Leeks 1 Great Super Food

Leeks – A New Food for Me

You know that I enjoy trying new foods. But I like to make sure that they can benefit me. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t always eat healthy but I do try to be sure that the majority of what I eat is healthy. I recently heard of a superfood that I had never heard of before… Leeks.

Maybe you are like me and have never heard of leeks before. It was quite by accident that I found out about them. I ordered a soup dish called Potato Leek Soup. The best way to describe the taste of this soup is like a creamy potato soup with a very mild onion flavor. It was really delicious.

What are they?

So what are leeks? Leeks are a member of the onion family.  They look a lot like scallions (or green onions) on steroids because they are a lot larger. They have mild flavor, and, from what I have found, they are a favorite addition to soups, casseroles, and white meat dishes, as well as a simple side dish when gently sautéed.

I looked for them in the store and they are a bit more expensive than other onion varieties that you’ll find. They run about $3.00 for a bunch.

Why are they a Superfood?

In addition to tasting really good, I found out that these are really good for you. Some people have called them a superfood! But why are they considered a superfood?

According to this chart from http://www.whfoods.com/, you can see that leeks are packed full of nutrients.  With all of these nutrients, I can see why they are considered a superfood.

Since these are so packed of nutrients, they must have health benefits, right? So I checked it out.

Nutrients

As you can see from the chart, leeks are really packed with the provitamin A carotenoids, including beta carotene. “Your body converts these carotenoids into vitamin A, which is important for vision, immune function, reproduction, and cell communication ” (1).

Another vitamin that they are high in is vitamin K1, “which is necessary for blood clotting and heart health” (2).

And look at the  vitamin C! We know that vitamin C is great for our immunity and “tissue repair, iron absorption, and collagen production.” (3).

Heart Health

Leeks are have a lot of folate. Folate is known to help protect the blood vessel linings.This compound has been known to help protect blood vessel linings from damage. “A new study shows many more people may benefit from a folic acid boost. Researchers say a daily dose of folic acid could reduce a person’s risk of heart disease and stroke by about 20%” (4).

Antioxidants

Leeks have a lot antioxidants. Antioxidants fight the bad effects on your cells. This can help prevent diseases like diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.

Just like onions are a great source of allicin, leeks have this as well. Allicin is a sulfur compound. “It is antimicrobial, cholesterol-lowering, and has potential anticancer properties” (5).

Another antioxidant that leeks have is kaempferol. This is also linked to a lower risk of chronic diseases, especially cancer. “Test-tube research shows that kaempferol may fight cancer by reducing inflammation, killing cancer cells, and preventing these cells from spreading “(6).

Another great thing I found is that people who eat food with allicin have a lower risk of gastric cancer and colorectal cancer than those who rarely eat them. They are still conducting studies on this, but it sounds promising!

We all know that fiber is great for our digestion. If you notice from the chart about, leeks contain quite a bit of fiber. They also have some prebiotics as well. Probiotics and prebiotics are the healthy bacteria that is found in our gut.

“These bacteria then produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), such as acetate, propionate, and butyrate. SCFAs can reduce inflammation and strengthen your gut health (7).”

And Even More Benefits

Leeks are just now being studied for health benefits. Here are some of the things that they have been studying.

May lower blood sugar levels – The sulfur compounds in alliums have been shown to effectively lower blood sugar levels (8).

May promote brain function –  These sulfur compounds may also protect your brain from age-related mental decline and disease (9).

May fight infections – Research in animals shows that kaempferol, which is present in leeks, may protect against bacterial, virus, and yeast infections (10).

To me, this is all great news. Since I love food and I love to live healthy, this is a win-win for me!

And to end this, I thought I would share a modified-healthier version of the potato leek soup that I had. This is really good. I like to make this in the crock pot. The flavor is so much better! Try it out and let me know what you think.

Ingredients

• 4 medium to large potatoes
• 2-3 leeks, sliced, white and light green parts only
• 32 oz. low-fat chicken broth
• kosher salt
• pepper
• Half-n-Half cream

Directions

1. Rinse and cube the potatoes into 1″ pieces. (You can peel them if you want, but I like the skin because it gives more nutrients)
2. Slice the leeks and place in a bowl of water; swish them around to loosen the dirt and sand; let stand for 2-3 minutes (the dirt/sand will sink to the bottom of the bowl).
3. Add potatoes, leeks and chicken broth to the crock pot (in this order).
4. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Cook on low heat for 6 hours.
6. Use an immersion blender or traditional blender to puree the soup.
7. Check flavor and season to taste.
8.  Stir in 2 ounces of half-n-half cream.

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