Food and Nutrition: Leeks

Leeks are great for weight loss programmes as they have a low calorific value. Also, the significant fiber content helps keep one satiated for long and boosts metabolism.

Leeks

Leeks, known scientifically as Allium porrum, are related to garlic, onions, shallots, and scallions. Leeks have been cultivated since the time of the Ancient Egyptians and were probably part of the diet of those who built the pyramids. The Greek philosopher Aristotle credited the clear voice of the partridge to a diet of leeks, while the Roman emperor Nero supposedly ate leeks everyday to make his voice stronger.

• A single one-cup serving of leeks boasts 1,484 international units of vitamin A.
• Consume leeks as a source of lutein and zeaxanthin, compounds that contribute to healthy eyesight, and protect your eye tissues from oxidative damage.
• Leeks contain important amounts of the flavonoid kaempferol, which has repeatedly been shown to help protect our blood vessel linings from damage.
• Leeks also provide a generous amount of vitamin K. Vitamin K benefits every tissue in your body, helping to regulate blood flow, while low vitamin K levels can induce bleeding, which can negatively affect your circulation.
• Leeks can fight chronic low-level inflammatory states such as diabetes, obesity and rheumatoid arthritis by virtue of its polyphenol and kaempferol content.
• Leeks have high concentrations of antioxidant polyphenols which play a direct role in protecting our blood vessels and blood cells from oxidative damage.
• Leeks contain a bioactive form of folate called 5-methyltetrahydrofolate. Folate consumption during pregnancy is key to preventing birth defects.
• Leeks is their important concentration of the B vitamin folate, a key B complex vitamin for supporting our cardiovascular system.
• Leeks are a good source of allyl sulfides which have been shown to modify certain pathways associated with the growth of tumours.