POPEYE, THE sailor man of cartoon fame grew stronger after eating his greens and maybe you can too.
The plant, a power house of nutrients is said by some to be better than liver. What's the truth of the matter?
Callaloo (aramanth) a leafy green vegetable is the Jamaican spinach, rich in iron and other minerals. Like other vegetables, it will provide vitamin C, minerals, flavonoids and other phytochemicals, calcium, iron and vitamin A. Callaloo has more than four times the calcium, two or more times the iron with more than twice the vitamin A as the broccoli and other vegetables.
Liver, in its own right, has the richer source of iron and vitamin A and also B12. It is the storage organ of the body with high levels of protein and very little fat because excess fat is converted into cholesterol.
In the opinion of registered nutritionist Patricia Thompson, one cannot compare liver and callaloo as they are too different foods from two different sources.
Waste organ
While liver is also the waste organ of the body, so are the leaves of the callaloo. Liver contains the highest level of detoxifying substances, including glutathione.
Callaloo leaves, also the waste organ of the plant contains oxalic acid which is potentially harmful.
From a healthy animal, Mrs. Thompson notes, all the waste substances should be neutralised. "However ,one waste substance which is uric acid is very high and if you are prone to gout you should not over-indulge in liver.
There are also some people who do not digest meat products like liver very well because of the protein. But, for healthy persons, liver is just another source of nutrients.
The callaloo leaves contain alkaloids which have much medicinal value. However, if you consume too much phytochemicals which in moderate doses help in fighting cancer it can result in (human) liver damage. Normal levels of phytochemicals reduce risk of cancer but too much can be harmful.
Too much of anything is not good. Both callaloo and liver are waste reservoirs.
How much of each food is too much? we ask.
"Your nutritionist will advise you of that. It is an individual thing, Mrs. Thompson said.
- Outlook Team
