The World's Healthiest

Foods are health-

promoting foods that can
change your life.
Search Happy Thanksgiving
November 21-27, 2016
Week!

The George Mateljan Foundation is a not-for-profit foundation with no commercial interests or

advertising. Our mission is to help you eat and cook the healthiest way for optimal health.

Parsley
Printer friendly version
The delicious and vibrant
Send this page to a friend...
taste and wonderful
healing properties of
parsley are often ignored
in its popular role as a
table garnish. Highly
nutritious, parsley can be
found year round in your local supermarket. Find Out What
Parsley is the world's most popular herb. It Foods You
derives its name from the Greek word meaning Should Eat
"rock celery" (parsley is a relative to celery). It is a This Week
biennial plant that will return to the garden year
after year once it is established. Also find out about the
recipe, nutrient and hot
topic of the week on our
Parsley, chopped, fresh home page.
0.50 cup Calories: 11
GI: very low
(30.40 grams)
Nutrient DRI/DV Everything you want to
vitamin K 554%
know about healthy
eating and cooking from
vitamin C 54%
our new book.
vitamin A 14%
folate 12%
iron 10%
copper 6%
potassium 5%
magnesium 4%
fiber 4%
calcium 4%
manganese 3%
phosphorus 3%
zinc 3%
vitamin B3 3% Order this Incredible 2nd
vitamin B1 3% Edition at the same low price
of $39.95 and also get 2
FREE gifts valued at $51.95.
This chart graphically details the %DV that a Read more
serving of Parsley provides for each of the
nutrients of which it is a good, very good, or
excellent source according to our Food Rating
System. Additional information about the amount
of these nutrients provided by Parsley can be
found in the Food Rating System Chart. A link that
takes you to the In-Depth Nutritional Profile for
Parsley, featuring information over 80 nutrients,
can be found under the Food Rating System
Chart.
Your Email:
Health Benefits
Description sign up
History
How to Select and Store
Healthy Eating
Tips for Preparing and Cooking
How to Enjoy Food of the Week
Healthy Eating in 3
Nutritional Profile Easy Steps
References 100 World's
Healthiest Foods
Plant-Based Way of

Health Benefits Eating

Organic Foods

Healthy Cooking
A sprig of parsley can provide much more than a
decoration on your plate. Parsley contains two Recipe of the Week
types of unusual components that provide unique Nutrient-Rich Cooking
health benefits. The first type is volatile oil 300 Recipes
componentsincluding myristicin, limonene, Cooking with George
Why I Don't Cook with
eugenol, and alpha-thujene. The second type is EVOO
flavonoidsincluding apiin, apigenin, crisoeriol,
and luteolin. Nutrients from Food

Nutrient of the Week

Promote Optimal Health Essential Nutrients

Website Articles
Parsley's volatile oilsparticularly myristicin
have been shown to inhibit tumor formation in WHFoods Rating
animal studies, and particularly, tumor formation System
in the lungs. Myristicin has also been shown to Food Sensitivities
activate the enzyme glutathione-S-transferase, Digestion
which helps attach the molecule glutathione to
Community
oxidized molecules that would otherwise do
damage in the body. The activity of parsley's Who we are
volatile oils qualifies it as a "chemoprotective" What's New
food, and in particular, a food that can help Getting Started
neutralize particular types of carcinogens (like the Contact Us
benzopyrenes that are part of cigarette smoke and Send to a Friend
charcoal grill smoke). Useability
Questionnaire
Free Weekly

A Rich Source of Anti-Oxidant Newsletter

Make a Tax
Nutrients Deductible Donation

Privacy Policy and Visitor

The flavonoids in parsleyespecially luteolin Agreement
have been shown to function as antioxidants that References
combine with highly reactive oxygen-containing
molecules (called oxygen radicals) and help For education only, consult
prevent oxygen-based damage to cells. In a healthcare practitioner for
any health problems.
addition, extracts from parsley have been used in
animal studies to help increase the antioxidant
capacity of the blood.
In addition to its volatile oils and flavonoids,
parsley is an excellent source of vitamin C and a
good source of vitamin A (notably through its
concentration of the pro-vitamin A carotenoid,
beta-carotene).

