What is Spinach?
Spinach is an edible flowering plant in the family of Amaranthaceae. Its alternate name is “sweet spinach. It grows in a form of round to shield-like leaves in clusters from a branching root vegetable. It is valued for its high content of several nutrients most notably as:
- Iron
- Vitamin K
- And its EPSPS (Extended Photosynthesis Phytoene Synthetase), an enzyme the body needs for vitamin A production.
The benefits of spinach are associated with the nutrients above. They contribute to your health by preventing and reversing the signs of aging by slowing down cell aging. It aids in digestion as well as boosts your energy. Spinach, the super food, is very delicious and nutritious. Consumption of spinach may help you get rid of your allergies, eliminate your risk of developing diabetes, and fight against cancer, among many others.
What is the Best Way to Eat Spinach?
It is said that we eat with our eyes first, and that couldn’t be more true when it comes to spinach. With its bright green leaves and long, tender stems, the spinach leaf is something to be celebrated.
Often, the flowery description of foods (think: luscious and succulent) deters from the actual nutrition we are talking about. Spinach is a nutrient powerhouse that can do the body good … and it doesn’t need to be hidden behind pretty words.
Yes, spinach is extremely versatile and extremely nutritious. Spinach is very high in lutein and zeaxanthin, both of which protect the eyes, and in the minerals manganese, iron, and magnesium. Spinach is also a good source of vitamins K, C, and A, all of which help fight cancer and heart disease. When choosing spinach as a baby food, eating your greens is the best way to go.
What the Studies Showed About Eating Spinach
It’s a common phenomenon that we always underestimate spinach. This green leafy vegetable is usually a part of mixed vegetable dishes but almost never a main dish. Yet, looking at the staggering number of health benefits, it’s actually really strange! Just how does spinach help with so many conditions? Find out below.
So what are the benefits of spinach? It’s been reported to prevent heart diseases, lower blood pressure, reduce cancer risk, protect the immune system and prevent infertility in women. Now, how many veggies can confidently claim all this without being obnoxious? Spinach, that’s how many.
But how does spinach grant all these health benefits? Well, we will highlight the main ones and then go on to explain what causes these health benefits. Spinach is rich in “antioxidants” which fight free radicals that damage our cells and cause cancer. Spinach also contains diindolylmethane, a compound that helps to control female hormones and fertility. It also has significantly high levels of iron, vitamin A, vitamin K, calcium and phosphorous.
To sum up, spinach does all this:
- Best source of indolylmethane
- Has high levels of zinc, selenium and folic acid
Spinach Juice and Powder
Though spinach has seen a reduction in popularity in recent years, it remains one of the most healthy foods around. Spinach is still loaded with many nutrients that are good for our health. Also, it’s one of the most versatile greens out there. Its leaves can be eaten fresh, frozen, juiced, or dried (simply as spinach powder). And the good news is that none of the different ways to use spinach are super unhealthy. They all provide many health benefits.
So it shouldn’t be difficult to get your hands on some spinach, even if you live in an area with limited natural food options. The main benefit of eating spinach is it can keep your digestive system moving. Eating spinach can also decrease the risk of getting constipation-related issues like hemorrhoids and diverticulitis.
Fresh spinach contains plenty of fiber – more than your average vegetable. It can help keep things moving naturally. But spinach isn’t only fiber. It also contains plenty of other nutrients, antioxidants, and vitamins that are all good for your health. Spinach is low in calories and fats, so it’s no wonder it’s good for people looking to lose weight.
Should We Eat Spinach Every Day?
Spinach is among the most vegetables consumed in the world. It has been ranked as a very beneficial green vegetable due to the nutritional benefits it offers.
But with so many vegetables out there, why should we eat spinach every day?
A cup of cooked spinach contains half the recommended daily intake of folate (which helps lower the risk for heart disease and spinal cord malfunctions), vitamin K (which helps heal clotted blood vessels), and vitamin C (which helps neutralize free radicals that cause cell damage and aging).
That's a lot of nutritional goodness in a single cup.
Spinach is high in many other nutrients such as fiber, iron, and vitamins A and B.
A lot of research has been done recently on the benefits of spinach and they have found out that spinach has so many benefits that some of them can be named as super food.
