Swiss Chard Benefits and Side Effects:
Swiss chard, or rainbow chard, has been used as both food and medicine in Eastern Europe and other parts of the world for thousands of years. This type of leafy green boasts a wide range of health benefits, from boosting your immune system to improving digestion, and contains vitamins and minerals including iron, potassium, zinc, and selenium. However, because it’s related to beets and spinach (both known to have some side effects), there are also some Swiss chard benefits and side effects you should know about before you include it in your diet on a regular basis.
Amazing health benefits of Swiss chard
10 Swiss chard benefits include
(1) being incredibly high in fiber, with 1 cup offering 20% of your daily fiber requirements;
(2) lowering your risk for heart disease, thanks to its flavonoids rutin and quercetin;
(3) reducing inflammation, as it’s an excellent source of beta-carotene, vitamin C, magnesium, potassium, and sulfur;
(4) preventing age-related macular degeneration thanks to its lutein content;
(5) helping you get rid of headaches by calming down blood vessels;
(6) fighting cancer thanks to its glucosinolates—phytonutrients that induce detoxification enzymes which protect us from harmful substances.
How to prepare Swiss chard
Some recommend preparing it like spinach, others say sautéing or steaming is best. Either way, start by trimming away any stems or tough ribs on each leaf. Gently wash under cold water, pat dry with paper towels, then chop leaves off of stems into thin strips. Cut those strips crosswise into small pieces; if you’re not cooking right away, store them in an airtight container in your refrigerator until ready to use. Here are some Swiss chard recipes: Swiss chard with tomatoes and eggs (boiled), Swiss chard with garlic (fried), Swiss chard soup recipe… Swiss chard recipes… Swiss chard side effects: Overcooked Swiss chard can cause bloating, gas, and stomach cramps. To avoid these side effects, make sure to cook Swiss chard just long enough so that it’s still bright green and firm-tender but has lost its raw flavor. If you choose to steam swiss chard instead of boiling or sautéing it, be sure to cut out any tough stem ends before cooking—they take longer than leaves due to become tender—and check often for doneness as well as tenderness. Overcooking makes swiss chard lose nutrients and become less digestible.
A few sides effect
Swiss chard’s side effects aren’t well known, since it’s less popular than other greens. But one of its biggest side effects is that some people find it hard to digest, especially if they don’t cook it properly. Even Swiss chard benefits might not be worth dealing with bad digestion or trying to get past its strong flavor. Other possible side effects include bloating or diarrhea from oxalic acid content in Swiss chard benefits. We cover these potential side effects below in more detail. 3 Ways Swiss Chard Benefits Might Not Be Worth It: If you’re used to spinach or kale Swiss chard benefits, then you might think Swiss chard side effects are worth dealing with. You should know that while Swiss chard has plenty of good nutrients, there are also a few cons you should consider before adding it to your diet. While you can eat raw swiss chard leaves like spinach (which makes them easy to add to any meal), most people will want to boil them first—they can taste bitter otherwise. Boiling tends to remove much of their nutrient value, too.
