500 Giant Italian Flatleaf Parsley and similar items

Parsley is probably one of the most under-appreciated vegetables we know. But let us tell you, if you know the benefits, you will start appreciating it like no other. Is Parsley Good For You? That’s the entire deal. Its vitamin K content is what will really impress you. It contains 574% of the daily recommended value of the nutrient. And the vitamin C it contains is more than thrice the amount found in oranges. It is also rich in other essential nutrients like vitamin A, iron, copper, and folate. And by the way, parsley contains twice the amount of iron in spinach. These comparisons will tell you how incredible a food parsley is. Health Benefits A sprig of parsley can provide much more than a decoration on your plate. Parsley contains two types of unusual components that provide unique health benefits. The first type is volatile oil components—including myristicin, limonene, eugenol, and alpha-thujene. The second type is flavonoids—including apiin, apigenin, crisoeriol, and luteolin. Promote Optimal Health Parsley's volatile oils—particularly myristicin—have been shown to inhibit tumor formation in animal studies, and particularly, tumor formation in the lungs. Myristicin has also been shown to activate the enzyme glutathione-S-transferase, which helps attach the molecule glutathione to oxidized molecules that would otherwise do damage in the body. The activity of parsley's volatile oils qualifies it as a "chemoprotective" food, and in particular, a food that can help neutralize particular types of carcinogens (like the benzopyrenes that are part of cigarette smoke and charcoal grill smoke). A Rich Source of Anti-Oxidant Nutrients The flavonoids in parsley—especially luteolin—have been shown to function as antioxidants that combine with highly reactive oxygen-containing molecules (called oxygen radicals) and help prevent oxygen-based damage to cells. In 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 cells—the colon, and in women, the cervix. 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. GROWING INFORMATION DAYS TO GERMINATION:14-30 days. SOWING:Transplant (recommended): Sow in 1" cell containers. Seeds take at least 3 weeks to germinate. Direct seed: Sow in spring after the danger of frost has passed, about 1/4- 1/2" deep, 3 seeds per inch in single rows or 2-3" wide bands 12-18" apart. Thin plants to 8-12" apart. DISEASES:Prevent disease with crop rotation and good sanitation. LIGHT PREFERENCE:Sun. SOIL REQUIREMENTS:Grows well in moist, fertile soil. If planted in a well-drained location, it can normally be wintered over to produce a crop early the following spring. Mulch where temperatures go below 0F (-18C). Water during dry spells and side dress with compost or a balanced fertilizer once or twice during the growing period, if necessary. PLANT HEIGHT:Varies. PLANT SPACING:8-12". HARDINESS ZONES:Biennial. HARVEST:Clips leaves when needed. Parsley can be used either fresh or dried. To dry, wash clipped leaves and spread out shallowly on screens in a warm, airy place. When thoroughly dry, rub and store in jars. To maintain the crispness and appearance of freshly harvested parsley, store at temperatures of 32–36F/0–2.2C at 95% relative humidity.