Regular consumption of spinach will lower your risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes and it will also facilitate weight loss.
Here are some of the main health benefits of spinach.
Spinach as a Cheap Treatment for Anemia
Spinach is tasty, nutritious, and loaded with iron! Iron deficiency is one of the most common anemia-related problems. The condition is caused by low iron levels in the body. If you have iron deficiency, it can lead to other problems including difficulty concentrating or focusing, decreased immune system performance, and mood swings. Another side effect is fatigue.
Here’s the good news: A cup of chopped raw spinach can give you 10% of the daily recommended iron intake. Now, that’s a lot of vegetables to add to your diet to improve your health and fight anemia!
Here are some other ways that spinach can improve your health:
Low Risk of Heart Disease
Spinach is rich in folate, a form of folic acid. This micronutrient is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease. Regular spinach eaters have a 27% lower risk of heart disease than those who never or rarely eat it.
Spinach also has the lipid HDL, which helps remove cholesterol from your blood, making it easier for the liver to break it down into bile and get rid of it.
Prevention of Some Cancers
Spinach gives you a lot of vitamin C, which works as an antioxidant. It can prevent or reduce the severity of cancerous cells.
Can Spinach Cause Weight Loss?
Even though spinach is mildly flavored, it’s a nutritious and healthy green vegetable that provide a ton of health benefits. It has a mild flavor, similar to its cousin, kale and chard. It’s also a great source of vitamins and minerals. Spinach dishes are widely available all over the world. Romaine lettuce is also known as cos lettuce, and it’s very similar to spinach. Other varieties are known as orache, seakale beet, or spinach beet depending on the country. Regardless of the type, all of them are packed with nutrients, and that’s why spinach has quickly become one of the most popular leafy greens in the world.
Spinach for a Thicker and Longer hair
Green and leafy vegetables in general and spinach in particular, are rich in vitamin A, which is known to help keep hair looking shiny and healthy. So if your hair is looking a bit dull and lifeless, a dose of spinach could be just what you need to make your hair healthier, stronger, and shinier. Plus, if you’re thinking about ditching that pricey hair treatment, you might be in luck. According to a study published in the journal Food and Function, spinach might be just the remedy to grow longer and stronger hair without the need for a salon treatment.
This study is still in its early phase, but the researchers are optimistic about the potential of spinach as a natural source of retinoic acid, a derivative of vitamin A. If your hair is indeed suffering from a deficiency, driving this retinoic acid into your scalp could be a natural alternative to salons and salon treatments. And spinach is loaded with other goodness too … this green leafy vegetable is packed with vitamins and minerals that are essential for healthy hair growth and development.
So next time you’re tossing a few stems of baby spinach into your weekly salad, you could be giving your hair a head start to looking and feeling healthy.
Spinach and Eye Health
One of the most well-known health benefits of spinach is its role in promoting eye health. Studies have shown that spinach improves vision, and it has been recommended as a supplement to help with symptoms of common eye diseases like age-related macular degeneration. It has also been shown to help prevent cataracts, and is the one food that’s most associated with preventing macular degeneration.
The reason why spinach is recommended for eyes is its high levels of beta-carotene, or vitamin A. Vitamin A is a critically important nutrient when it comes to vision, and it works synergistically with lutein and zeaxanthin (two other carotenoids found in spinach) to promote good vision.
Benefits of Spinach for Skin
Hair And Nails.
Spinach is a nutrient-rich green leafy vegetable that belongs to the goosefoot family. It contains an impressive array of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that have a huge impact on your overall health.
Other names for this popular green leafy veggie are: Popeye’s favorite vegetable or the queen of leafy greens.
Despite being ranked 18th in popularity of the most consumed vegetables in the USA, it is definitely the queen of leafy greens according to the health benefits it offers.
Spinach is very rich in nutrients, with a single cup of spinach providing you with 4 times more vitamin C than an orange.
It also has excellent levels of other vitamins and minerals such as vitamin K, folate, calcium, iron, and magnesium. Spinach is also packed with antioxidants, including flavonoids and carotenoids.
When compared to other green leafy vegetables, spinach offers higher levels of important nutrients and is safer to eat. We are talking about a wonder vegetable that is loaded with vitamins and minerals.
