Lettuce (Salad Patta): Uses, Benefits, Side Effects By Dr. Rajeev Singh

Introduction

You noticed lettuce in your favourite food items like sandwiches, burgers, and salads which gives additional crunchiness. Lettuce has many health benefits and can be included in our regular diet. The scientific name of lettuce is Lactuca sativa and consumed worldwide. China is the largest producer of lettuce, and the most consumed countries are the USA and Western Europe.

The lettuce comes in different sizes and shapes and is available throughout the year. Lettuce is a rich source of fibre, iron, vitamin C and folate while it has less sodium, calories and fat¹. The low calorie and rich source of vitamins and fibre make lettuce special. The following sections contain more information regarding the potential uses and nutritional facts of lettuce.

Nutritional Value of Herb

Macronutrients:

• Carbohydrates: 3.24 g
• Proteins: 1.24 g
• Fibre: 1.8 g
• Lipids: 0.26 g
• Water: 94.7 g
• Energy: 20 kcal

Vitamins:

• Vitamin C: 4.6 mg
• Vitamin B1: 0.079 mg
• Vitamin B2: 0.072 mg
• Vitamin B3: 0.323 mg
• Vitamin B5: 0.145 mg
• Vitamin B6: 0.078 mg

Minerals:

• Iron: 0.95 mg
• Calcium: 35 mg
• Magnesium: 13.7 mg
• Potassium: 253 mg
• Phosphorus: 30 mg
• Zinc: 0.25 mg
• Manganese: 0.127 mg
• Copper: 0.048 mg
• Selenium: 0.4 μg

Nutritional value of lettuce per 100g of serving³

Lettuce for kidney associated symptoms! Researchers believe that lettuce might be helpful in reducing kidney-associated symptoms such as pruritis (skin irritation). Lettuce has an anti-inflammatory nature⁶.

Dr. Siddharth Gupta, B.A.M.S, M.D (Ayu)

Properties of Lettuce

The properties of lettuce are given below.  

• It may show antioxidant property  
• It may show anti-inflammatory property  
• It may show antidiabetic property  
• It may show anticancer property  
• It may show antiviral property 
• It may help weight management  

Lettuce may help you slow down the ageing process! Lettuce may offer a natural anti-ageing treatment, according to researchers. Antioxidants are thought to be abundant in lettuce⁷.

Dr. Rajeev Singh, BAMS

Potential Uses of Lettuce for Overall Health

1. Potential Uses of Lettuce for Diabetes

Enzymes like α-amylase and α-glucosidase are responsible for breaking down starch into glucose. This elevates blood glucose levels and regular intake of lettuce may inhibit these enzymes. The presence of these compounds in the lettuce may reduce blood glucose levels. Thus, lettuce might be helpful for diabetic patients⁴. However, more research is required regarding the effect of lettuce. Moreover, diabetes is a major health issue and requires proper diagnosis. Kindly consult a doctor and do not self-medicate.  

2. Potential Uses of Lettuce for Heart Diseases

Heart diseases are one of the significant risks to public health. Many studies report that consuming green leafy vegetables may help in reducing heart diseases. Lettuce is low in fats, calories and a rich source of fibre and vitamins. Being low in fat and rich in fibre might contribute to low cholesterol levels. Moreover, Vitamin E and Vitamin C present in lettuce might be responsible for the antioxidant potential of lettuce¹. These two effects (cholesterol-lowering and antioxidant potential) might reduce the risk factors related to heart diseases. Therefore, lettuce might be helpful against heart disease⁴. However, if you are suffering from any heart disease, adhere to the doctor’s advice and treatment. Do not self-medicate. 

3. Potential Uses of Lettuce for Cancer

Research showed that daily intake of lettuce might be associated with a reduced risk of lung cancer. A high amount of phenolic compounds are present in lettuce which might be responsible for its anticancer potential. It was seen that lettuce might potentially inhibit the growth and multiplication of cancer cells in the body. In addition, it might also help in initiating the elimination of defective cancer cells from the body through a process called apoptosis (programmed cell death)⁴. More studies on humans are awaited to support the use of lettuce against human cancer cells. Therefore, you need to consult a doctor before using herbal remedies for cancer.  

4. Potential Uses of Lettuce for Immunity

Lettuce contains more amount of vitamins and phytochemicals⁴. Vitamin C and phytochemicals present in lettuce might help activate and boost immunity¹. However, more studies are required to support the use of lettuce in any immunological conditions. Therefore, if you notice any problems related to the immune system, reach out to your healthcare provider and get a proper diagnosis.  

5. Potential Uses of Lettuce for Liver Disease

Consuming lettuce may help protect the liver from damage by restoring the levels of liver enzymes and improving liver performance. The antioxidant property of lettuce might be responsible for its liver protective effects. The phenolic compounds present in lettuce have shown good antioxidant potential. The antioxidant may reduce the damage induced by free radicals and may protect the liver⁴. If you experience liver problems, talk to a healthcare provider before using lettuce as a remedy. Do not self-medicate.  

