Swiss chard Quiché tastes wonderful!

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By GreenMedInfo Research Group

Providing an abundance of fiber, essential minerals and nutrients, Swiss chard has noteworthy benefits that rival those of its more popular peers in the world of leafy greens.

Swiss chard may not be the most popular leafy green out there, but it is just as nutritionally promising if you’re looking for a healthy staple in your diet. It belongs to the Chenopodiodeae family, like well-loved spinach.

Its name might make you think it hailed from Switzerland, but Swiss chard is actually a native plant in the Mediterranean region used as “both food and fodder since ancient times.” Here are some compelling reasons to add Swiss chard to your life or garden today.

Chock Full of Nutrients

Just 1 cup, or 175 grams (g), of cooked Swiss chard offers a healthy amount of fiber along with the following, based on reference daily intake (RDI):[ii]

Vitamin C: 35%

Iron: 22%

Calcium: 8%

Potassium: 20%

Phosphorus: 5%

As you can see, Swiss chard can more than take care of your vitamin A and K1 needs. It is also fiber-rich and filling, making for a friendly food item when you’re managing your weight. Fiber plays a number of critical roles in the body including optimizing gut bacteria, promoting good bowel health and helping optimize cholesterol levels.[iii]

In a systematic review, researchers looked at the nutritional profile and bioactive composition of the plant, finding that Swiss chard leaves, as opposed to the stems, have the highest concentration of fiber, sodium, magnesium, flavonoids as well as vitamin C; the stems are a rich source of potassium.[iv] They wrote:

“Swiss chard should be considered a source of nutrients and phytochemicals, and further research is needed on identifying and quantifying other bioactive compounds and understanding their impact on health.”

Helps Control Type 2 Diabetes

Swiss chard can help regulate blood sugar levels in the body. In a BMJ Open study, higher green leafy vegetable or fruit intake was associated with a significantly reduced risk of Type 2 diabetes.[v]

In a Turkish animal study, chard extract was administered to the diabetic subjects in doses of 2 g/kg every day for 28 days.[vi] The diabetic group given chard saw their blood glucose and uric acid levels drop, and the researchers concluded that the plant extract had a protective effect on the liver of diabetics.