Studies have shown that spinach may help lower your risk of chronic disease and can help you live a long, healthy, active life. With this in mind, let’s take a closer look at the different health benefits of spinach.
Sun Protection
One of the biggest benefits of vitamin-A rich foods for kids is that they promote strong, healthy vision. But did you know that vitamin-A also protects your kids from sun damage? Plus, it’s an antioxidant, so it helps your kids’s bodies fight free radicals. Opt for foods like spinach, carrots, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin that are high in vitamin-A to protect your kids’ eyes from the sun’s harmful rays.
That means spinach is not just good for your eyes, it’s good for your skin, too! Combined with vitamin-A beta-carotene, the vitamin-A found in spinach creates the perfect skin nourishing blend. The beta-carotene is converted to vitamin-A in your body and helps your skin and your immune system fight the sun’s harmful rays.
Vitamin-A, good antioxidants, and vitamins E and C are just a smattering of the health benefits of spinach. It’s full of iron, zinc, fiber, protein, and protein. Spinach is also a great food for women of nursing age.
Skin Glow
Spinach is rich in lutein and zeaxanthin that help you maintain eye health and improve vision. They help protect your eyes against the harmful effects of sunlight, and help preserve the macula, which is responsible for your central vision.
Spinach is also rich in vitamins A, C, E, and K. These vitamins help repair tissue, strengthen capillaries, increase collagen production, and improve skin texture. This also helps delay skin aging and improves skin’s natural elasticity.
Anti-wrinkling
Spinach also contains vitamin C, which contributes to collagen production and elasticity. It also contains vitamin B, which helps in the production of more collagen. Collagen, in turn, provides a foundation of strong, healthy cells which give your skin its elasticity.
Fighting Acne
Spinach leaf is very low in Saturated fat and Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Dietary fiber, Folate, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin E and Manganese, and a very good source of Dietary fiber, Iron, Magnesium and Protein.
Spinach leaves contain A and K vitamins, as well as vitamin C, B2, B3, B6, copper, folate and zinc. These vitamins help your body to fight against skin aging and pimple formation, and are also important for maintaining healthy hair, good vision, and a strong immune system.
Glutamine is another anti-acne agent present in spinach. Glutamine also possesses antibacterial properties. It is also an amino acid that has several important physiological functions in the human body. It’s the main source of energy for the body cells. In addition, it is also a very important nutrient for the muscles.
Anti-diabetic Effect of Spinach
Spinach may be low in calories, but it’s rich in nutrients and vitamins. It’s a very good source of vitamins A, C and E, as well as several other minerals such as iron, selenium, potassium and zinc. Spinach is also a great source of beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound. The vitamin C content of spinach helps to reduce the accumulation of cholesterol. Furthermore, regular consumption of spinach helps to fight breast, ovarian and other types of cancers.
And, as a great blood purifier, spinach reduces the risk of heart diseases and fights infection. Overall, spinach’s numerous health benefits make it an indispensable vegetable for achieving good health. Also, because of its high water and fiber content, spinach triggers satiety, which helps you avoid snacking. So if you’re looking for a non-caloric vegetable that fills you up, but doesn’t add to your waistline, choose spinach.
Benefits of Spinach for Cardiovascular Health
Spinach is one of the most nutrient dense foods in existence. It’s no wonder Popeye was always so strong and so healthy. Apart from its vitamins and minerals, spinach is also full of powerful antioxidants and phytonutrients. These incredible compounds are responsible for all the many benefits that spinach has to offer. From fighting cancer and aging to helping prevent cardiovascular diseases, maintaining healthy joints, and even reducing cholesterol, spinach proves itself as one of the most powerful foods in the world.
Effect of Spinach on Brain Health
Spinach has been cultivated and eaten for ages for its amazing health benefits, as it is packed with vitamins and minerals. Spinach is high in lutein, lutein helps in preserving the age of cells and promotes eye health. It also contains beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A, and folate, which helps prevent mental disorders and memory loss. Spinach has a special combination of folate and folic acid which helps the blood flow in your brain.
Spinach contains a number of widely studied phytonutrient antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds which are also good for the brain health.
Spinach also offers protection against cognitive decline in the elderly. Spinach contains significant amounts of vitamin K, which is important in helping to regulate blood clotting. Low levels of vitamin K have been associated with a higher risk of cognitive decline.