6. Potential Uses of Lettuce for Brain Damage

Adding lettuce to a regular diet may protect the brain from damage. The antioxidant and anti-degenerative (preventing degeneration of neurons) properties of lettuce might be due to phenolic compounds present in the lettuce. Consuming lettuce may prevent brain damage caused due to ischemia (low blood oxygen levels). The bioactive components present in lettuce might help against ischemia and reperfusion (restored blood flow) damage caused to the brain by interfering with the expression of neurotrophin-3 and nerve growth factor⁴. These properties of lettuce have been observed in lab studies and more studies are needed to claim the use of lettuce for brain-related conditions. In case of any brain conditions, talk to a healthcare provider.  

Though many studies show the benefits of lettuce in various conditions, these studies are insufficient. Therefore, there is a need for further research to establish the true extent of the benefits of lettuce on human health.

Did you know that lettuce might aid in weak and brittle bones? According to researchers, lettuce might lead to healthy and strong bones since it contains a lot of vitamin K, which retains bone mass⁷.

Dr. Smita Barode, B.A.M.S, M.S.

How to Use Lettuce?

Lettuce can be consumed raw, because of which most of its nutrients are conserved. It is popularly used in salads¹.

You must consult a qualified healthcare provider before taking lettuce or any herbal ingredients. Do not replace or discontinue an ongoing treatment of modern medicine with an ayurvedic/herbal preparation without consulting a qualified doctor.

Side Effects of Lettuce (Salad Patta)

Side effects associated with the usage of lettuce are given below.   

• Overdosing with lettuce can lead to side effects like, 
• Mydriasis (dilation of the pupil)  
• Photophobia (inability to look at bright light) 
• Dizziness  
• Heart and breathing difficulty 
• Excessive sweating  
• Hallucinations  
• Sedative (induce sleep)⁴
• Lettuce has high nitrite content, which causes toxic effects leading to stomach cancer and methemoglobinemia (blood disorder)⁴.
• Lettuce also contains phytochemicals like tropane alkaloids. Consuming tropane alkaloids in excess can cause high pulse rates, paralysis and even death⁴. 

Before using lettuce for its health benefits, make sure to consult a doctor about the side effects associated with its use. This will help avoid side effects.

Precautions to Take with Lettuce

These are some precautions you must take while using lettuce.  

• Precaution for pregnant women: There is a lack of sufficient information on lettuce safety during pregnancy. Therefore, you must talk to your healthcare provider before using lettuce during pregnancy and breastfeeding.  
• Precaution for elderly: Elders are advised to avoid consuming lettuce in excess because of its toxicity.  
• Precaution for children: Children should consume lettuce under the supervision of elders. Also, it is essential to wash lettuce thoroughly before consuming it.  

Before consuming lettuce for its benefits on health, talk to a healthcare provider about the possible side effects associated with its use.  

Interactions with Other Drugs

There is a lack of sufficient information on the interactions of lettuce with other drugs. Therefore, you are advised to exercise precautions. If you are receiving medical treatment for a particular health condition, talk to your doctor regarding the possible interaction of the treatment with other herbs and drugs. This will help you make well informed choices.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

References

1. Kim MJ, Moon Y, Tou JC, Mou B, Waterland NL. Nutritional value, bioactive compounds and health benefits of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). Journal of Food Composition and Analysis. 2016 Jun 1;49:19–34. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0889157516300230 
2. ​Yang X, Gil MI, Yang Q, Tomás-Barberán FA. Bioactive compounds in lettuce: Highlighting the benefits to human health and impacts of preharvest and postharvest practices. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety [Internet]. 2022 Jan 1 [cited 2022 Aug 17];21(1):4–45. Available from: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1541-4337.12877 
3. ​FoodData Central [Internet]. [cited 2022 Aug 17]. Available from: https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/746769/nutrients 
4. ​Shi M, Gu J, Wu H, Rauf A, Emran T bin, Khan Z, et al. Phytochemicals, Nutrition, Metabolism, Bioavailability, and Health Benefits in Lettuce-A Comprehensive Review. Antioxidants (Basel) [Internet]. 2022 Jun 13 [cited 2022 Aug 19];11(6):1158. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35740055/ 
5. Sepehri NZ, Parvizi MM, Habibzadeh S, Handjani F. Lettuce as an Effective Remedy in Uremic Pruritus: Review of the Literature Supplemented by an In Silico Study. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Available from: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/2022/4231854
6. Shi M, Gu J, Wu H, Rauf A, Emran TB, Khan Z, Mitra S, Aljohani ASM, Alhumaydhi FA, Al-Awthan YS, et al. Phytochemicals, Nutrition, Metabolism, Bioavailability, and Health Benefits in Lettuce A Comprehensive Review. Antioxidants. Available from: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/11/6/1158

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