Vitamin C has many different functions. It is the

body's primary water-soluble antioxidant,
rendering harmless otherwise dangerous free
radicals in all water-soluble areas of the body.
High levels of free radicals contribute to the
development and progression of a wide variety of
diseases, including atherosclerosis, colon cancer,
diabetes, and asthma. This may explain why
people who consume healthy amounts of vitamin
C-containing foods have reduced risks for all
these conditions. Vitamin C is also a powerful
anti-inflammatory agent, which explains its
usefulness in conditions such as osteoarthritis
and rheumatoid arthritis. And since vitamin C is
needed for the healthy function of the immune
system, it can also be helpful for preventing
recurrent ear infections or colds.

Beta-carotene, another important antioxidant,

works in the fat-soluble areas of the body. Diets
with beta-carotene-rich foods are also associated
with a reduced risk for the development and
progression of conditions like atherosclerosis,
diabetes, and colon cancer. Like vitamin C, beta-
carotene may also be helpful in reducing the
severity of asthma, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid
arthritis. And beta-carotene is converted by the
body to vitamin A, a nutrient so important to a
strong immune system that its nickname is the
"anti-infective vitamin."

Parsley for a Healthy Heart

Parsley is a good source of folic acid, one of the
most important B vitamins. While it plays
numerous roles in the body, one of its most
critical roles in relation to cardiovascular health is
its necessary participation in the process through
which the body converts homocysteine into
benign molecules. Homocysteine is a potentially
dangerous molecule that, at high levels, can
directly damage blood vessels, and high levels of
homocysteine are associated with a significantly
increased risk of heart attack and stroke in people
with atherosclerosis or diabetic heart disease.
Enjoying foods rich in folic acid, like parsley, is an
especially good idea for individuals who either
have, or wish to prevent, these diseases. Folic
acid is also a critical nutrient for proper cell
division and is therefore vitally important for
cancer-prevention in two areas of the body that
contain rapidly dividing cellsthe colon, and in
women, the cervix.

Protection against Rheumatoid

Protection against Rheumatoid
Arthritis
While one study suggests that high doses of
supplemental vitamin C makes osteoarthritis, a
type of degenerative arthritis that occurs with
aging, worse in laboratory animals, another
indicates that vitamin C-rich foods, such as
parsley, provide humans with protection against
inflammatory polyarthritis, a form of rheumatoid
arthritis involving two or more joints.

The findings, presented in the Annals of the

Rheumatic Diseases were drawn from a study of
more than 20,000 subjects who kept diet diaries
and were arthritis-free when the study began, and
focused on subjects who developed inflammatory
polyarthritis and similar subjects who remained
arthritis-free during the follow-up period. Subjects
who consumed the lowest amounts of vitamin C-
rich foods were more than three times more likely
to develop arthritis than those who consumed the
highest amounts.

So, next time parsley appears on your plate as a

garnish, recognize its true worth and partake of its
abilities to improve your health. As an added
bonus, you'll also enjoy parsley's legendary ability
to cleanse your palate and your breath at the end
of your meal.

Description
While parsley is a wonderfully nutritious and
healing food, it is often under-appreciated. Most
people do not realize that this vegetable has more
uses than just being a decorative garnish that
accompanies restaurant meals. They do not know
that parsley is actually a storehouse of nutrients
and that it features a delicious green and vibrant
taste.

The two most popular types of parsley are curly

parsley and Italian flat leaf parsley. The Italian
variety has a more fragrant and less bitter taste
than the curly variety. There is also another type
of parsley known as turnip-rooted (or Hamburg)
that is cultivated for its roots, which resemble
salsify and burdock. Parsley belongs to the
Umbelliferae family of plants, and its Latin name
is Petroselinum crispum.

