Lettuce or lettuce, as it is more commonly called in Western Europe, is an annual green vegetable crop. Its healing properties were appreciated even in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome.
Caesar treated himself from nervous exhaustion and insomnia with salad. And the Roman physician Galen (XI century AD) wrote: "When I began to grow old and wanted to get a good sleep ... I could only bring myself peace by eating a portion of salad at night."
In the Middle Ages in Europe, it was well known that lettuce has medicinal properties. In the eighteenth century. in France there was even such a profession as a master of making salad. It is said that a ruined French nobleman actually got rich in London only because he knew how to cook a salad well. For each preparation of a salad for a dinner party or dinner, he received a huge amount of money, about 100 English pounds.
And now lettuce occupies a special place among vegetable crops in terms of the content of chemicals. And in a number of Western European countries, lettuce is ahead of tomatoes and other vegetables in importance.
The chemical composition of lettuce
The content of vitamins in lettuce strongly depends on the nature of the placement of the leaves on the plants. For example, the inner leaves contain more vitamin C, while the outer leaves contain more vitamin B1 and carotene. The content of vitamin C in lettuce leaves reaches 25 mg%, carotene - up to 2.5 mg%, vitamin E - 5 mg%, PP - 0.06 mg%, B1 - 0.1 mg%, B2 - 0.1 mg% , B6 - 0.15 mg%, B9 - 0.1 mg%, U - 2 mg%. And in terms of the content of vitamins E and K, lettuce firmly occupies a leading position among other leafy vegetable plants.
The total amount of mineral salts in the salad reaches 850 mg%, including potassium - 320 mg%, calcium - 120 mg%, magnesium - 35 mg%, phosphorus - 40 mg%, iron - up to 3 mg%. In terms of the iron content necessary for the formation of hemoglobin, lettuce is second only to spinach, and in the presence of magnesium, which is involved in the synthesis of a number of important enzymes, it is second only to peas and cabbage.
This organic magnesium has an exceptional ability to act on muscle tissue, brain and nerves. The combination of magnesium with the high calcium content in lettuce leaves makes it extremely beneficial for the body.
The total dry matter content in lettuce reaches 7.5%, including sugar - 2%. Unlike other leafy vegetables, lettuce contains relatively high protein - up to 1.5%.
Useful properties of lettuce
Unique complexes of iodine, sulfur, copper contained in the salad make it possible to normalize the functioning of the thyroid and pancreas. Especially effective is the treatment of diabetes mellitus (to reduce the dose of insulin or tablets), with obesity and impaired metabolic processes, while the acidity of the stomach is improving.
The salad contains a lot of chlorophyll, which stimulates the formation of red blood cells and hemoglobin. This explains the extremely beneficial effect of the salad on the treatment of radiation sickness.
And the lactucin contained in the salad has a calming effect on the nervous system, improves sleep. The presence of vitamin P in the salad prevents the appearance of fragility of blood vessels during its use.
Due to the presence of vitamins and minerals, it is very valuable for the nutrition of children and debilitated patients. Its use helps to improve the water-salt balance of the body, normalizes the functioning of the digestive organs and the function of the nervous system, excludes the development of hypo- and avitaminosis, prevents the development of constipation and increases urination.
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The use of fresh leaves or fresh juice of the plant has a positive effect in the treatment of scurvy, hypertension, obesity, constipation, gastritis, diabetes mellitus, gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer.
Lettuce is strongly distinguished from other vegetables by its effect on the nervous system, due to the content of neurotropic substances in the juice of its leaf veins, in particular lactucin. This substance significantly reduces the excitability of the nervous system, has an analgesic and hypnotic effect, and helps with insomnia. Therefore, with poor sleep and increased excitability, it is necessary to take infusion of fresh lettuce leaves.
To do this, grind the lettuce leaves, pour 1 liter of water, add 2 tbsp. tablespoons of honey, cook on low heat for 10 minutes. Take a broth of 0.3 cups before bedtime. Store the prepared infusion in the refrigerator.
Pectins and folic acid contained in lettuce leaves stimulate the intestines and promote the rapid elimination of cholesterol from the body.
A valuable property of lettuce is its ability to strengthen the walls of blood vessels. And the pronounced possibilities of lettuce to regulate water-salt metabolism in the body are associated not only with the quantitative content of potassium and sodium salts in it, but also with their ratio. Lettuce juice preparations are an effective homeopathic remedy for heart disease.
As mentioned above, unlike most other vegetable crops, lettuce contains many protein substances that are concentrated in the inner, lighter leaves, but they are very difficult for the human body to assimilate, since they are part of the skeleton of plant cells. Therefore, food made from fresh and soft lettuce leaves must be chewed significantly more than other plant foods.
Salad, and especially its juice, are extremely useful for gastric patients and those who suffer from tuberculosis and hypertension, with chronic gastritis, especially with increased acidity of gastric juice, stomach ulcers. Lettuce juice also has a healing effect for intestinal lethargy, constipation, and thyroid diseases.
Infusion of lettuce leaves is used for chronic gastritis. This requires 1 tbsp. Brew a spoonful of chopped leaves with 1 glass of boiling water, leave for 2 hours, strain. Take 0.5 glass 2 times a day or 1 glass at night.
A blend of fresh lettuce juices, Brussels sprouts, carrots and green beans provides a combination of elements that helps restore pancreatic function. But at the same time, concentrated starches and sugar must be excluded from the diet, and the intestines must be regularly cleansed with an enema.
And in a mixture with carrot, beet and turnip juices, taken in equal proportions, it is useful for polio and atherosclerosis. A mixture of lettuce and cucumber juices, taken in equal proportions, is beneficial for heart disease. This mixture should be drunk 1 glass in the morning on an empty stomach.
The salad is also very useful for spring fatigue and heavy physical exertion, for children who are engaged in physical education. It is also a good diuretic.
Eating salad is especially beneficial for the elderly and older people, as well as for those who are prone to obesity or forced to lead a sedentary lifestyle.
Salad is necessary for diabetic patients, because it contains few carbohydrates, but is rich in minerals and vitamin P, which is considered an insulin activator.
All salad medications can be easily prepared at home. For cooking salad juice freshly picked, washed and cut into pieces of no more than 1.5 cm lettuce leaves are placed in a juicer. The juice is released from them easily, but spoils very quickly. Therefore, it must be cooked fresh every time. Take the juice of the salad, 0.5 cups at night.
For cooking infusion of leaves you need 1 tbsp. pour a spoonful of fresh leaves with 1 cup boiling water, leave for 1.5-2 hours in a warm place, drain. Take 0.5 glass 2-3 times a day or 1 glass at night for chronic gastritis, high blood pressure, nervous system excitement, and insomnia.
For cooking infusion of lettuce seeds you need 1 tbsp.Finely grind a spoonful of seeds in a mortar, pour 1 glass of boiling water, insist in a warm place for 1 hour, strain. Take 1 tbsp. spoon 3 times a day 30 minutes before meals in the absence or decrease in lactation in nursing mothers.
The salad contains a lot of oxalic acid and purines. Therefore, for people suffering from urolithiasis and gout, it is better to refrain from eating salad in significant quantities, since it can cause the formation of stones in the urinary tract.
The end is in the article Lettuce - for the beauty of hair and skin.
"Ural gardener", No. 38, 2019