The specific anti-inflammatory compounds in spinach have shown to reduce inflammation in the brain, which protects the brain cells. It also reduces oxidation, which damages the liver and the brain cells.
It is also a very rich source of serotonin, the hormone that maintains your emotional balance. In addition to that, it is a great source of vitamin B-12 and folate. Both of the vitamins have been found to be helpful for people who are susceptible to depression.
Delay Aging
Science has time and time again proven that your diet can affect how fast you age. According to scientists, antioxidants found in food can protect us from oxidative stress, which is caused by the free radicals in our body and environment. When we are exposed to sunlight, stress, chemicals, and smoke, our body’s immune system produces free radicals in response to their presence. While some free radicals protect us from outside invaders, too many can cause damage to our cells and cause them to age faster.
So to help prevent aging, it is wise to consume the best antioxidants found in food. And one of the best sources of antioxidants is the leafy green green vegetable, spinach, which is particularly rich in vitamins C and A, lutein, beta-carotene, zeaxanthin, folate, and iron.
Spinach is considered a superfood because the nutrients it contains are easier for the body to absorb, and it is also a low-calorie food that helps stabilize blood sugar levels.
Spinach is also packed with fiber, which makes it filling. For instance, a cup of cooked spinach only has 23 calories and offers about 3 grams of fiber. This makes it an ideal addition to any healthy weight loss diet.
Anti-ischemic Effect
In a Chinese study, researchers looked at the effects of a water extract of spinach versus a water extract of the blue green algae, Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (AFA). They found that the mean value of MDA in platelets (in a rat study) had a 93% reduction in rats that were fed AFA, compared to rats that were fed spinach extract.
In a human study, researchers looked at the anti-ischemic benefits of spinach and found that it prevented the decrease of sodium (Na+) and water (NaHCO3) in the myocardium. They concluded that spinach leaves exhibit cardioprotective effects by regulating the volume of body fluids and electrolytes through Na+ channel activation.
In another human study, researchers gave healthy patients 60ml/day of a fluid extract of spinach leaf for 4 weeks and found that it accelerated blood flow recovery by adjusting hemodynamics. Normal blood flow recovery time is approximately 120±20 s after ten minutes of occlusion, with no significant difference between men and women. But after four weeks of supplementation, blood flow recovery in men took only 40±15 s, which is 42.99% faster than the control group.
Special Precautions Before Eating Spinach
Spinach is available year-round in varying shades of green. The darker the green, the more nutritious it tends to be. Spinach contains special nutrients that contribute to antioxidant defense systems, and these antioxidants help neutralize free radicals.
Spinach also contains chlorophyll that is essential for absorbing the sun’s energy in green plants. Vegetarians may want to consider adding spinach to their diet to help absorb the sun’s energy in the absence of animal products.
Make sure you thoroughly wash the leaves of spinach and remove any tough stems. Like other cruciferous vegetables, spinach can potentially aggravate the stomach. If you are a sensitive to plant foods, it’s best to introduce spinach slowly into your diet. Limit your consumption to about one cup per day and observe the results.
Like all fruits and vegetables, store fresh spinach loosely and refrigerated in the crisper. It’s best not to wash fresh spinach prior to storing or serving it since it will make the leaves wet. Instead, remove and discard any leaves that look damaged.
Final Verdict
Is it good for you?
This is a vegetable leafy green that plays a significant role when it comes to a healthy body. Most of its health benefits are associated with its folates properties. It can be said that folates are essential to support the functions of the brain, liver, fetus, and placenta. Since most people are deficient in this vitamin, it is essential to have it in your system in the sufficient amount. This will allow you to have a healthy digestive health and also prolong your lifespan.
Spinach is also rich in vitamin K. This is necessary to promote bone health and calcium absorption. It also plays a key role in preventing diabetes and heart disease which are prevalent illnesses in the world.
Apart from this, the stock is rich in proteins, zinc, and iron. They contribute to a healthy nervous system. The iron is also essential in transporting oxygen. This will help you have a healthy hemoglobin.
Therefore, the best way to incorporate spinach in your diet is to have it raw. And since it is rich in carbohydrates, it is advisable to have it with a balanced meal or after a rigorous work out session.
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Source: EzineArticles