Health Benefits of Parsley: A Nutritionist’s Guide

Parsley is one of those herbs that is easy to overlook. It often ends up being treated as a garnish rather than an ingredient, but I actually use it almost every day.

I like adding fresh parsley to salads, vegetables and soups, and sometimes I put a little into my morning green smoothie or juice. It brings a lovely freshness to food and is an easy way to add a few extra nutrients to your diet.

Parsley is particularly rich in vitamin K and also provides vitamin C, folate, vitamin A and a range of minerals. It also contains plant compounds called flavonoids, including apigenin, which have been the subject of scientific research.

There are plenty of claims online about parsley being a “detoxifier” or being able to treat particular health conditions. Some of these claims come from traditional use or laboratory research, but they go much further than the evidence allows.

So, what are the genuine health benefits of parsley?

Is parsley good for you?

Yes. Parsley is a nutritious herb that can make a useful contribution to a varied, balanced diet.

It is particularly notable for its vitamin K content and also provides vitamin C, folate, vitamin A and minerals including calcium, iron, magnesium and potassium. It contains relatively few calories, so using generous amounts of fresh parsley can add flavour and nutrients without adding much energy to a meal.

However, I wouldn’t describe parsley as a medicine or a miracle food. The evidence for many of the medicinal effects attributed to parsley is still based largely on laboratory, animal or traditional-use research rather than large clinical trials in people.

That’s an important distinction when we’re talking about nutrition.

Parsley nutrition at a glance

According to USDA nutritional data, 100g of fresh parsley contains approximately:

• 36 calories
• 3.3g fibre
• 133mg vitamin C
• 1,640 micrograms vitamin K
• 152 micrograms folate
• 421 micrograms vitamin A (RAE)
• 138mg calcium
• 6.2mg iron
• 50mg magnesium
• 554mg potassium

Of course, you’re unlikely to eat 100g of parsley in one sitting. A small handful is a much more realistic serving.

The point is not that you need to eat huge quantities. Even a little fresh parsley can contribute useful micronutrients while adding plenty of flavour.

1. Parsley is particularly rich in vitamin K

One of parsley’s most notable nutritional qualities is its vitamin K content.

Vitamin K is an essential nutrient involved in normal blood clotting and also has a role in maintaining healthy bones.

Because parsley is normally eaten in relatively small amounts, it isn’t necessary to think of it as a “vitamin K supplement”. It’s simply another nutritious green food that can form part of your diet.

There is one important exception to keep in mind: if you take warfarin, sudden changes in your intake of vitamin-K-rich foods can affect anticoagulation. This doesn’t mean you have to avoid parsley, but consistency is important. If you’re making a significant change to your diet, speak to your anticoagulation clinic, GP or pharmacist.

2. It provides vitamin C

Fresh parsley is also a useful source of vitamin C.

Vitamin C contributes to normal immune function and is needed for normal collagen formation, which is important for skin, blood vessels, bones, cartilage and other tissues.

Vitamin C is just one reason I like using fresh herbs generously. They are an easy way of adding variety and nutritional value to everyday meals without having to think about complicated supplements.

3. Parsley contains folate and other micronutrients

Parsley also provides folate, vitamin A and several minerals, including iron, calcium, magnesium and potassium.

You wouldn’t rely on parsley alone to meet your nutritional requirements, of course. But nutrition is rarely about one food doing everything. It’s about the cumulative contribution of lots of different foods across your diet.

Adding herbs, vegetables, fruit, pulses, nuts, seeds and other minimally processed foods gives you a much wider range of nutrients and plant compounds.

4. Parsley contains antioxidant plant compounds

Parsley contains a variety of plant compounds, including flavonoids such as apigenin.

These compounds have attracted considerable scientific interest because laboratory and preclinical research suggests they can have antioxidant and other biological activities.

There is also some human research. One small controlled study found that eating parsley increased urinary excretion of apigenin and affected certain antioxidant enzyme markers. However, this was a small, short-term study and it doesn’t mean that eating parsley prevents disease.

This is where I think a little caution is helpful. You will often see individual compounds in herbs being described as “anti-cancer”, “anti-inflammatory” or “detoxifying”. Research into these compounds can certainly be interesting, but findings from cells, animals or concentrated extracts cannot automatically be translated into the effect of eating a handful of parsley with your lunch.

Parsley is a nutritious food. It doesn’t need a miracle claim attached to it.

5. It can help you make healthy food more enjoyable

This may sound less exciting than a claim about detoxification, but I actually think it’s one of the most useful benefits of herbs.

Fresh parsley adds colour, freshness and flavour to food. That can make simple meals much more enjoyable.

Try chopping a handful into:

• salads
• roasted vegetables
• soups
• homemade sauces
• grain or quinoa bowls
• omelettes
• fish dishes
• bean or lentil dishes
• hummus
• homemade dressings

Healthy eating doesn’t have to mean eating plain food. Herbs and spices are a wonderful way to make nutritious meals interesting.

