Spinach is considered to be one of the world’s healthiest foods. It is rich in nutrients, vitamins and minerals and is also chock full of phytonutrients like flavonoids and carotenoids such as zeaxanthin, lutein and beta-carotene. Now we know why Popeye loves spinach. Apparently, this innocent-looking green leafy vegetable which gave Popeye the super strength that he needs to combat his foes also helps deal with a variety of conditions such as cancer, bone problems, problems associated with the heart, oxidative stresses and inflammatory problems as well.

This green leafy vegetable is said to be one of the most nutritious vegetables you will ever find. A cup of spinach can exceed your daily requirements of vitamins A and K. It also meets your daily requirement of folate and manganese and is responsible for 40 percent of your requirements for magnesium. It is also packed with protein, calcium and dietary fiber. All these while having only 40 calories!

Spinach may be available all throughout the year but its best season is from March until May and September until October. During these periods, spinach is at its freshest and best flavor plus, you can find it almost everywhere. Spinach is in the same family as beets and Swiss chard. In fact, its flavor seems like Swiss chard and beets combined together – slightly bitter and slightly salty.

As if its nutritional content is not enough to convince you to grab one right now, here are some more reasons why you should eat spinach:

• It contains cancer-fighting antioxidants

  Spinach is packed with more than twelve individual compounds of flavonoids which seamlessly work as one antioxidant to fight cancer. These flavonoid antioxidants neutralize the damaging effects of free radicals in the body thereby helping in the prevention of cancer. Truth is, a study conducted in women from New England revealed that those who regularly ate spinach had lesser cases of breast cancer. Among laboratory animals, spinach extracts have shown that it was able to decrease the incidence of skin cancer among the animals, and results regarding stomach cancer had been promising as well.

• It improves heart health

  If there is one important organ that you would want to really take care of, it should be your heart. Your heart acts as a pumping mechanism, distributing blood all throughout the body, making sure that all of its individual components receive the nutrients and oxygen that it needs to ensure that they are functioning properly. One of the ways to improve the health of your heart is by eating spinach. Whole Foods compiled researches pertaining to spinach and the results of the numerous studies revealed the spinach is a top promoter of heart health. The antioxidant properties found in spinach, such as beta-carotene and vitamin C, work as one unit in order to prevent the cholesterol oxidation. The oxidation of cholesterol has been said to be responsible for the development of fatty plaques which could block the arteries and seriously impede blood flow. If cholesterol oxidation is halted, fatty plaques will no longer develop. In this way, excellent cardiovascular health is promoted.

  Furthermore, the magnesium component in spinach helps regulate the levels of blood pressure. With spinach’s folate content, harmful chemicals that can lead to stroke are turned into harmless compounds.

• It promotes better vision

  The aging population should just as well take advantage of the health benefits given by spinach. But frankly speaking, the younger generation should also eat spinach as early as now too. As much as possible, it is important that we all take the necessary steps towards prevention and not merely towards finding a cure.

  The antioxidants in spinach also help promote better vision. Zeaxanthin and lutein, all packed in glorious leaves of spinach, help protect the eye from the development of cataracts. It also exerts a protective effect against age-related macular degeneration. Because our eyes allow us to see the beauty of life, it is equally important that we take care of it no matter what our biological age is.

• It helps fight prostate and ovarian cancer

  Aside from protecting us from skin, stomach and breast cancer, studies have also found that it can also help fight the development of ovarian and prostate cancer. According to a report published in the Journal of Nutrition, spinach has carotenoid which enables prostate cancer cells to destroy themselves and then further inhibit the reproduction of these cancerous cells. Remember that cancer is caused by normal cells which had started to reproduce abnormally until its growth could no longer be controlled.

  Aside from carotenoids, spinach has also been said to possess another strong antioxidant known as kaempferol. This substance stops cancerous cells from forming. Women who regularly consumed foods rich in kaempferol had been found to have lesser ovarian cancer risk. Other sources of kaempferol include blueberries, broccoli, curly kale, grapes, citrus, apples and onions.

• It improves the function of the brain

  Spinach is good for your brain, too. This leafy vegetable protects you from the premature decline of your mental faculties. It works by preventing oxidation’s harmful effects on your brain. It has been said that this is the rule of thumb: the darker the leaf of the vegetable, the better it is for your health. Have you ever noticed how dark the color of the spinach leaf is? So there you go. That should convince you. But if you are still not convinced, think about how sharp your mind will still be even at 60.

• It has anti-inflammatory properties

  Spinach contains unusual amounts of two important anti-inflammatory compound, violaxanthin and neoxanthin, which helps control and regulate the inflammatory processes inside the body.

• It boosts the function of the immune system

  Spinach is loaded with vitamin A, an important component of white blood cells, or lymphocytes – a vital part of the immune system. These cells are responsible for boosting the body’s ability to fight off infection. Eating spinach will give the body the vitamin A that it needs which in turn would contribute to the health of the white blood cells thereby giving our immune system the boost that it needs.

• It promotes healthy bones

  Spinach contains a lot of vitamin K which helps prevent bone breakdown while promoting osteocalcin synthesis. Osteocalcin is a protein that is helps maintain the density and strength of our bones.

Sources
livestrong.com
healthdiaries.com
whfoods.com