Hydro and Health: Lettuce

One of the most common parts of a hydroponics grower’s playbook is to devote part of a hydroponic garden or space to harvesting green lettuce. Lettuce is a vibrant, attractive green addition to many different kinds of cuisine, and it turns out there is a reason that lettuce is the staple of nearly every kind of green salad on order at your local restaurant. This leafy produce has a lot of different health benefits that make it a great addition to a hydroponics garden.

Overall Health Benefits of Lettuce

For most of us, it’s not hard to understand some of the main health benefits of using lettuce or other leafy greens in a meal. One of the biggest principles of nutrition that’s in play here is the idea that by substituting sugary, fatty and rich foods with lean, green produce, individuals can drop pounds, revitalize internal systems, and boost their metabolism to really jumpstart a healthier future. Take all of the modern bogies of the fast food diet, such as sodium, cholesterol, and saturated fats. You won’t see any of these elements in lettuce (except for maybe trace amounts of sodium,) which is one of the major reasons why nutritionists and trainers suggest getting as much of these leafy greens as possible.

Digestive Benefits of Lettuce

In the same way that lettuce replaces fatty meat proteins and other rich foods in terms of nutrition, it’s also easier on the body’s digestive system. You may have once heard someone refer to lettuce as roughage, that’s because the fiber in these greens, as well as natural plant sterols and an overall lean chemistry, helps to cleanse the digestive system, as opposed to heavier foods that can have a detrimental effect.

Anti-Disease Health Benefits of Lettuce

In terms of fighting chronic disease, lettuce also has a lot of the regard antioxidants that help people combat the onset of chronic illnesses, including some cancers and heart disease. In this, lettuce has a lot of great stuff, from calcium and potassium to carotenoids that can help with overall wellness in addition to helping individuals shed extra weight and slim down.

Lettuce is also popular in hydroponics because growing it in water it eliminates the necessity of all of that careful washing that people have to do with soil grown varieties. For more, look for the kinds of modern hydroponic systems that can accommodate this very useful food.