Are you checking out this article because you read elsewhere that parsley can be used for weight loss? Well, it’s true that parsley can help get rid of excess pounds. However, it’s not by melting fat. Continue reading to know the exact reason why this herb can help you slim down — and get to know some other health benefits it brings, too.
Experts say that parsley has both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and that’s why it is something that’s good for your health. Additionally, parsley has mild diuretic properties, and this is precisely the reason why a lot of people employ it in order to quickly eliminate unwanted weight and make themselves fit in their skinny jeans.
Having mild diuretic properties means that parsley helps flush excess water out of your body. How? By increasing the amount of urine your kidneys make. Due to this, you will notice that you will rush to the bathroom more often to pee after consuming parsley. So in a nutshell, parsley can help you lose weight — water weight, specifically.
You can consume the stalks and leaves of parsley for you to lose water weight. However, a more popular way to take advantage of parsley’s diuretic properties is by turning the herb into tea. To do so, you simply have to steep chopped up stalks and leaves of parsley in a cup of boiling water, strain and consume as you would any other herbal tea.
One of the nicest things about parsley as a weight loss aid is it can provide instant results. After peeing several times, you may actually see the bathroom scale budge! Also, it’s all-natural — parsley is nothing like most other weight loss pills that can produce an array of unfavorable side effects, ranging from diarrhea to heart palpitations.
The downside with this weight loss approach is it’s not really a permanent solution. In fact, you can easily gain back those lost pounds the moment you drink water and consume water-containing foods. In short, parsley is ideal for figure-conscious people who are looking to get rid of a few pounds instantly but temporarily only.
But don’t frown upon parsley as a weight loss aid. The fact is you can count on it to help in jump starting your journey to a slimmer you. When you see a dramatic, albeit temporary, weight reduction, it can encourage you to stick to a regular exercise regiment and healthy eating habits. In short, parsley can give you that much-needed encouragement!
Aside from making you lose water weight, parsley also offers a number of health benefits — courtesy of its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and diuretic properties. What’s more, parsley also contains vitamins A, C, E and K, pyridoxine, cobalamin, niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, potassium, copper, zinc, magnesium, iron, manganese and calcium!
So here are some of the health benefits that parsley offer:
- It helps reduce a UTI. Such is because of the mild diuretic properties of parsley, thus bacteria proliferating in the urinary system like the kidneys and bladder can be flushed out.
- It detoxifies the blood. Again, the ability of parsley to eliminate excess water in the body makes this possible. By the way, parsley may also be used to lower blood pressure.
- It strengthens your bones. There’s calcium in parsley which is a mineral that’s necessary for keeping the bones strong. Then the herb also contains vitamin K, a nutrient so important in the fight against osteoporosis. Experts say that vitamin K helps calcium stay in the bones and not in your blood.
- It reduces joint pain. Because of the anti-inflammatory properties of parsley, consuming the herb on a regular basis, such as in tea form, can help control painful and swollen joints.
- It controls blood sugar levels. Numerous studies had shown that parsley is beneficial for people with diabetes as certain compounds in it helped regulate the levels of sugar in the blood.
- It makes your immune system strong. Several nutrients in parsley, including most especially vitamin C, can help bolster the immune system, making you less susceptible to having infections and various diseases.
