Kailan or "Chinese broccoli" is a leafy vegetable with thick, flat, glossy blue-green leaves with thick stems, and florets similar to broccoli, but much smaller than broccoli. Another Brassica oleracea cultivar, gai lan belongs to the alboglabra group (from the Latin albus "white" and glabrus "hairless").
When in bloom, its white flowers resemble its cousin Matthiola incana or Hoary Stock. It tastes very similar to broccoli, but is slightly more bitter. It also tastes stronger than broccoli.
This vegetable is often found in Chinese Food. However, there is no need to worry, this type of vegetable is widely found in traditional markets or supermarkets in Asia. In general, this kailan vegetable is processed by sautéing with other ingredients such as garlic, beef, oyster sauce and others. All parts of this kailan vegetable can be consumed, from the stem to the leaves.
This kailan vegetable can be classified as similar to cauliflower or broccoli. Compared to the two types of vegetables, kailan has the highest nutritional value.
Did you know that kailan vegetables have a fairly complete nutritional content for the body? Kailan is rich in vitamins, calcium, luthein, fiber, minerals and protein, as well as other nutrients. The green color of this kailan vegetable contains vitamins A, C, E, and K which is very high than other types of green vegetables.
Therefore, this kailan vegetable is very useful as a producer of antioxidants that are good for the body. Well, here, let's look at the benefits of kailan vegetables for body health because of the high nutritional content in it.
Reduce cholesterol level in the body
The content of vitamin K and fiber in kailan vegetables can reduce fat levels in the blood thereby reducing the risk of blockage of blood vessels. Therefore, this type of vegetable can prevent heart attacks or strokes due to fat deposits in the blood.
Prevent the formation of cancer cells
Green substances or chlorophyll in kailan vegetables have a role as an antioxidant in the body that can reduce the risk of cancer. When we consume kailan, our body will produce enzymes that function to attack cancer cells. According to some experts, this kailan vegetable is one type of anti-cancer vegetable.
Help reduce the risk of diabetes
In addition to containing various vitamins, kailan vegetables also contain omega 3 fatty acids which function to stabilize excessive sugar levels in the blood. It is better to consume it regularly and avoid boiling kailan in water for too long, because it will reduce the nutritional content in it.
Helps with constipation.
The fiber content in Kailan is very high, while the fat content is not there so this vegetable is very good for launching bowel movements. And of course maintain your digestive health, such as the stomach and intestines.
Prevents anemia
Another nutritional content found in Kailan is iron. When we consume kailan, the iron levels produced by Kailan vegetables are higher than when we consume beef. Thus, kailan vegetables can help the formation of hemoglobin, renew body cells, produce oxygen throughout the body and prevent the risk of animea.
Helps maintain eye health
In addition to vitamin K, Kailan vegetables also contain vitamin A and Luthein which are good for eye health, especially preventing and maintaining the eye due to the possibility of damage to the retina of the eye due to the effects of ultraviolet light.
Helps maintain healthy bones and teeth
Calcium contained in Kailan vegetables has a positive impact on the strength of bones and teeth. This certainly prevents us from the risk of Osteoporosis. In the opinion of nutritionists, the calcium content in Kailan vegetables is higher than in milk. Therefore, Kailan vegetables are highly recommended to be consumed as a substitute for milk, if you are allergic to milk.
Helps maintain healthy skin
The content of chlorophyll in kailan vegetables, levels of vitamins C and E which are able to produce natural antioxidants for the body have good benefits for skin health. Some of these ingredients will play a role in producing collagen in the body. Where, collagen serves to make the skin look more beautiful and clean, avoid premature aging due to wrinkles on the face.
Help for diet program / reduce weight
For those of you who are trying to reduce calories in the body, you can consume Kailan vegetables which contain natural fiber. This fiber is able to speed up the body's metabolism and burn calories so you will feel full longer and reduce your weight.
Increase nutritional intake for pregnant women
Nutritional intake in pregnant women is an important thing to note. A healthy mother will keep the fetus healthy. Pregnant women who consume Kailan can reduce some of the bad risks that occur to the fetus, such as babies born with defects. The complete nutritional content of Kailan can help the growth of the fetus and increase the production of mother's milk.
Improve brain health.
The content of omega 3 fatty acids in Kailan vegetables prevents brain damage or brain disorders. The content of vitamin K and omega 3 fatty acids serves to maintain the health of your brain and prevent viruses from entering the brain.
Those are the 11 properties found in Kailan vegetables. Hopefully this information about healthy vegetables can be useful for you to be more selective in choosing vegetables to eat. Basically this kailan vegetable helps the immune system and the immune system so that it is not susceptible to disease. Well, therefore, start implementing your healthy lifestyle by consuming Kailan vegetables.