Paco or Pako is one of the fern vegetables that Filipinos love to eat. This vegetable which has a scientific name of Athyrium esculentum, is usually eaten as salad or as a side dish to a main viand. Aside from its distinctive taste, pacois very well known to be healthy among Filipinos. However, people are not really aware of what is the nutritional value or benefits of this vegetable. Here under are some of the nutritional benefits of Paco leaves.
As a vegetable, Paco leaves is rich in fiber, which is a perfect healthy diet for people who are losing weight, have heart problems and even those with diabetes. Fiber takes time to digest thereby allowing people to feel full and losing the craving to eat.
One of the top mineral content of Paco is calcium. Calcium is a mineral that is helpful for our bones and teeth. It is a mineral that we normally get from drinking milk. Because of this, many people especially the old folks claim that pako helps young people to grow taller. It does not really spur the growth but helps support growth by providing calcium to the growing bones.
The second mineral of Paco is phosphorus. This mineral assist our bodies burn carbohydrates and fats into energy as well as in the creation of protein for the growth and cell and tissue repair. Thus, Pako is said to help in speeding up the healing of wounds.
The third important mineral in Paco is iron. Iron is critical for distributing oxygen in the body through our blood. The iron is what carries the oxygen, which is essential to fuel our cells in performing their functions. Iron is also helpful for people who easily get woozy and weak due to iron deficiency.
Finally, Pako is also rich with Thiamine or more commonly known as vitamin B. Vitamin B is especially important for facilitating the smooth operation of our nervous system.
Credits to: allaboutdiabetes.net
