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Parsley

Petroselinum crispum

Also known as parsley, flat-leaf parsley, curly parsley, Italian parsley

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A biennial Apiaceae herb eaten fresh in quantity in dishes such as tabbouleh and used as a garnish elsewhere. It is unusually high in vitamin K for a leaf, which is relevant to anyone on warfarin.

Antioxidant & Oxidative StressKidney & Urinary HealthEye Health

Potential health benefits

Best supported: Limited

Ordered by how well the human research supports them — strongest first. A rating describes the state of the evidence, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Oxidative stress markers

Antioxidant & Oxidative Stress
Limited evidence

A small number of human crossover studies have looked at parsley intake and antioxidant enzyme activity, with modest and inconsistent findings. The studies are few and used unusually large parsley portions.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

1 source

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Kidney and urinary function

Kidney & Urinary Health
Insufficient evidence

Parsley is a traditional diuretic and is sold in teas marketed for kidney cleansing. There is no dependable human research behind those products, and people with kidney disease have specific reasons to be cautious with concentrated herbal preparations.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

1 source

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Macular health

Eye Health
Insufficient evidence

Parsley supplies lutein, which concentrates in the macula. No human study has tested parsley itself for eye outcomes, and garnish-sized portions are small relative to intakes studied in eye research.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

No source is attached to this association yet, so it is rated insufficient by default. It is listed because people commonly ask about it — not because there is evidence for it.

Ask about Parsley

Ask about Parsley

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Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories36 kcal2%
Protein2.97 g6%
Total fat0.79 g1%
Carbohydrate6.33 g2%
Fibre3.3 g12%
Total sugars0.85 g—
Water87.7 g—
Fats
Saturated fat0.132 g1%
Monounsaturated fat0.295 g—
Polyunsaturated fat0.124 g—
Cholesterol0 mg0%
EPA (omega-3)0 g—
DHA (omega-3)0 g—
DPA (omega-3)0 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.115 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A421 µg47%
Vitamin C133 mg148%
Vitamin D0 µg0%
Vitamin E0.75 mg5%
Vitamin K1640 µg1367%
Thiamin (B1)0.086 mg7%
Riboflavin (B2)0.098 mg8%
Niacin (B3)1.31 mg8%
Pantothenic acid (B5)0.4 mg8%
Vitamin B60.09 mg5%
Folate152 µg38%
Vitamin B120 µg0%
Choline12.8 mg2%
Minerals
Calcium138 mg11%
Iron6.2 mg34%
Magnesium50 mg12%
Phosphorus58 mg5%
Potassium554 mg12%
Sodium56 mg2%
Zinc1.07 mg10%
Copper0.149 mg17%
Manganese0.16 mg7%
Selenium0.1 µg0%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene5054 µg—
Alpha-carotene0 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin5561 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash2.2 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Parsley, fresh (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 170416).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

  • rawPreserves vitamin C and volatile aroma

    Parsley’s vitamin C and aroma compounds are heat-sensitive, so it is added at the end of cooking or used raw.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Interaction

    Vitamin K and warfarin

    Parsley is dense in vitamin K, and eating it by the bowlful rather than as a garnish can shift INR in people taking warfarin. The advice is consistency of intake rather than avoidance, agreed with whoever manages the anticoagulation.

  • Worth knowing

    Parsley oil and medicinal doses in pregnancy

    Parsley seed oil is rich in apiol and myristicin and has a long history of misuse as an abortifacient, with reported poisonings including kidney and liver damage. Culinary parsley is not the concern; concentrated oil and seed preparations are.

  • Worth knowing

    Furanocoumarins and sun sensitivity in handlers

    Parsley contains furanocoumarins, and people who handle large quantities can develop phototoxic skin reactions on sun-exposed skin.

  • Worth knowing

    Moderate oxalate content

    Parsley carries a moderate oxalate load, which is worth knowing for people who form calcium oxalate kidney stones and are eating it in large quantities rather than as a garnish.