Asparagus: a nutritional goldmine

Easy-to-love asparagus has many impressive health benefits. Eating more asparagus is a smart decision: here's how you can add more of it to your family's diet!

• Asparagus is delicious, low in fat, and low in sodium. It's a superb vegetable for those who are watching their weight.
• A nutrient-dense super-food, asparagus may prevent heart disease, Cancer and certain birth defects.

Fibre: Insoluble fibre is important for promoting a healthy digestive tract, and soluble fibre may help lower cholesterol. A 250 gram (one cup) serving of asparagus has nearly three grams of dietary fibre.

Folate: Folate is vital during pregnancy, because it may help prevent neural-tube defects in the fetus. Folate is also cardio-protective, helping to reduce homocysteine, an amino acid linked to heart disease risk. Folate may also help prevent Cancer, since low folate levels may damage DNA and lead to cancerous changes in cells. A 250 gram (one cup) serving of cooked asparagus provides a remarkable 263 micrograms of folate.

Glutathione: Functioning as an antioxidant, the enzyme glutathione may have the ability to detoxify carcinogenic substances and protect cells from free-radical damage.

Rutin: This antioxidant flavonoid works hand-in-hand with the anti­oxidant vitamin C to maintain blood-vessel health.

Saponins: These compounds may prevent heart disease by binding to, and preventing absorption of cholesterol in the digestive tract.

Vitamin B6: This immune-boosting vitamin produces disease-fighting antibodies. It also plays an important role in enabling the body to derive energy from food. Preliminary research suggests that vitamin B6 may help relieve the discomfort of premenstrual tension and nausea in early pregnancy.

• To reap the full health benefits from this nutritional powerhouse, you should steam or microwave asparagus.
• Or, if you cook the stalks in water, use an as­paragus cooker. It's designed to cook the asparagus with the tips facing up and not immersed in water. This is important because experts believe most of the phytonutrients are in the tips.

• When you're trimming the tough ends from asparagus stalks, save them and cook them in water until very tender. Use this B-vitamin-enriched water to boost the nutrition of an asparagus (or other) soup or pasta sauce.
• Fold cooked, cut-up asparagus into macaroni and cheese.
• Most people don't think of roasting asparagus, but it's delicious and a good way to preserve the B vitamins. Toss trimmed asparagus with a little olive oil and a sprinkling of grated Parmesan and roast in a 230°C (450°F) oven for 10 to 20 minutes.
• Puree cooked asparagus with a little milk and herbs for a quick soup.
• Add cooked asparagus to pizzas, sandwiches and wraps.
• For a twist on classic guacamole: chop cooked asparagus very finely, add a little avocado and season like you would a traditional guacamole.