History
Parsley is native to the Mediterranean region of
Southern Europe. While it has been cultivated for
more than 2,000 years, parsley was used
medicinally prior to being consumed as a food.
The ancient Greeks held parsley to be sacred,
using it to not only adorn victors of athletic
contests, but also for decorating the tombs of the
deceased. The practice of using parsley as a
garnish actually has a long history that can be
traced back to the civilization of the ancient
Romans.

While it is uncertain when parsley began to be

consumed as a seasoning, it seems to be
sometime in the Middle Ages in Europe. Some
historians credit Charlemagne with its
popularization since he had it grown on his
estates.

In some countries, the curly leaf variety is more

popular. This may have its roots in the ancient
preference for this type since people were
oftentimes reticent to consume the flat leaf
variety because it resembled fool's parsley, a
poisonous weed.

Turnip-rooted (or Hamburg) parsley, a relatively

new species, having only been developed within
the past two hundred years, has only recently
begun gaining popularity.

How to Select and Store

Whenever possible, choose fresh parsley over the
dried form of the herb since it is superior in flavor.
Choose fresh parsley that is deep green in color
and looks fresh and crisp. Avoid bunches that
have leaves that are wilted or yellow as this
indicates that they are either overmature or
damaged. Just like with other dried herbs, if you
choose to purchase dried parsley flakes, try to
select organically grown parsley since this will
give you more assurance that the herbs have not
been irradiated.

Fresh parsley should be kept in the refrigerator in

a plastic bag. If the parsley is slightly wilted, either
sprinkle it lightly with some water or wash it
without completely drying it before storing in the
refrigerator.

If you have excess flat leaf parsley, you can easily

dry it by laying it out in a single layer on a clean
kitchen cloth. Once dried, it should be kept in a
tightly sealed container in a cool, dark and dry
place. Curly leaf parsley is best preserved by
freezing, as opposed to drying. Although it will
retain most of its flavor, it has a tendency to lose
its crispness, so it is best used in recipes without
first thawing.

Tips for Preparing and

Tips for Preparing and
Cooking
Tips for Preparing Parsley

Fresh parsley should be washed right before

using since it is highly fragile. The best way to
clean it is just like you would spinach. Place it in a
bowl of cold water and swish it around with your
hands. This will allow any sand or dirt to dislodge.
Remove the leaves from the water, empty the
bowl, refill it with clean water and repeat this
process until no dirt remains in the water.

Since it has a stronger flavor than the curly

variety, Italian flat leaf parsley holds up better to
cooking and therefore is usually the type preferred
for hot dishes. It should be added towards the end
of the cooking process so that it can best retain
its taste, color and nutritional value.

If you are making a light colored sauce, use the

stems from this variety as opposed to the leaves,
so the sauce will take on the flavor of parsley but
will not be imparted with its green color.

How to Enjoy
A Few Quick Serving Ideas

Combine chopped parsley with bulgur wheat,

chopped green onions (scallions), mint
leaves, lemon juice and olive oil to make the
Middle Eastern classic dish, tabouli.
Add parsley to pesto sauce to add more
texture to its green color.
Combine chopped parsley, garlic and lemon
zest, and use it as a rub for chicken, lamb
and beef.
Use parsley in soups and tomato sauces.
Serve a colorful salad of fennel, orange,
cherry tomatoes, pumpkin seeds and parsley
leaves.
Chopped parsley can be sprinkled on a host
of different recipes, including salads,
vegetable sauts and grilled fish.

For some of our favorite recipes, click Recipes.

Nutritional Profile
Parsley is an excellent of vitamin K and vitamin C
as well as a good source of vitamin A, folate and
iron. Parsley's volatile oil components include
myristicin, limonene, eugenol and alpha-thujene.
Its flavonoids include apiin, apigenin, crisoeriol
and luteolin.

