These are the kangkong benefits that you probably don’t know yet.
KANGKONG BENEFITS – This leafy vegetable survives in a semi-aquatic environment and here are some benefits we can get from this.
Water spinach or kangkong (Impomea aquatica) has a lot of nutrients. This semi-aquatic perennial plant has short stems and triangular leaves. This plant is common in tropical and subtropical regions. This is a green leafy vegetable which means, it is abundant in nutrients needed by our body.
It is considered a superfood!
Skin, hair, and bone health may benefit from this. It has multiple vitamins and minerals. This is actually recommended by dieticians to control cholesterol and manage weight. It has phenolic antioxidants such as carotene-β, lutein, xanthin, and cryptoxanthin.
Water spinach is also a great source of vitamins and minerals such as dietary fiber, protein, calcium, iron, vitamin A, and vitamin C.
100 grams of fresh, raw leaves from the USDA National Nutrient database has the following:
| Principle | Nutrient Value | Percent of RDA |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 19 kcal | 1% |
| Carbohydrates | 3.14 g | 2% |
| Protein | 2.6 g | 4.5% |
| Total Fat | 0.20 g | 1% |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% |
| Dietary Fiber | 2.1 g | 5.5% |
| Vitamins | ||
| Folates | 57 µg | 14% |
| Niacin | 0.900 mg | 5.5% |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.141 mg | 3% |
| Pyridoxine | 0.096 mg | 7% |
| Riboflavin | 0.100 mg | 8% |
| Thiamin | 0.030 mg | 2.5% |
| Vitamin A | 6300 IU | 210% |
| Vitamin-C | 55 mg | 92% |
| Electrolytes | ||
| Sodium | 113 mg | 7.5% |
| Potassium | 312 mg | 6.6% |
| Minerals | ||
| Calcium | 77 mg | 8% |
| Copper | 0.023 mg | 2.5% |
| Iron | 1.67 mg | 21% |
| Magnesium | 71 mg | 18% |
| Manganese | 0.160 mg | 7% |
| Phosphorus | 39 mg | 5.5% |
| Selenium | 0.9 µg | 1.5% |
| Zinc | 0.18 mg | 1.5% |
According to a post from National Nutrition Council, the nutrients we can find in kangkong are the same as the ones we can get from milk, banana, and orange. Its benefits are reducing blood pressure, giving immunity to cancer, improving vision, boosting immunity, and treating skin diseases.
Here’s an Adobong Kangkong recipe from Panlasang Pinoy:
Ingredients:
- 1 bunch kangkong leaves and stalks separated. Stalks cut in 1-inch pieces
- 1 piece onion chopped
- 1 head garlic crushed and chopped
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/8 cup vinegar
- 1/2 cup water optional
- 3 tablespoons cooking oil
- Ground black pepper
Procedure:
- Heat oil in a pan then saute garlic until it becomes brown. Separate a quarter from this for garnish later on.
- Add onion and saute then pour the soy sauce and vinegar. Let them boil.
- Drop the stalks and wait for 2 minutes before adding the leaves.
- Cook for 30 seconds to one minute.
- Cover and let it be for a minute.
- Add ground black pepper to taste and some salt if needed.
- Put the dish in a bowl then top it with the garlic you separated.
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