Red lettuce

Red lettuce is a type of lettuce, scientific name Lactuca sativa from the Asteraceae family, with dark red leaves. It is this characteristic that makes red lettuce a food particularly rich in antioxidants, substances able to counteract aging processes and oxidative stress, the cause of various conditions and diseases, such as, for example, neurodegenerative, cardiovascular and autoimmune diseases, tumors or arthritis (Pham-Huy et al, Int J Biomed Sci, 2008 - Lobo et al, Pharmacogn Rev, 2010). In particular, a study analyzed the antioxidant content of some types of lettuce that differed in leaf color, green, red green and red. The result was that the more red the lettuce leaves, the higher its antioxidant power and the faster these antioxidants, mainly anthocyanins and carotenoids, acted (Perez Lopez et al, J Agric Food Chem, 2014 - Assefa et al, BMC Chem , 2019). Like other lettuce varieties, red lettuce also contains lactucine, an active ingredient that promotes restful and prolonged sleep (Kim et al, Food Sci Biotechnol, 2017). Moreover, red lettuce is a powerful source of nutrients since it brings minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, manganese, selenium and zinc, and vitamins, such as C, A, K, group B and folic acid (USDA Database). For this reason, adding to your salads red lettuce is certainly a very healthy choice! Break the leaves of red lettuce with your hands, add them to a sliced cabbage, carrots, celery and black cabbage, season with olive oil and lemon juice and serve. This is a side dish or appetizer that is quick and easy to prepare and great for health, in addition to this, if you eat it in the evening, it will also help you sleep better.