11 Amazing Health Benefits of Chives

Chives health benefits includes improving heart health, promoting good skin, promoting healthy hair, helps improve eye vision, act as a detoxifying agent, help prevent cancer, helps promote health bones. Other benefits includes improving digestion, preventing birth defects, improving sleep quality and boosting immune system.

What is Chives? 

Chives are small, bulb forming plants closely resembling the appearance of shallots to an unexperienced eye. In ancient times, people called them “rush leeks” and used them for decoration, to ward off evil and in fortune telling. The scientific name for Chives is Allium schoenoprasum. Chives may have originated in China, Siberia or Greece and are generally native to Europe, but Today, Chives sell in grocery stores and can be found freely in virtually all parts of the world. Top chefs use them as delicacies or as attractive garnishes, while others use them as herbs for therapeutic purposes. The healing value of this plant will make you want you take a second look at it and use more in your cooking as well.

Nutrition Info (per tablespoon, chopped)

Calories- 0.9
Total Carbohydrates- 0.1g
Dietary Fiber- 0.1g
Protein–0.1g
Potassium- 8.9mg
Vitamin A- 2.6% RDI
Vitamin C- 2.9% RDI
Cholesterol – 0mg 0% RDI
Calcium- 0.3% RDI
Iron- 0.3% RDI

11 Amazing Health Benefits of Chives

1. Improve Heart Health

The heart can be regarded as the central transport hub of the entire body. It controls activities that sustain life; without it, no one would be alive. Eating healthy promotes cardiovascular health and prevents heart diseases later in life. Chives prevent calcification of arteries and formation of atherosclerotic plaque. The daily intake of allicin present in the plant’s leaves reduce the level of bad cholesterol (LDL) in the body while also regulating the quantity of beneficial cholesterol (HDL) within the body. Thanks to Allicin, the flow of blood from the heart to other organs in the body is regulated and optimized in many ways.

Chives also contain potassium, which helps in preventing heart-related problems such as heart failure, heart attacks and High Blood Pressure, and also decreases blood vessel stiffness. Potassium lowers blood pressure by enhancing the enlargement of blood vessels, reducing the resistance to blood flow and is overall a great contributor to circulatory health.

2. Promote Good Skin 

The skin is the largest organ in the human body which acts as our primary defense against foreign invaders, and should have our attention when it comes to maintaining its overall health. Chives contain beta-carotene which helps to ensure that the skin is spotless and smooth, as it also helps to clear up the appearance of acne. They also contain vitamin C and Vitamin E, which are antioxidants that buffer free radical damage initiated by the sun. Vitamin C also improves the elasticity of the skin so blood supply is improved, and wound healing accelerated, thanks to increased collagen synthesis.

3. Promote Healthy Hair

Chive juice is effective in enhancing hair growth, preventing the unnecessary loss of hair as it is rich in antioxidants, vitamin C, germanium and flavonoids. It helps to improve the blood circulation in the scalp to boost the growth and thickness of the hair. Chives also help to reduce breaking of hair causes by dryness or compromised blood flow to the follicles.

4. Can Improve Vision

When the eyes are at their best, performance and concentration tend to improve in like manner. A healthy diet containing chives can help the eyes. Vitamin A enhances clear and sharp vision. Chives contain Vitamin A in quantities that are superior to many other vegetables belonging to the allium family, which explains why it can help promote eye health. The green leaves of chives contain flavonoid-phenolic antioxidants such as beta-Carotene, Zeaxanthin and Lutein, which work well to assist in proper vision, delay age related breakdown to the macula and preserve the health of the optic nerve.

5. Chives Are Useful Detoxifying Agents

To detoxify is to rid the body of toxins. Chives are excellent adjuvants to the detoxification process, as Chives use its leaves which contain diuretic and anti-oxidant properties to detoxify some harmful substance in the body. Chives also assist the liver with detoxification, and helps to reset any elevated liver enzymes.  The removal of toxic materials from the body will improve the performance and efficiency of other organ systems, since typically the body has mechanisms in place to impair performance when levels of waste material exceed the norm. Failure of the liver to detoxify waste appropriately can lead to liver inflammation and other systemic complications, even though the liver is a hardy organ that is used to hardship.

6. May Help Prevent Cancer

Chives have low calories, but are very high in their vitamin, mineral and antioxidant levels, which are capable of preventing cancer through the help of its anti-carcinogenic phytochemicals. Chives contain anti-carcinogenic compounds that prevent the growth or spread of cancer to all parts of the body through the process of metastasization. It boosts production of glutathione which identifies and eliminates cancer and toxin-causing metabolites in the body. The Anti-carcinogenic compounds found in chives are helpful in treating stomach, esophageal, prostate and gastrointestinal tract cancers, as it is highly rich in selenium, which aids in the protection of cells from the harmful effects of toxins and free radicals in the body

7. Promote Healthy Bones

Though Chives aren’t very rich in calcium themselves, they do contain compounds that retain calcium in the bone and blood, preventing urinary excretion of Calcium and therefore ensuring the integrity of bone is maintained. Chives assist in the production of osteocalcin, a cofactor that helps maintains mineral density required by bone to remain structurally strong and healthy. Vitamin K reduces the loss of bone in the body while they also help protect bone and reduce the incidence of fractures in post-menopausal women. Regular consumption of chives can also help prevent osteoporosis, a structural disease affecting the bone matrix integrity.

8. Improve Digestion

The process of digestion allows for the breakdown of food substances into smaller components. The body uses products of digestion for growth, energy and cell repair. Chives contain nutrients that enhance proper digestion in the body.  These include Iron, Calcium, Riboflavin, Folate, Thiamine, Niacin, and Potassium, which exert effects that improve metabolism of macronutrients. These in turn ensure appropriate utilization of nutrients via enhanced absorption. 

9. Help Prevent Birth Defects 

Birth defects are a nightmare for parents, as they typically mean that the newborn will suffer in some form or another. The good news, however, is that you can minimize the risk of these birth defects occurring with a solid prenatal nutrition plan, which includes among many other things, adequate intake of folate. While synthetic folic acid is a good compromise, organic folate is superior and can significantly reduce the risk of birth defects such as spina bifida and neural tube disorders.

10. Improve Sleep Quality

Chives are well equipped to improve your sleep quality, thanks to the vitamins and phytochemicals which are present within it. For example, chives contain choline, and folate which breaks down homocysteine into the harmless amino acid cysteine, which plays a key role in sleep and mood regulation.

11. Boost Immune System 

The immune system protects the body against diseases, with Vegetables being among the best sources of Vitamins and anti-oxidant compounds that help to support the immune system’s fight against diseases. The presence of vitamin A and C help in stimulating the production of antibodies by the immune system, making it more efficient in eliminating pathogens as they occur.

Conclusion

Chives maintain health. They may not be the most well known in their families which include onions and garlic, but they are capable of nourishing the body and in the maintenance of life.  Including them in your diet is sure to boost the overall health, and an excellent way to add variety to tried and true recipes.