The Health Benefits of Spinach

Don't the health benefits of spinach intrigue you a bit, considering how a frail-looking sailor suddenly develops a buffed bud after eating this veggie?

What is the truth about the health benefits of spinach in real life? how healthy can a spinach be?

Let's see.

It is true that the spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is packed with vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidant contents. It's one of the most gracious green and leafy vegetables around. In fact, the more green and vibrant their colors are, the higher their nutritional values are.

The health benefits of spinach come from many sources. These include: Vitamin A, Vitamin B, Vitamin B1 (Thiamine), Vitamin B9 (Folic acid), Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Manganese, Magnesium, Iron, Calcium, Potassium, Fiber, and Protein. Others nutrients include: Zinc, Choline, Omega-3, Anti-oxidants and Flavonoids.

However, the health benefits of spinach ma be affected by its oxalate content. These are the chemicals present in most plants, nuts and seeds that inhibit the absorption of minerals like calcium and iron. In this case, while the health benefits of spinach from calcium and iron may be generous, the oxalates significantly decrease our ability to consume them.

Because of this chemical element, eating spinach raw may not provide us as much health of benefits of spinach as we had hoped for. One way of preventing the presence oxalic acids in spinach is by cooking them, particularly boiling in a generous amount of water for about a minute. Also, we may increase our calcium and non-heme iron absorption from spinach by cooking it with other vegetables.

Health benefits of spinach in our bodies

Let's look at the potential health benefits of spinach to our daily lives.

• Folate, fibers and the rich antioxidant contents of spinach help promote cardiovascular health. Folate helps lower the homocysteine levels of our blood; while fiber aids in controlling our blood sugar level. The antioxidants aid in the prevention of other heart and blood diseases such as stroke and diabetes.

• Vitamin K, C, E and beta-carotene contents are the health benefits of spinach that promotes bone health. More so, the calcium that we absorb from spinach helps strengthen our bones. You can fight away disease like osteoporosis with regular spinach intake.

• Vitamin K also promotes brain health and a well-functioning nervous system. The flavonoids present in spinach not only feed the brain cells which helps improve memory retention; they also slow the process of aging.

• Vitamin A is one of the health benefits of spinach which promotes skin health. It helps maintain our skin fresh and aglow. Spinach helps fight skin problems whether it’s a simple pimple issue or a severe psoriasis condition.

• The health benefits of spinach also include eye health. Carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin are also present in spinach. They help prevent degenerative diseases of the eyes like macular degeneration and cataracts.

Other health benefits of spinach include digestive health and stronger defense systems which help us fight certain cancers such as the lung, breast and prostate cancers.

Health benefits of spinach for weight watchers

Those who are concerned with their weight more than anything else. The health benefits of spinach may also serve this purpose.

Spinach is a low-calorie food, just like many of the green leafy vegetables you know. A cup of spinach gives you only a consumption of 40 calories while it is packed with fibers and proteins that are essential for a weight management diet. As the fibers help in controlling your usual hunger pangs, the proteins give you loaded up energy which makes you feel fuller longer.

Given the health benefits of spinach mentioned in this article, it is perhaps right to follow the good habit of dear old Popeye. Adding spinach to our diets may indeed make us stronger, fitter and smarter.