You can also find dried parsley in stores. Drying the herb reduces some of its health benefits but not all, and it actually may improve its cancer-fighting potential.
Health Benefits
Parsley has many vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that can provide important health benefits. It is a particularly rich source of vitamin K. A single tablespoon of fresh chopped parsley provides more than 70% of the recommended daily intake.
Parsley also contains a good amount of vitamin A and antioxidants known as flavonoids.
The other health benefits that parsley can provide include:
Cancer Prevention
Parsley contains a large amount of the flavone apigenin. While cooking and/or drying may reduce some of parsley’s other health benefits, it increases the apigenin available in parsley. In fact, dried parsley is the best natural source of apigenin.
Flavones are the pigments in certain flowering plants and powerful antioxidants. Apigenin has demonstrated particular potential as an anticancer agent, but more research is needed.
Diuresis
Diuresis is the process in which your kidneys make extra pee in order to get rid of a substance in your body. Parsley works as a powerful natural diuretic and can help reduce bloating and blood pressure.
Bone Health
Parsley is loaded with vitamin K, which has been linked to bone health. The vitamin supports bone growth and bone mineral density.
One study on parsley found that it helped protect against osteoporosis in rats.
Eye Health
Parsley contains vitamin A, which helps protect the surface of the eye, as well as lutein and zeaxanthin, two antioxidants that help prevent age-related macular degeneration.
