Hearts of palm contain very low amounts of fat and carbohydrates and are extremely low in caloric content. Instead, they are packed with a rich host of proteins, minerals, and vitamins that contribute to hearts of palm health benefits. Image Source: Getty Images
Hearts of palm are vegetables taken from the inside of certain palm trees. They are tender and white and have a cylindrical shape. Also known as palm cabbage, palm hearts, palmito, chonta, and swamp cabbage, hearts of palm grow in the tropical and humid climates of countries around the Amazon River. You can harvest them by peeling away the rough stems and outer layers of fiber from a palm tree until you get to the soft inner core.
Hearts of palm have a mild flavor that’s similar to that of artichokes, with a slight hint of sweetness and some crunchiness in the texture. You can buy them fresh, but because they are highly perishable vegetables, hearts of palm are typically pickled, and you can most commonly find them in cans or jars at most supermarkets.
Despite being a relatively unknown vegetable, hearts of palm contain many different vitamins, nutrients, and minerals, providing several health benefits. Knowing about this nutritional value and the associated health benefits can help you decide whether to include these nutrient powerhouses in your diet.
What are the nutritional facts for hearts of palm?
Hearts of palm contain very low amounts of fat and carbohydrates and are extremely low in caloric content. Instead, they are packed with a rich host of proteins, minerals, and vitamins that contribute to hearts of palm health benefits. A half a cup of canned hearts of palm (73 grams) contains the following nutritional content:
- Calories: 20
- Calcium: 42 milligrams
- Carbohydrates: 3.4g
- Fat: 0.5 grams
- Fiber: 1.8 grams
- Iron: 2.3 milligrams
- Magnesium: 27.8 milligrams
- Phosphorous: 48 milligrams
- Potassium: 129 milligrams
- Protein: 1.8 grams
- Sodium: 311 milligrams
- Sugars: 0 grams
- Vitamin C: 6.6 milligrams
- Zinc: 0.8 milligrams
It’s important to note that hearts of palm that have been pickled or preserved usually have added sodium. Thoroughly rinsing vegetables that are canned and jarred with cold water can reduce this amount significantly, though, since the hearts of palm themselves contain very little sodium — only about 14 milligrams per 100-gram servings.
What are the health benefits of hearts of palm?
The variety of essential minerals and nutrients in hearts of palm can produce several potential health benefits.
Hearts of palm:
Promote heart health
Fiber is a nutrient known to help lower blood pressure and control your cholesterol levels. With nearly two grams of fiber per serving, hearts of palms can help you reach 21 to 38 grams of daily fiber intake, which is the recommended total for adults.
Control blood sugar
Along with its cardiovascular benefits, the fiber in hearts of palm can also help keep your blood sugar levels down. Non-starchy vegetables play a key role in the management of certain diseases such as diabetes.
Reduce the risk of iron deficiency anemia
Hearts of palm can also help lower the risk of developing iron deficiency anemia. This is a condition where your body doesn’t have enough iron to help the red blood cells carry oxygen to your tissues and organs.
Hearts of palm are a rich, natural source of vitamin C and iron, both of which are helpful in preventing iron deficiency anemia.
Help with weight loss
Eating hearts of palm can promote weight loss in several ways. For starters, non-starchy vegetables like hearts of palms — high in fiber and water content — are known to help with weight loss. These vegetables promote a feeling of fullness, which can naturally result in you eating less.
Additionally, since eating fewer calories than you burn is fundamental to losing weight, replacing high-calorie foods with these vegetables will help with weight loss efforts.
Might enhance brain function
The risk of malnutrition in older adults can lead to some undetected deficiencies — such as vitamin B6 — which contributes to a decline in cognitive function. Adding hearts of palm to your diet is a good way to ensure you intake more of this vitamin through your diet.
Repair tissue
Nine essential amino acids are necessary for many of your body’s functions, including repairing tissue. These are acids that your body can’t make naturally and must come from your diet.
Hearts of palms contain all nine essential amino acids:
- Histidine
- Isoleucine
- Lysine
- Methionine
- Phenylalanine
- Threonine
- Tryptophan
- Valine
Reduce symptoms of morning sickness
Vitamin B6 found in hearts of palm can also help reduce morning sickness — nausea and vomiting experienced during the first few months of pregnancy.
Other benefits
Regularly eating hearts of palm may also have other health benefits. For example, they are rich in plant compounds such as polyphenol antioxidants. These compounds help control free radicals, which are unstable molecules that can lead to various diseases. Consequently, the antioxidants in hearts of palm may help reduce the risk of certain conditions like diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.
Minerals like copper, potassium, phosphorus, and zinc in hearts of palm also promote several health benefits. For instance, potassium helps control blood pressure, and iron and copper maintain your nerve cells and regulate immune function.
Finally, zinc is important, helping with cell division, immune function, and healing wounds.
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How do you prepare hearts of palm?
While you can eat hearts of palms raw, this isn’t that common because these vegetables are highly perishable. If you do buy them fresh, remember to inspect the stalks and ensure they are unblemished and firm. Always refrigerate hearts of palm immediately and eat them within two weeks.
Hearts of palms can also be grilled, boiled, or pickled, and they are often included in salads, stir-fries, dips, and originally Latin American dishes like ceviche.
These vegetables are a good source of protein, and you can use them in vegetarian and vegan cuisines as meat and fish substitutes.
Finally, due to their low carbohydrate content, hearts of palm can be part of the Keto diet. This diet usually allows for no more than 50 grams of carbohydrates per day, and a 60-gram serving of hearts of palm contains only about two grams of carbs, making these vegetables safe to include in this diet.
Medically Reviewed on 10/11/2022
References
SOURCES:
AHA Journals: “Beneficial Effects of High Potassium.”
American Journal of Physiology, Endocrinology, and Metabolism: “Calories in, calories out” and macronutrient intake: the hope, hype, and science of calories.”
Antioxicdants: “Dietary Antioxidants and Health Promotion.”
British Nutrition Foundation: “Satiation, satiety and their effects on eating behaviour.”
Indian Journal of Medical Research: “Ketogenic diets: Boon or bane?”
International Journal of Biomedical Science: “Free Radicals, Antioxidants in Disease and Health.”
Medical Science Monitor: “Zinc, copper, and blood pressure: Human population studies.”
Journal of Chiropractic Medicine: “Dietary Fiber Intake and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: An Umbrella Review of Meta-analyses.”
Journal of Research in Medical Sciences: “Zinc and its importance for human health: An integrative review.”
Peach Health: "Vitamin B for Morning Sickness."
The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry: “Flavonoid antioxidants: chemistry, metabolism and structure-activity relationships.”
Michigan State University: “Iron and vitamin C: the perfect pair?”
National Institute of Health: “Vitamin B6.”
Nutrients: “Dietary Fiber, Atherosclerosis, and Cardiovascular Disease,” “The Relationship between Vegetable Intake and Weight Outcomes: A Systematic Review of Cohort Studies.”
One Green Planet: “Seafood Substitutions and Beyond: Learn the Best Ways to Prepare Hearts of Palm.”
Open Heart: “Copper deficiency may be a leading cause of ischaemic heart disease.”
U.S. Department of Agriculture: “Dietary Guidelines for Americans,” “Hearts of palm, canned,” “Hearts of palm, raw.”
