GLV

During the telegraph era, humans started to formulate abbreviations to communicate. Today, abbreviated texting lingo abounds. It is referred to as SMS language or textspeak. I am admittedly slow with cultural change, but I do know how to interpret l8r, lol, omw, ttyl, smh, irl and the like. Ok, tbh, idk what all those mean. Even medical research papers abound with abbreviations, which I find even more challenging to keep up with. However, this one was catchy: GLV for green leafy vegetable.

Though perhaps the most nutrient-dense food on the planet, GLVs are the least consumed food group in the United States. In fact, from age 1 to 30, the average American gets half a serving or less of GLVs daily. When we hit 51, we begin eating one whole serving a day, which is still well below the recommended 2 to 2 ½ servings daily.(1) More generally, boys ages 9 to 13 and girls ages 14 to 18 have the lowest intake of vegetables. Americans as a whole don’t meet recommended vegetable intake for any of the subgroups, except maybe root vegetables, thanks to French fries.

GLVs are a powerful food group. A large study of 960 participants ages 58 to 99 found that eating just one serving of GLVs a day (1/2 c cooked or 1 c raw) reversed cognitive decline, resulting in “the equivalent of being 11 years younger in age.”(2)

A meta-analysis of 8 studies included 540,000 participants of which 26,173 had known cardiovascular disease (CVD). Researchers wanted to know if an increased intake of GLVs significantly reduced the incidence of CVD? They found potentially several ways that GLVs provided protection.(3)

One way is that GLVs improve blood vessel elasticity and are a rich source of minerals such as magnesium, which is vital to optimal heart health and function. Magnesium intake has been

inversely associated with hypertension and CVD, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome.(4)

GLVs contain compounds called thylakoids. Thylakoid ingestion has been associated with appetite suppression and decreased interest in fatty and sugary foods. Another study found that thylakoid supplementation resulted in suppressed cravings, increased sense of feeling satisfied, and reduced appetite three hours after the meal.

While raw salads and green smoothies can be an excellent way to consume GLVs, cooking is valuable too. Steam cooking improves certain beneficial properties of collard greens, kale,

mustard greens, broccoli, and cabbage, as found in one study. Choose dark greens from those just mentioned or others such as spinach, arugula, kale, bok choy, Swiss chard, beet greens, watercress, Romaine, etc.

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