Asparagus
Asparagus officinalis
Vegetables. Modern nutrition.
Also called Asparagus spears, Garden asparagus, Sparrowgrass
Pinyin: Lú Sǔn
Spanish: Espárrago
A green spear vegetable with a short spring season that supplies folate and vitamin K.
Did you know? Asparagus spears are young shoots. If left alone, the plant grows into a fern-like stalk several feet tall.
What it may help, and how strong the proof is
- Women's health. Folate helps prevent some birth defects when it is taken before and early in pregnancy. Asparagus is a good food source, but folic acid pills are the main proven route.Good proof
- Bones. Asparagus has vitamin K, which bone proteins need. Eating it alone has not been shown to protect bones.Traditional proof
Parts of the body
Traditional use
Asparagus has been eaten since ancient Egypt and Rome. Ayurveda uses a different species, shatavari (Asparagus racemosus), as a tonic. The vegetable itself has little herbal use.
How it is classified
How people take it
Steam, roast, grill or eat raw in salads. Serve 4 to 6 spears as a side.
Food.
Where to get it
Grown in spring in many temperate and some tropical regions. Sold fresh, canned and frozen.
Be careful
Safe as food. Asparagus can make urine smell strange within an hour of eating; this is harmless. Some people are allergic to asparagus and can get itchy skin or hives.
Avoid if: asparagus allergy.
Mixing with other things
- Works well together
Garlic and olive oil are a common way to cook asparagus.
- Works well together
Olive oil helps the body absorb fat-soluble vitamins from vegetables like asparagus.
The honest take
Asparagus is a healthy food. Claims about it as a diuretic or a milk booster are not well proven for the vegetable itself. The herb shatavari is a different plant with its own research.