Diet plan: Eating iceberg lettuce is "useless" according to top British professor

For years, the humble iceberg lettuce has been a staple part of the British diet.

We put it into our salads, we add it into our sandwiches; it's a versatile vegetable, readily available in the supermarkets and cheap to buy. But now, a top British professor has called all of this into question.

According to Professor Tim Spector, an epidemiologist and medical doctor, iceberg lettuce is not as healthy for us as first thought.

Posting about it on Instagram, he said: "Nutritionally, it's pretty useless. Unlike other leafy greens, iceberg lettuce contains almost no polyphenols.

"Now good signs that a plant is packed with polyphenols are bitter tastes and vibrant colours. So next time you choose your salad, rather than iceberg go for a mixture of different leaves to increase that plant diversity in your diet. If you can choose darker purple variets for extra polyphenols."

Polyphenols are a class of naturally occurring compounds found in plants, and have been associated with a number of health benefits. These include anti-inflammatory perks, improving the health of your gut, heart and brain, and having strong antioxidant properties.