Does parsley detox your body?

This is one claim I would be careful with.

Parsley is often described online as a “detoxifying” food, but there isn’t good evidence that eating parsley detoxes your body or removes unspecified “toxins”.

Your body already has sophisticated systems for processing and eliminating substances it doesn’t need, particularly through the liver and kidneys.

That doesn’t make parsley unhelpful. Quite the opposite. It is a nutritious plant food that can contribute to a healthy dietary pattern.

I just wouldn’t put it in the detox category.

Is parsley a natural diuretic?

Parsley has traditionally been used as a diuretic, and studies have investigated whether compounds in parsley can increase urine production.

However, much of the evidence comes from laboratory or animal research. A small human study looking at parsley leaf tea found no significant differences in urine volume or several other urinary measures.

So I wouldn’t recommend drinking large quantities of parsley tea or taking parsley preparations simply to make yourself urinate more.

If you have swelling, urinary symptoms or concerns about fluid retention, it’s much better to investigate the underlying cause rather than trying to manage it with herbs.

Can you eat parsley every day?

For most people, there is no reason why normal culinary amounts of fresh parsley cannot be part of a varied diet.

You don’t need to eat enormous amounts to benefit from it. A handful chopped into a salad or sprinkled over your evening meal is perfectly practical.

And remember that variety matters. Rather than focusing on eating one “healthy” food every day, aim for a broad range of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, pulses, nuts, seeds, herbs and other minimally processed foods.

Are there any reasons to be cautious with parsley?

Fresh parsley used as a culinary herb is very different from concentrated parsley extracts, capsules or essential oils.

If you take warfarin

Parsley contains a substantial amount of vitamin K. If you’re taking warfarin, don’t suddenly make a large change to the amount of parsley or other vitamin-K-rich foods you eat.

You generally don’t need to eliminate these foods altogether. Keeping your intake reasonably consistent allows your anticoagulation team to manage your medication appropriately.

Speak to your anticoagulation clinic, GP or pharmacist before making significant dietary changes.

During pregnancy

I would also distinguish between the small amounts of parsley normally used in cooking and concentrated herbal preparations.

Pregnancy is not the time to experiment with concentrated parsley supplements, extracts or essential oils. Herbal products are not automatically safe simply because they are natural, and there is limited safety information for many concentrated preparations.

If you’re pregnant or trying to conceive, speak to your midwife, GP or pharmacist before using herbal supplements.

Allergies

Parsley can cause allergic reactions in some people. This may be particularly relevant if you have known allergies to related plants in the Apiaceae family, such as celery, carrot or fennel.

If you develop symptoms after eating parsley, stop eating it and seek appropriate medical advice.

How I like to use parsley

This is probably the easiest part.

I tend to keep fresh parsley in the fridge and use it whenever I feel a meal needs a little more freshness.

Try chopping it and adding it right at the end of cooking so that its fresh flavour remains. It works particularly well with lemon, garlic, olive oil and vegetables.

You can also add a small handful to a green smoothie if you enjoy the flavour.

And don’t forget the stalks. They can be finely chopped and added to salads, sauces, soups or homemade pesto rather than being thrown away.

The nutritionist tip

My advice with parsley is simple: use it because you enjoy it, rather than because you think you need to “detox” yourself.

There is no need to buy supplements or drink enormous quantities of parsley tea.

A handful of fresh parsley added to a meal is an easy, inexpensive way to bring more flavour, colour and nutrients into your diet. And when healthy choices are this simple, they are much easier to maintain.

Final thoughts

Parsley may be a small ingredient, but it can make a useful contribution to a healthy diet.

It provides vitamin K, vitamin C, folate and other nutrients, along with a range of plant compounds that researchers continue to study. More importantly, it’s an easy way to add freshness and flavour to everyday meals.

You don’t need to consume huge amounts, make parsley juice every morning or buy a parsley supplement.

Just use it.

Sprinkle it over your vegetables, stir it through a salad, add it to soup or blend a little into a smoothie if you enjoy it.

As with most nutrition advice, the bigger picture matters far more than one individual food.

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References and resources

1. USDA FoodData Central — nutritional composition of fresh parsley.
2. Farzaei et al. Parsley: a review of ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and biological activities.
3. Farzaei et al. Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) Fuss (Parsley): An Updated Review of the Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry, and Pharmacology.
4. Nielsen et al. Effect of parsley intake on urinary apigenin excretion, blood antioxidant enzymes and biomarkers for oxidative stress in human subjects.
5. NHS — Vitamin K.
6. NHS — Warfarin.
7. NIH/NCBI LactMed — Parsley.
8. NHS — Medicines in pregnancy.