Parsley Leaf Powder

Parsley Leaf Powder

Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) is an annual herb native to Italy, Algeria, and Tunisia. The leaves and roots of parsley are not only used as condiments and garnish in dishes but also as a treatment for a broad range of medical maladies. In fact, it has been used for longer than 2,000 years in Greek medicine. This ancient herbal medicine packs a powerful nutritional punch, consisting of vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, calcium, copper, magnesium, iron, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, essential oils and health-boosting plant compounds known as flavonoids. You can enjoy the therapeutic benefits of parsley leaf by consuming it raw, or in the form of powder and capsules.

Benefits of Parsley Leaf

This nutritional powerhouse has a wide array of health benefits, including:

Anti-Aging

There is an overwhelming body of evidence that increased levels of free radicals in the body is associated with visible signs of aging including age spots, blemishes and other skin imperfections.[1-3] One study conducted by the Institute of Food Safety and Toxicology found that the levels of free radicals in the body can be significantly reduced by consuming a diet high in parsley leaf flavonoids.[4] The researchers noticed that when the participants consumed parsley leaf flavonoids, their free radical markers significantly decreased. On the contrary, participants who didn’t consume parsley had high levels of free radicals in their body.

Cancer Prevention

Parsley leaves contain micronutrients known as polyphenols. Numerous studies reveal that polyphenols from parsley leaves do have anti-cancer properties and they work to fight prostate cancer, colon cancer, and other types of cancer by altering various mechanisms involved in cancer cell growth and reproduction, as well as inducing programmed cell death of malignant cells.[5-8]

Body Detoxification

There is strong evidence that parsley leaf can be used as a natural diuretic, which means that it can increase urinary frequency and urine volume.[9] In this way, it can help cleanse the body by flushing out toxins and other harmful substances in the body along with urine.

Restful Sleep

Consuming parsley leaf can have beneficial effects in men with sleeping difficulties. Studies show that parsley leaf contains a flavonoid known as apigenin, which helps induce restful sleep in people with insomnia.[10] Researchers believe that apigenin helps calm certain receptors in the brain, which ultimately leads to sleepiness.[11]

Improved Cognitive Function

Susceptibility of older men to specific nutrient deficits may ultimately lead to cognitive decline. Indeed, there is growing evidence regarding benefits of several nutrients, particularly apigenin from parsley leaf, towards cognitive impairment. Studies show that apigenin supplementation can help improve cognitive function in older men by counteracting deleterious neurodegenerative and pathological processes.[12-13] Specifically, apigenin protects the nerve cells in the brain, thereby preventing deterioration in cognitive function.

Improved Mood

Taking parsley leaf supplements can also benefit men with low mood. Studies show that flavonoids such as curcumin and apigenin in parsley leaves do have antidepressant and anti-anxiety effects which can help stabilize overall mood.[14-15]

Improved Sexual Function

Parsley leaf supplementation can both improve sexual function as well as overall quality of life of men with erectile dysfunction and low libido. Studies show that flavonoids in parsley leaves are potent aphrodisiacs and prevent the incidence of erectile dysfunction by boosting the levels of nitric oxide (NO) in the body.[16-17] This finding is highly significant since NO helps widen blood vessels within the penis, which ultimately leads to harder and longer erections sufficient for sexual intercourse.

References:

1. Poljšak B, Dahmane R. Free Radicals and Extrinsic Skin Aging. Dermatology Research and Practice. 2012;2012:135206. doi:10.1155/2012/135206.
2. Wickens AP. Ageing and the free radical theory. Respiration physiology. 2001; 128(3):379-91.
3. Emerit I. Free radicals and aging of the skin. EXS. 1992; 62:328-41.
4. Nielsen SE, Young JF, Daneshvar B. Effect of parsley (Petroselinum crispum) intake on urinary apigenin excretion, blood antioxidant enzymes and biomarkers for oxidative stress in human subjects. The British journal of nutrition. 1999; 81(6):447-55.
5. Shukla S, Gupta S. Apigenin: A Promising Molecule for Cancer Prevention. Pharmaceutical research. 2010;27(6):962-978. doi:10.1007/s11095-010-0089-7.
6. Lall RK, Syed DN, Adhami VM, Khan MI, Mukhtar H. Dietary Polyphenols in Prevention and Treatment of Prostate Cancer. Srivastava SK, ed. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2015;16(2):3350-3376. doi:10.3390/ijms16023350.
7. Ramos S. Cancer chemoprevention and chemotherapy: Dietary polyphenols and signalling pathways. Mol. Nutr. Food Res. 2008;52:507–526. doi: 10.1002/mnfr.200700326.
8. Syed D.N., Khan N., Afaq F., Mukhtar H. Chemoprevention of prostate cancer through dietary agents: Progress and promise. Cancer Epidemiol. Biomark. Prev. 2007;16:2193–2203. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-06-0942.
9. Farzaei MH, Abbasabadi Z, Ardekani MR, Rahimi R, Farzaei F. Parsley: a review of ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and biological activities. Journal of traditional Chinese medicine = Chung i tsa chih ying wen pan. 2013; 33(6):815-26.
10. Kim JW, Kim CS, Hu Z. Enhancement of pentobarbital-induced sleep by apigenin through chloride ion channel activation. Archives of pharmacal research. 2012; 35(2):367-73.
11. Avallone R, Zanoli P, Corsi L, Cannazza G, Baraldi M. Benzodiazepine compounds and GABA in flower heads of matricaria chamomilla. Phytotherapy Res. 1996;10:177–179.
12. Mecocci P, Tinarelli C, Schulz RJ, Polidori MC. Nutraceuticals in cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. Frontiers in Pharmacology. 2014;5:147. doi:10.3389/fphar.2014.00147.
13. Losi G., Puia G., Garzon G., de Vuono M. C., Baraldi M. (2004). Apigenin modulates GABAergic and glutamatergic transmission in cultured cortical neurons. Eur. J. Pharmacol. 502 41–46 10.1016/j.ejphar.2004.08.043.
14. Venigalla M, Gyengesi E, Münch G. Curcumin and Apigenin – novel and promising therapeutics against chronic neuroinflammation in Alzheimer’s disease. Neural Regeneration Research. 2015;10(8):1181-1185. doi:10.4103/1673-5374.162686.
15. Amsterdam JD, Li Y, Soeller I, Rockwell K, Mao JJ, Shults J. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of oral matricaria recutita (chamomile) extract therapy of generalized anxiety disorder. Journal of clinical psychopharmacology. 2009;29(4):378-382. doi:10.1097/JCP.0b013e3181ac935c.
16. Cassidy A, Franz M, Rimm EB. Dietary flavonoid intake and incidence of erectile dysfunction. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2016;103(2):534-541. doi:10.3945/ajcn.115.122010.
17. Available from http://www.journal-ina.com/article.asp?issn=2394-2916;year=2015;volume=2;issue=1;spage=5;epage=18;aulast=Wendlov%E1.