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Asparagus: In Season and Better Than Viagra

Before I go into all of the delicious, healthful and medicinal goodness of this amazing member of the lily family, which happens to be in the height of its growing season, I’m chomping at the bit to impart upon you some (wink wink) other perks to eating asparagus. Folks, consider it the vegetable with benefits.

Oysters and…asparagus?

So what's with the winking? Well, unbeknownst to me before writing this post, I now can tell you that asparagus is considered an aphrodisiac. You read it here first.

According to Ellen Roberts, local and seasonal food writer and healthy food contributor to the San Francisco Examiner, “Nineteenth century French bridegrooms were required to eat several helpings of asparagus because of its reputed love powers.” (Ellen also asserts that the San Francisco Bay area must be the sexist place on earth, but I beg to differ.)

So how does asparagus do its thing? According to traditional Indian medicine, asparagus increases... circulation. Ahem. Says Annemarie Colbin, author of Food and Healing, a lack of histamines has been linked to a lack of optimal circulation. She states, “Histamine production appears to be triggered by the presence of folic acid and vitamins B6 and B12. Foods rich in folic acid include asparagus, organ meats, leafy greens, peanuts, mushrooms, whole grain cereals, lean beef and egg yolk – all of which, in one dietary tradition or another, have been considered aphrodisiacs.”

Colbin goes on to say that foods that have expansive versus contractive properties (these properties are Chinese macrobiotic principles) are aphrodisiacs. She states, “Aside from their chemical and nutritional components... foods as diverse as asparagus, honey, hot spices, mushrooms and tomatoes have all at one time or another been found to have aphrodisiac effects.”

Asparagus is also rich in vitamin E, which purportedly stimulates production of sex hormones. Well then, bring on the eggs, sunflower seeds, almonds, olives and turnip greens, thank you very much, because these foods are also rich in this amorous vitamin.

According to The Vegetarian Society, for best, um, results, consume asparagus over three consecutive days. But wait! Maybe we should take the advice of Sheik Nefzawi, who professes, “He who boils asparagus and then fries then in fat, adding egg yolks and powered condiments, and eats this dish daily, will see his desire and his powers considerably fortified.” Got it?

More About Asparagus: A Spritely Spear

Let’s move on, shall we?

Asparagus grows really fast. I mean, during a warm spring, a field of these stately spears can practically grow quicker than can be harvested, as much as a whopping seven inches per day. According to Naturalpedia, “Harvesters claim that asparagus spears grow so fast that when you are astride a row and bending to cut you either work briskly or get speared from behind.”

(Why are you giggling?)

And this is a good thing for us asparagus lovers. Not the spearing part, but the haste with which it makes its appearance each spring. Asparagus has a relatively short growing season (approximately six weeks during the months of May, June and July) and we gotta get while the gettin’ is good because there is simply nothing like the intense and earthy flavor of local asparagus. (To name but three sustainable Minnesota farmers growing asparagus: Prairie Hollow Farm, Featherstone Farm and Whitewater Gardens)

It’s also very easy to grow some yourself. This perennial can thrive right in your flowerbed and can yield a harvest for up to 20 years, some say longer. If you start with seed, it takes three years for the first harvest; according to University of Minnesota Extension, “The objective during the first three years after planting is to encourage maximum fern growth so that plants build extensive storage root systems.”

More Than a Side Dish

Dating back to the age of reptiles, asparagus has been recognized for centuries for its medicinal properties. Considered a detox powerhouse, it’s a perfect vegetable for spring and early summer, which is nature’s time for renewal, regeneration, and an inclination toward cleansing.

So go forth and reap, as this time of year is ideal for enjoying asparagus’ robust and pronounced flavor and wildly beneficial properties:

  • According to the National Cancer Institute, asparagus has the highest levels of glutathione, a powerful antioxidant and anti-carcinogen. Other reported properties of glutathione are: immune enhancer, cardio supporter, antibacterial and antiviral.
  • Asparagus contains rutin, a free radical scavenger and an anti-inflammatory that also helps to strengthen veins and capillaries and to and improve circulation (as we already mentioned), making it a traditional remedy for heart palpitations and also a potential preventative measure and treatment for varicose veins.
  • According to a Rutgers University study, asparagus possesses tumor-reducing properties.
  • High in Vitamins A, B-complex, C and E.
  • Rich in Vitamin K, which can help ward off osteoporosis.
  • High in beta carotene, potassium and zinc.
  • Reduces phlegm and mucous, making it great for allergy sufferers.
  • Fever reduce.
  • Is a reproductive tonic for women; according to Paul Pitchford, author of Healing with Whole Foods, asparagus “improves the feminine principle... and is used to ease menstrual difficulties and promote fertility.”
  • Increases the production of mother’s milk.
  • High in folate, an important protectant against cancer, an anti-inflammatory, and important for heart health; folate also helps prevent birth defects, making it highly recommended for pregnant women.
  • Is a diuretic, which helps reduce water retention and strengthen the kidneys.
  • High in fiber, which cleanses the digestive system.
  • Rich in chlorophyll, which builds red blood cells and cleanses the blood.

Whew, what a list.

So there you have it. And as writer Hector Hugh Munro (aka Saki) stated, “You needn't tell me that a man who doesn't love oysters and asparagus and good wines has got a soul, or a stomach either. He's simply got the instinct for being unhappy highly developed.”

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Here's my all-time favorite asparagus recipe – so simple and chock full of flavor:

Roasted Asparagus

1 bunch local asparagus spears

olive oil

coarse sea salt

black pepper

Pre-heat oven to 325o. Place asparagus on cookie sheet and toss lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, as desired. Place in oven and roast until lightly brown, approximately 15 minutes.

 

Jill Grunewald is a Minneapolis-based Certified Holistic Health Counselor, health writer, and passionate advocate for sustainable agriculture. After fumbling through a career in architecture, she graduated from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in 2006. Her practice, Healthful Elements, focuses on bio-individual health and whole-foods therapy, with specialization in the endocrine system and hormones, particularly thyroid and adrenal health. She loves tractors, Frye boots, her Mom’s pie, classical piano, bluegrass, mid-century furniture, tea, co-ops, great design, clean sheets, and bacon. Her last post for Simple, Good and Tasty was Can Food Heal Spring Allergies?