Introduction to Food
Rating System Chart
In order to better help you identify foods that
feature a high concentration of nutrients for the
calories they contain, we created a Food Rating
System. This system allows us to highlight the
foods that are especially rich in particular
nutrients. The following chart shows the nutrients
for which this food is either an excellent, very
good, or good source (below the chart you will
find a table that explains these qualifications). If a
nutrient is not listed in the chart, it does not
necessarily mean that the food doesn't contain it.
It simply means that the nutrient is not provided in
a sufficient amount or concentration to meet our
rating criteria. (To view this food's in-depth
nutritional profile that includes values for dozens
of nutrients - not just the ones rated as excellent,
very good, or good - please use the link below the
chart.) To read this chart accurately, you'll need to
glance up in the top left corner where you will find
the name of the food and the serving size we
used to calculate the food's nutrient composition.
This serving size will tell you how much of the
food you need to eat to obtain the amount of
nutrients found in the chart. Now, returning to the
chart itself, you can look next to the nutrient name
in order to find the nutrient amount it offers, the
percent Daily Value (DV%) that this amount
represents, the nutrient density that we calculated
for this food and nutrient, and the rating we
established in our rating system. For most of our
nutrient ratings, we adopted the government
standards for food labeling that are found in the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration's "Reference
Values for Nutrition Labeling." Read more
background information and details of our rating
system.

Parsley, chopped, fresh

0.50 cup Calories: 11
30.40 grams GI: very low
World's
Healthiest
DRI/DV Nutrient Foods
Nutrient Amount (%) Density Rating
498.56
vitamin K 554 911.4 excellent
mcg
40.43
vitamin C 54 88.7 excellent
mg
 128.04
vitamin A mcg 14 23.4 excellent
RAE
46.21
folate 12 19.0 excellent
mcg
1.88
iron 10 17.2 excellent
mg
0.05
copper 6 9.1 very good
mg
168.42
potassium 5 7.9 good
mg
41.95
calcium 4 6.9 good
mg
fiber 1.00 g 4 6.6 good
15.20
magnesium 4 6.3 good
mg
0.33
zinc 3 4.9 good
mg
17.63
phosphorus 3 4.1 good
mg
0.40
vitamin B3 3 4.1 good
mg
0.03
vitamin B1 3 4.1 good
mg
0.05
manganese 3 4.1 good
mg
World's
Healthiest
Foods Rating Rule
DRI/DV>=75% OR
excellent
Density>=7.6ANDDRI/DV>=10%
DRI/DV>=50% OR
very good
Density>=3.4ANDDRI/DV>=5%
DRI/DV>=25% OR
good
Density>=1.5ANDDRI/DV>=2.5%

In-Depth Nutritional
Profile
In addition to the nutrients highlighted in our
ratings chart, here is an in-depth nutritional profile
for Parsley. This profile includes information on a
full array of nutrients, including carbohydrates,
sugar, soluble and insoluble fiber, sodium,
vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, amino acids and
more.

