Leeks
With a more delicate and sweeter flavor than onions, leeks add a subtle touch to recipes without overpowering the other flavors that are present. Although leeks are available throughout the year they are in season from the fall through the early part of spring when they are at their best.
Leeks are related to onions, shallots and scallions to which they bear a resemblance. They look like large scallions having a very small bulb and a long white cylindrical stalk of superimposed layers that flows into green, tightly wrapped, flat leaves.
Health Benefits
Leeks, like garlic and onions, belong to a vegetable family called the Allium vegetables. Since leeks are related to garlic and onions, they contain many of the same beneficial compounds found in these well-researched, health-promoting vegetables.
Lower LDL Cholesterol While Raising HDL Cholesterol
A high intake of Allium vegetables has been shown to reduce total cholesterol and LDL, or "bad" cholesterol levels, while at the same time raising HDL, or "good" cholesterol levels. This can be very important for preventing the development or progression of the blood vessel plaques that occur in atherosclerosis and diabetic heart disease. If these plaques grow too large or rupture, the result can be a heart attack or stroke. Allium vegetables have also been shown to lower high blood pressure, another risk factor for heart attack and stroke.
Promote Optimal Health
Regular consumption of Allium vegetables, as little as two or more times a week, is associated with a reduced risk of prostate and colon cancer. The research focused on colon cancer suggests that several of the compounds found in these foods are able to protect colon cells from cancer-causing toxins, while also stopping the growth and spread of any cancer cells that do happen to develop.
Although leeks contain many of the same compounds as those active in fresh garlic and onions, they contain them in smaller amounts. For this reason, larger amounts of leeks may need to be eaten to obtain the benefits provided by its Allium family cousins. Fortunately, the mild, sweet taste of leeks makes this easy to do.
Stabilize Blood Sugar Levels
In addition to their unique properties as Allium family vegetables, leeks also emerged from our food ranking system as a very good source of manganese and a good source of vitamin B6, vitamin C, folate, and iron. This particular combination of nutrients would make leeks particularly helpful in stabilizing blood sugar, since they not only slow the absorption of sugars from the intestinal tract, but help ensure that they are properly metabolized in the body.
History
Leeks enjoy a long and rich history, one that can trace its heritage back through antiquity. Thought to be native to Central Asia, they have been cultivated in this region and in Europe for thousands of years.
Leeks were prized by the ancient Greeks and Romans and were especially revered for their beneficial effect upon the throat. The Greek philosopher Aristotle credited the clear voice of the partridge to a diet of leeks, while the Roman emperor Nero supposedly ate leeks everyday to make his voice stronger.
The Romans are thought to have introduced leeks to the United Kingdom, where they were able to flourish because they could withstand cold weather. Leeks have attained an esteemed status in Wales, where they serve as this country's national emblem. The Welsh regard for leeks can be traced back to a battle that they successfully won against that Saxons in 1620, during which the Welsh soldiers placed leeks in their caps to differentiate themselves from their opponents. Today, leeks are an important vegetable in many northern European cuisines and are grown in many European countries.
Nutritional Profile
Leeks are a very good source of manganese and a good source of vitamin C, iron, folate and vitamin B6.
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