6 Health benefits of spinach
Remember what a famous cartoon fictional character Popeye the Sailor Man did when faced a trouble? He opened a can of spinach. Immediately after eating his biceps bulged and he got enough strength to fight his enemies. Although it is exaggerated, there is lots of truth in it.
Spinach is well known for its nutritional qualities and remarkable abilities to restore energy, improve health, increase immunity and hemoglobin level. So, spinach probably won’t make you Popeye or Batman, but it will definitely improve your health and vitality in many other ways.
Let’s see what makes spinach super-food
1. Spinach has high nutrition value
When fresh, frozen, steamed, or quickly boiled, spinach has is a rich source of different nutrients:
- It has over 20% of the Daily Value (%DV) of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, magnesium, manganese, and folate.
- It is a good source of the vitamins B (riboflavin and vitamin B6), vitamin E, potassium, and dietary fiber – 10-19% of Daily Value.
- Although spinach has moderate calcium content, only about 5% of it is bioavailable.
2. Spinach is rich in iron
Like many other leafy green vegetables, spinach is rich in iron – 2.71mg per 100g. Iron is a key element of hemoglobin, which transporting oxygen around the body. Playing a central role in the function of red blood cells, hemoglobin is the main component in energy production and DNA synthesis. However, spinach also contains high levels of oxalate, a substance that inhibits iron absorption in the body. Forming ferrous oxalate, oxalate binds to the iron making much of the iron in spinach unusable by the body. Moreover, oxalate not only prevents iron absorption, but also can remove iron from the body.
3. Spinach is a low-calorie food
A 100-g serving of spinach provides only 23 calories.
2. Spinach is rich in iron
Over a dozen different flavonoids, which function as anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer agents, have been identified in spinach. In this respect, spinach can claim a special place among vegetables.
5. Antioxidant Benefits of Spinach
A 100-g serving of spinach provides only 23 calories.
6. Spinach maintains bone health
Over a dozen different flavonoids, which function as anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer agents, have been identified in spinach. In this respect, spinach can claim a special place among vegetables.
Tip:
Spinach is “made of” over 90% of water. So, don’t be shy with your spinach meal – it grossly reduces in size when cooked.
