Is Lettuce Bad For You?
Is lettuce bad for you? I have been hearing this question a lot. I guess there is more hubub about digestive issues, poor nutritional value, heavy metal and pesticide contamination, and foodborne illness.
Here's the science:
Is lettuce bad for digestion? You know the answer is that this depends on your body. Iceberg lettuce especially seems to bother people. Leafy greens, like kale/arugula/spinach have less issue. In some people, raw veggies can cause some bloating, so cooked greens may be more gentle on a sensitive stomach. Lettuce is not "bad" for digestion. Bitter lettuce, like arugula, endive, and radicchio help stimulate digestive juices and aid in digestion.
Is it pointless to eat lettuce that has no nutritional value? Fresh foods are NEVER pointless to eat. You are getting water and fiber. OK? Yes, iceberg has the lowest concentration of vitamins (still, has folate and is a good source of vitamin K), romaine (excellent source of A and K, also has folate) are higher in water content, so vitamins are less concentrated but zoom out: does it seem "unhealthy" to eat lettuce....?????
No. If you want to optimize, then the most nutrient dense options are kale/baby kale, spinach, bok choy, microgreens of any kind. I also LOVE the reds, bitter lettuce, savoy cabbage, escarole, swiss chard, a microbiome party of spring mix (different plants=different good bacteria).. etc. But eat whatever you want, it is all good for you in a different way. SOURCE
Is lettuce contaminated with metals and pesticides? Yes. Since the beginning of time, trace minerals like metals have been in the water and soil since the earth's crust is made of rocks + aluminum, iron, calcium, sodium, potassium, and magnesium. In recent history, mining and agriculture have added other metals. Unless you live near a huge agriculture operation, factory, or a mine/quarry, these are not as much of a concern, and the best way to avoid this is always farmers market or grow your own. But in samples of lettuce tested all over the world (not just US) this is an unavoidable issue.
Pesticides are less concentrated in organic products, so if this is of concern to you, organic is one way to go. Does it travel over in water and air and bees from non-organic to organic? YES. Should this prevent you from eating greens? I don't think so, as leafy greens are one of the few plants with almost every vitamin and mineral in them.
Neither of these things are healthy and in large amounts CAN cause health problems. So, shop locally, think about growing your own, but remember that not eating healthy food will also cause health problems.
Is lettuce going to give me e coli? Anything has the potential to do this, right? It seems highest risk is in bagged lettuces, but food (produce, meat, canned goods, all of it) is organic matter that is subject to bacterial exposure.
Remember the Nutrition For People golden rule: control what you can control. Don't let the internet or news take away your power to eat healthy at every budget.
Wash your produce in 2 teaspoons baking soda plus 1 quart water as this has been shown to remove the most residue. Remember, some things get a lot of clicks and likes but there isn't much we can do about them (like the metal content of soil) and that's okay, we are all doing our best.
Check out the podcast episode we did on the benefits of greens! She's Got Guts is also on Spotify.
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