Introduction
Chives include nutrients that are vital for sleep and bone health. Some studies have also linked the chemicals in chives and other allium vegetables with anticancer results.
It belongs to the Allium genus, including garlic, leeks, and onions. Chives, or Allium schoenoprasum, are green vegetables with a mild onion-like flavour. People have cultivated allium vegetables for centuries for their characteristic pungent cooking flavours and medicinal properties.
This article outlines chives, including a nutritional breakdown, potential health advantages, and some methods for incorporating them into the diet.
Chives
Scientifically named Allium schoenoprasum, it belongs to the allium plant family. They are a fragrant herb closely connected to spring onions, leeks, garlic, and onions. Normally eaten raw, they are common in the Mediterranean diet. They are extensively cultivated in North America, Asia, and Europe.
It may be connected to onions, but they vary from green ones. Both are visually distinct despite having a similar mild, oniony taste. Its stems are long and tender with a solid green formation. In difference, green onions exhibit a thicker, solid stem that is white at the base and green toward the top. This white part of green onions imparts a more robust flavour than chives. Furthermore, unlike green onions, they do not last long in the refrigerator.
Types of Chives
Common
As the name indicates, the standard is the easiest to find. They grow wild in many areas and are known for their mild onion flavour. They also have edible flowers and hollow stems and grow in slender bulbs, which can reach a total height of 15 inches. The flowers may be red, pink, purple, and white. Common are wealthy in vitamins B1, B2, and B3, providing smooth digestion. They are mostly an addition to French cuisine.
Chinese
Chinese chives, also known as garlic, grow taller than standard varieties. As a result, they exhibit more matte leaves and a richer garlic flavour. In addition, unlike common chives, Chinese chives have no hollow stems and only white blossoms.
Due to their savoury flavour, Chinese chives are used in salad dressing and mashed potatoes. They are also an excellent source of Thiosulfinates, a potent anticancer combination.
Siberian
Siberian chives, also named blue chives, are the lesser-known type. They are native to China, Russia, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan. It can reach up to two feet, significantly taller than Chinese or common chives. However, their flavour is similar to common chives, and they are available in local herb farms or gourmet food stores.
Nutrition
They are a nutrient-dense food. This suggests they are low in calories but high in healthy nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
To get a substantial amount of these nutrients, an individual must eat many chives. Instead, people often use it as a garnish. A typical serving is about one tablespoon (tbsp), or 3 grams.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)Trusted Source, 1 tbsp of chopped chives provides the following nutrients:
- energy: 0.9 calories
- vitamin K: 6.38 micrograms (mcg), or 5% of the Daily Value (DV)
- vitamin C: 1.74 milligrams (mg), or 2% of the DV
- folate: 3.15 mcg, or 1% of the DV
- vitamin A: 6.43 mcg, or 1% of the DV
- calcium: 2.76 mg, or less than 1% of the DV
- potassium: 8.88 mg, or less than 1% of the DV
Benefits
1. Fight Cancer
The flavonoid antioxidants we saw earlier, lutein and zeaxanthin, are known to protect against lung and mouth cancers. They are also rich in fibre, which helps prevent colon cancer. Like other family associates, it also includes allicin, a vital antioxidant learned to help stop breast cancer.
Various investigations have shown that allium vegetables (those containing allicin) inhibit stomach and oesophagic cancers. It also helps your body produce glutathione, which enables it to identify and eliminate cancer-causing substances. Investigations have shown that it can help stop prostate cancer as well. Numerous other studies also talk about the anticancer effects of chives and other members of their family.
2. Protect The Heart
The allicin in it gets the credit again. It is an organosulfur known to help lower cholesterol and blood pressure levels. Allicin releases nitric oxide in the bloodstream, decreasing blood vessel stiffness and blood pressure. The quercetin in chives decreases the build-up of plaque in the arteries.
Allicin reduces bad cholesterol (LDL cholesterol) and increases good cholesterol (HDL cholesterol), again good for the heart.
It improves circulation as well. The vitamin C they include enhances the elasticity of the blood veins and iron absorption. And the folic acid in chives controls the contraction of blood vessels.
3. Improve Bone Health
It contains vitamin K, a crucial nutrient for bones. This vitamin assists in maintaining bone integrity and density, regulates cells that help prevent bone demineralization, and supports the production of osteocalcin protein, which is essential for maintaining bone mineral density.
More significantly, sufficient vitamin K intake can reduce the urinary excretion of calcium (another typical cause of bone loss). Further reports also discuss how it can contribute to bone health.
Though more study is required, the anti-inflammatory properties of chives might also assist in treating arthritis.
4. Ease The Digestive Process
It helps the body eliminate dangerous bacteria, fungi, and yeast in your intestinal tract that might otherwise hinder digestion. The antibacterial effects of chives can assist in stopping at least 30 strains of salmonella (which can cause intestinal distress).
They are a great source of fibre and other essential nutrients, such as niacin, thiamin, pantothenic acid, phosphorus, and zinc, all understood to ease the digestive process. This phytochemical mixture can also soothe an upset stomach.
