Swiss chard is a leafy green vegetable and it is included as a member of the beet family. You can eat Swiss chard raw or cooked.

Swiss chard is an extremely nutritious vegetable found in today’s world. Just one cup of cooked Swiss chard can provide you nearly about three times of recommended daily needs of vitamin K and also 44 percent of the recommended daily needs of vitamin A.

Swiss chard is also known for high levels of nitrates, which will help you in lowering blood pressure in your body.

Swiss chard reduces the amount of oxygen needed during exercise which will automatically boost your athletic performance.

It has other names and also commonly known as spinach beet, silverbeet, crab beet, Mangold, and perpetual spinach.

Nutritional content of Swiss chards

According to research, a 36 gm cup of raw Swiss chard contains –

•       7 calories

•       0.08 gm of fat

•       0.4 gm of sugar

•       0.6 gm of fiber

•       0.63 gm of protein

•       0.66 mg of iron

•       0.7 mg of vitamin E

•       1.37 gm of carbohydrate

•       10.66 mg of vitamin C

•       109 mcg of vitamin A

•       138 mg of potassium

•       18 mg of phosphorus

•       19 mg of calcium

•       30 mg of magnesium

•       300 mcg of vitamin K

•       5 mcg of folate

Swiss chard also contains a little amount of phosphorus, thiamin, pantothenic acid, zinc, niacin, selenium, riboflavin, calcium, and vitamin.

NOTE – You should not add salt to Swiss chard, because it already contains a high amount of sodium.

Health benefits of Swiss chard –

•    Managing diabetes

Swiss chard contains alpha-lipoic acid which is an antioxidant that will help in lowering glucose levels which also increases insulin sensitivity, and shields the patient from oxidative stress.

•    Improves athletic performance

Swiss chard contains dietary nitrates which help in improving muscle oxygenation during exercise.

Thus it boosts exercise tolerance and performance for a long time.

•   Lowering blood pressure

People having a regular diet that contains low amounts of calcium, magnesium, and potassium; such people are more likely to have high blood pressure. Swiss chard all three of these healthy minerals and it is especially high in magnesium. Therefore, it can help in lowering blood pressure in your body.

•   Preventing osteoporosis

Swiss chard contains an adequate amount of vitamin K which helps in improving bone health. It also improves calcium absorption and reduces lowers urinary excretion of calcium. If you have a low amount of vitamin K, then you might have a high risk of bone fracture.

•  Combating cancer

Swiss chard contains chlorophyll, which is highly effective in reducing and blocking cancer-causing cells.

•  Other benefits of Swiss chard are – This vegetable can help to combat cancer, decreases the risk of obesity, heart disease and maintains overall weight.