Parsley, chopped, fresh

(Note: "--" indicates data unavailable)
0.50 cup GI: very low
(30.40 g)
BASIC MACRONUTRIENTS AND CALORIES
DRI/DV
nutrient amount
(%)
Protein 0.90 g 2
Carbohydrates 1.92 g 1
Fat - total 0.24 g --
Dietary Fiber 1.00 g 4
Calories 10.94 1
MACRONUTRIENT AND CALORIE DETAIL
DRI/DV
nutrient amount
(%)
Carbohydrate:
Starch -- g
Total Sugars 0.26 g
Monosaccharides -- g
Fructose -- g
Glucose -- g
Galactose -- g
Disaccharides -- g
Lactose -- g
Maltose -- g
Sucrose -- g
Soluble Fiber -- g
Insoluble Fiber -- g
Other Carbohydrates 0.66 g
Fat:
Monounsaturated Fat 0.09 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.04 g
Saturated Fat 0.04 g
Trans Fat 0.00 g
Calories from Fat 2.16
Calories from Saturated
0.36
Fat
Calories from Trans Fat 0.00
Cholesterol 0.00 mg
Water 26.66 g
MICRONUTRIENTS
DRI/DV
nutrient amount
(%)
Vitamins
Water-Soluble Vitamins
 B-Complex Vitamins
Vitamin B1 0.03 mg 3
Vitamin B2 0.03 mg 2
Vitamin B3 0.40 mg 3
Vitamin B3
(Niacin 0.63 mg
Equivalents)
Vitamin B6 0.03 mg 2
0.00
Vitamin B12 0
mcg
Biotin -- mcg --
Choline 3.89 mg 1
46.21
Folate 12
mcg
46.21
Folate (DFE)
mcg
46.21
Folate (food)
mcg
Pantothenic
0.12 mg 2
Acid
40.43
Vitamin C 54
mg
Fat-Soluble Vitamins
Vitamin A (Retinoids and Carotenoids)
Vitamin A
2560.89
International
IU
Units (IU)
Vitamin A
mcg Retinol 128.04
Activity mcg 14
Equivalents (RAE)
(RAE)
Vitamin A
256.09
mcg Retinol
mcg
Equivalents
(RE)
(RE)
Retinol mcg
0.00
Retinol
mcg
Equivalents
(RE)
(RE)
Carotenoid
256.09
mcg Retinol
mcg
Equivalents
(RE)
(RE)
Alpha- 0.00
Carotene mcg
Beta- 1536.41
Carotene mcg
Beta- 1536.41
 Carotene mcg
Equivalents
0.00
Cryptoxanthin
mcg
Lutein and 1690.54
Zeaxanthin mcg
0.00
Lycopene
mcg
Vitamin D
Vitamin D
International 0.00 IU 0
Units (IU)
Vitamin D 0.00
mcg mcg
Vitamin E
Vitamin E mg
Alpha-
0.23 mg
Tocopherol 2
(ATE)
Equivalents
(ATE)
Vitamin E
International 0.34 IU
Units (IU)
Vitamin E mg 0.23 mg
498.56
Vitamin K 554
mcg
Minerals
DRI/DV
nutrient amount
(%)
Boron -- mcg
41.95
Calcium 4
mg
Chloride -- mg
Chromium -- mcg --
Copper 0.05 mg 6
Fluoride -- mg --
Iodine -- mcg --
Iron 1.88 mg 10
15.20
Magnesium 4
mg
Manganese 0.05 mg 3
Molybdenum -- mcg --
17.63
Phosphorus 3
mg
168.42
Potassium 5
mg
Selenium 0.03 0
mcg
 17.02
Sodium 1
mg
Zinc 0.33 mg 3
INDIVIDUAL FATTY ACIDS
DRI/DV
nutrient amount
(%)
Omega-3 Fatty Acids 0.00 g 0
Omega-6 Fatty Acids 0.03 g
Monounsaturated Fats
14:1 Myristoleic 0.00 g
15:1 Pentadecenoic 0.00 g
16:1 Palmitol 0.00 g
17:1 Heptadecenoic 0.00 g
18:1 Oleic 0.09 g
20:1 Eicosenoic 0.00 g
22:1 Erucic 0.00 g
24:1 Nervonic 0.00 g
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids
18:2 Linoleic 0.03 g
18:2 Conjugated
-- g
Linoleic (CLA)
18:3 Linolenic 0.00 g
18:4 Stearidonic -- g
20:3 Eicosatrienoic -- g
20:4 Arachidonic -- g
20:5
Eicosapentaenoic -- g
(EPA)
22:5
Docosapentaenoic -- g
(DPA)
22:6
Docosahexaenoic -- g
(DHA)
Saturated Fatty Acids
4:0 Butyric -- g
6:0 Caproic -- g
8:0 Caprylic -- g
10:0 Capric -- g
12:0 Lauric -- g
14:0 Myristic 0.00 g
15:0 Pentadecanoic -- g
16:0 Palmitic 0.03 g
 17:0 Margaric -- g
18:0 Stearic 0.01 g
20:0 Arachidic -- g
22:0 Behenate -- g
24:0 Lignoceric -- g
INDIVIDUAL AMINO ACIDS
DRI/DV
nutrient amount
(%)
Alanine 0.06 g
Arginine 0.04 g
Aspartic Acid 0.09 g
Cysteine 0.00 g
Glutamic Acid 0.08 g
Glycine 0.04 g
Histidine 0.02 g
Isoleucine 0.04 g
Leucine 0.06 g
Lysine 0.06 g
Methionine 0.01 g
Phenylalanine 0.04 g
Proline 0.06 g
Serine 0.04 g
Threonine 0.04 g
Tryptophan 0.01 g
Tyrosine 0.02 g
Valine 0.05 g
OTHER COMPONENTS
DRI/DV
nutrient amount
(%)
Ash 0.67 g
Organic Acids (Total) -- g
Acetic Acid -- g
Citric Acid -- g
Lactic Acid -- g
Malic Acid -- g
Taurine -- g
Sugar Alcohols (Total) -- g
Glycerol -- g
Inositol -- g
Mannitol -- g
Sorbitol -- g
Xylitol -- g
 Artificial Sweeteners -- mg
(Total)
Aspartame -- mg
Saccharin -- mg
Alcohol 0.00 g
Caffeine 0.00 mg

