Prebiotics, vitamins and more: What makes asparagus so healthy

Proper asparagus-eating etiquette has long been a subject of debate: Should you cut the tree-like spears with a fork and knife, or are they an acceptable finger food?

- Caroline Hopkins Legaspi

NEW YORK - Proper asparagus-eating etiquette has long been a subject of debate: Should you cut the tree-like spears with a fork and knife, or are they an acceptable finger food?

When it comes to the vegetable's nutritional value, though, there is little dispute. Here are its most notable health attributes.

IT IS RICH IN PREBIOTICS Asparagus contains a type of prebiotic fibre called inulin, said dietitian Elizabeth Klingbeil, an assistant professor at the University of Texas at Austin. Your stomach cannot break down inulin, she said, so it passes into your intestines undigested. Once there, the inulin helps nourish the good bacteria that make up your gut microbiome.

When these good bacteria feed off the inulin in asparagus and other fibre-rich foods, they produce compounds that play a role in preventing inflammation in your intestines, Dr Klingbeil said.

Over time, excess inflammation can increase your risk of chronic gastrointestinal diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer.