If you’ve gone to a restaurant in the middle-to-high level of fanciness, you’ve probably had a meal garnished with a sprig of parsley. If you’re like me, you’ve thrown it away. However, you should be saving it for your juicer. Parsley juice has all sorts of health benefits. Here are twenty of them.
1. Parsley Protects Your Brain From Cadmium
Cadmium is a metal that often ends up in foods such as “shellfish, kidney, liver, mushrooms and root crops [which] contain especially high levels of cadmium.” Cadmium can lead to heart problems, osteoporosis, and cancer. A study of parsley juice’s effect on pregnant mice showed that a dose of “10 g/kg/day exhibited significant effects in neutralizing and reducing the deleterious changes due to Cd exposure during pregnancy on the behavioral activities, neurotransmitters, oxidative stress, and brain neurons morphology.” (1, 2)
2. Parsley Could Help Fight Breast Cancer
Amanda Capriglione is a registered dietician. She says that parsley “contains a chemical compound called apigenin that is known to help inhibit breast cancer cell growth.” (3)
3. Parsley Strengthens Bones
“Ten sprigs of parsley,” says Capriglione, “is enough to reach your daily dose of vitamin K.” Vitamin K helps keep your bones strong. (3)
4. Parsley Juice Will Kill Bad Breath
“Parsley acts as a natural breath freshener, especially after consuming garlic or onion,” according to Amanda Capriglione. (3)
5. Parsley Is An Antioxidant
According to a study in Food Research International, parsley has “antioxidant activities in terms of β-carotene bleaching capacity and free radical scavenging activity.” (4)
6. Parsley Helps Prevent Arthritis
According to Dr. Brunilda Nazari, parsley juice “can help reduce the risk of arthritis, an inflammation of the joints.” (3)
7. Parsley Juice Works For Bladder Health
“It contains chemicals that cause muscle contraction in the intestine [and] bladder,” says Dr. Nazari. This makes it a great way to treat UTIs. (3)
8. Parsley Combats Chronic Illness.
Dr. Nazari says that parsley “is also an excellent source of flavonoids . . . that help reduce the risk of many chronic diseases, including cancer, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease.” (3)
9. Parsley Can Be Used For High Blood Pressure
Studies show that parsley is a potent diuretic–something that increases urinary production. Diuretics reduce sodium in the blood and are often used to help with high blood pressure. (5, 6)
10. Parsley Can Work Against Other Cancer-Causing Proteins
Amanda Capriglione says that eating parsley with grilled foods “minimize(s) the cancer-causing effects of heterocyclic amines. . .[which] are made when proteins are cooked at high temperatures.” (3)
11. Parsley Juice Stops Bloating
Capriglione says that parsley helps the body expel built-up gas, stopping bloat. (3)
12. Parsley Stops Toxic Effects of Lead
Studies of Chinese parsley, done on mice, show that ingesting parsley can stop some of the terrible effects of lead poisoning, and prevent lead buildup in the bones. (7)
13. Parsley Juice Will Smooth Your Skin
The collagen in parsley will “iron out fine lines and wrinkles” in the face, according to Amanda Capriglione. (3)
14. Parsley Helps Your Heart
Raw parsley is very high in the B vitamin folate, which is why blending it into a juice is the best way to get the best effect. “Folate is involved in maintaining normal levels of the amino acid homocysteine, which is important given that elevated levels are associated with cardiovascular diseases,” says Carolina Guizar, a registered dietician nutritionist. (3)
15. Parsley Juice Helps Clotting
Because of its high Vitamin K, parsley is effective at helping your blood clot! (3)
16. Parsley Is A Good Supplement to Diabetic Medication
A study of parsley and desert date extracts on diabetic mice found that “these extracts can be potentially used with insulin therapy to minimize its side effects and to improve the treatment of T1DM and probably other oxidative stress-associated diseases.” (8)
17. Parsley Helps Your Eyes
“Parsley is a source of plant-based vitamin A,” says Carolina Guizar. “Adequate vitamin A intake ensures the optimal health of our eyes, preventing dryness, night blindness, and cataracts.” (3)
18. Parsley Juice Can Help With Cramping
Parsley has beneficial effects on the uterus. As a result, “menstrual cramps were often treated with concoctions of this herb,” says Dr. Nazari. (3)
19. Parsley Juice Helps Digestion
Amanda Capriglione says that the beneficial compounds in parsley make it a great digestive aid. (3)
20. Boosts Immune System
According to MSN Lifestyle, parsley “contains ample vitamin C, which aids the healthy gut microbiome, where the immune system is influenced most. “ (9)