Note:
The nutrient profiles provided in this website are
derived from The Food Processor, Version 10.12.0,
ESHA Research, Salem, Oregon, USA. Among the
50,000+ food items in the master database and
163 nutritional components per item, specific
nutrient values were frequently missing from any
particular food item. We chose the designation "--"
to represent those nutrients for which no value was
included in this version of the database.

References
Ensminger AH, Ensminger, ME, Kondale JE,
Robson JRK. Foods & Nutriton Encyclopedia.
Pegus Press, Clovis, California. 1983.
Ensminger AH, Esminger M. K. J. e. al. Food
for Health: A Nutrition Encyclopedia. Clovis,
California: Pegus Press; 1986. 1986.
PMID:15210.
Fortin, Francois, Editorial Director. The Visual
Foods Encyclopedia. Macmillan, New York.
1996.
Grieve M. A Modern Herbal. Dover
Publications, New York. 1971.
Hirano R, Sasamoto W, Matsumoto A et al.
Antioxidant ability of various flavonoids
against DPPH radicals and LDL oxidation. J
Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo). 2001
Oct;47(5):357-62. 2001.
Pattison DJ, Silman AJ, Goodson NJ, Lunt M,
Bunn D, Luben R, Welch A, Bingham S, Khaw
KT, Day N, Symmons DP. Vitamin C and the
risk of developing inflammatory polyarthritis:
prospective nested case-control study. Ann
Rheum Dis. 2004 Jul;63(7):843-7. 2004.
PMID:15194581.
Sasaki N, Toda T, Kaneko T et al. Protective
effects of flavonoids on the cytotoxicity of
linoleic acid hydroperoxide toward rat
pheochromocytoma PC12 cells. Chem Biol
Interact. 2003 Mar 6;145(1):101-16. 2003.
Wood, Rebecca. The Whole Foods
Encyclopedia. New York, NY: Prentice-Hall
Press; 1988. 1988. PMID:15220.
 We're Number 1 Over 100 Quick & World's Healthiest
in the World! Easy Recipes Foods is expanded

35 million visitors per year.
The World's Healthiest Foods
website is a leading source of
information and expert on the
Healthiest Way of Eating and
Cooking. It's one of the most
visited website on the internet
when it comes to "Healthiest
Foods" and "Healthiest Recipes"
and comes up #1 on a Google
search for these phrases.
Our Recipe Assistant will help you What's in our new book:
find the recipe that suits your 180 more pages
personal needs. The majority of Smart Menu
recipes we offer can be both
Nutrient-Rich Cooking
prepared and cooked in 20
minutes or less from start to 300 New Recipes
finish; a whole meal can be New Nutrient Articles and
prepared in 30 minutes. A number Profiles
of them can also be prepared New Photos and Design
ahead of time and enjoyed later.

privacy policy and visitor agreement | who we are | site map | what's new
For education only, consult a healthcare practitioner for any health problems.
2001-2016 The George Mateljan Foundation, All Rights Reserved