercially canned.)
The dose equals four tablespoons, morning and evening. This dose can be diluted with water, for a hot or cold drink. Larger doses may be taken but it does not necessarily speed any action, the four tablespoons daily is sufficient. Asparagus capsules can be purchased at vitamin and herbal stores and on the Internet.
Some people have reported improvements in their various conditions in 2 to 4 weeks.
Since consuming more vegetables is a good choice for everyone it may well be worth the effort to put asparagus on your dinner table more of.