It again relieves flatulence and stimulates digestion.
5. Detoxify The Body
Though limited research exists, certain sources say that chives’ chlorophyll and vitamin K presence helps keep the blood clean. The minerals in it also neutralize the toxins in the body.
The antibacterial properties of chives again aid the detoxification procedure.
6. Boost Immunity
The countless phytochemicals in it can boost the immune system. It also contains trace amounts of selenium, another important mineral that strengthens Immunity. Immune cells lacking in selenium can have issues producing proteins and fascinating calcium.
It can also increase your T-cells and deliver protection against cold and flu. However, more research is needed on this.
According to the study, ittcontainsn sulfuric compounds, which help boost Immunity. In this way, they also heal wounds faster.
7. Boost Vision
This effectiveness should be attributed to the lutein and zeaxanthin in chives, which reduce oxidative pressure in the eyes, boost vision health, and slow the development of cataracts.
According to examinations, it also includes quercetin, which can assist in maintaining sight in patients with macular degeneration.
8. Are Beneficial During Pregnancy
They are rich in folate, and we don’t have to stress its importance during pregnancy. Folate assists the fetus’s brain development and aids cell division and DNA synthesis.
Folic acid also helps to prevent congenital disabilities, specifically in the baby’s brain and spinal cord.
9. Enhance Sleep And Mood
They are valuable sources of choline, a crucial nutrient that helps with proper sleep. Its folic acid is also understood to boost the presentation of dopamine and serotonin, feel-good hormones that promote mood.
10. Have Excellent Antimicrobial Properties
They have exceptional antibacterial, antibiotic, antifungal, and antiviral properties. One examination discusses the antimicrobial properties of Chinese. Another study discusses how Chinese chives can have the highest antibacterial activity.
Chives’ antibiotic properties and vitamin C can kill harmful microbes. This mixture works well in treating yeast infections.
11. Boost Skin Health
They are a valuable source of beta-carotene, an antioxidant that promotes skin radiance and health. It can also assist in treating acne. Vitamin C maintains antioxidant effects that offer anti-ageing advantages. It can assist in decreasing fine lines and wrinkles, some of the most noticeable signs of ageing.
For this goal, you can use a chive face mask. Apply puree to the face and leave it on for 30 minutes. Wash and pat dry the face, then apply a moisturizer of your choice.
12. Might Improve Hair Health
Though we don’t have concrete research, some sources say it can stimulate hair growth. They may enhance blood flow to the scalp, boost the hair roots, and stop hair breakage.
A chive oil hair mask can also enhance dull hair. Boil it for approximately 30 seconds, then cool them in cold water. Put the it in half a cup of olive oil. Make a puree and involve it in the scalp. After 30 minutes, shampoo as usual.
These are the ways chives can make life better and more accessible. But one must also know how to use them.
Chives vs spring onion
Although they both have a mild onion flavour, chives and green onions (aka scallions) differ. They are smaller, thinner, and more delicate than green onions, and they don’t have an edible bulb at the bottom. Compared to spring onions, they have a much milder onion flavour.
Chives vs green onion
They are smaller, thinner, and more delicate than green onions, and they don’t have an edible bulb at the bottom. Compared to green onions, they have a much milder onion flavour. Both can be used raw, although green onions are sturdy enough to be lightly cooked, such as sauteed in stir-fries or grilled.
Chives vs scallion
They are a plant species that is different from scallions & green onions. While green onions & scallions are vegetables, chives are grouped with seasonings or herbs like parsley and basil. Compared to heartier green onions, chives are thinner and more fragile.
side effects
Bloating and Gas
It can cause a bloated stomach because it contains fructans, a carbohydrate that produces gas. The body faces problems while digesting fructans, and the gut bacteria feed on this carbohydrate. This, in turn, generates a gas build-up within the colon. Nevertheless, cooking the chives can lower these effects.
Bowel Problems
It can possibly be a gastrointestinal irritant in some individuals. The reactive oxidants removed by chives can stimulate bowel issues such as acid reflux and diarrhoea.
Not Ideal for Gastritis
Alliums can induce digestive disorders. It associated with the Allium genus have an acidic pH of 5.75. This pH range worsens gastritis. Moreover, the high fructan content in chives triggers acid reflux, aggravating gastritis.
Toxic for Pets
The organic sulfur combinations present in chives may trigger toxicity in dogs. Ingesting chives rules to toxicosis, an infection caused by poisoning, in dogs and cats. Again, the chives absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract convert into highly reactive oxidants.
Metal and Metalloid Accumulation
Eating excess chives is linked to toxic levels of inorganic selenium build-up. It also donates to the accumulation of heavy metals such as cadmium. In addition, it can cause kidney, brain, or liver dysfunction.
Conclusion
It belongs to the Allium genus, including garlic, leeks, and onions. Chives, or Allium schoenoprasum, are green vegetables with a mild onion-like flavour. People have cultivated allium vegetables for centuries for their characteristic pungent cooking flavours and medicinal properties.
They are a nutrient-dense food. This suggests they are low in calories but high in healthy nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
