Health Benefits Of Spinach
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Health Benefits Of Spinach
The healthy vegetable of spinach is coming from the Persian region of the world. According to some historians, current spinach that the world is known to in these days has come from Spain, and the people of Spain took spinach to Persia. Chinese people are using spinach from the seventh century; this vegetable is as old as human history. It is evident that at the time, people were not known to the benefits of this vegetable. Spinach is a healthy vegetable with a lot of beneficial nutrition in it. There are many vitamins, minerals, fiber, low calories, and some other nutrients that will be discussed afterward. In the present world, spinach is sobriquet as a superfood with all the essential nutrients required for the overall health of the body. Spinach is from the family of lettuce, and it has the same benefits as other family members. Other family plant members are cabbage, collard greens, kale, swiss chard, arugula, and lettuce.
Nutritional Information
Spinach is enriched with vitamins, especially vitamin C, vitamin K, and vitamin A. It also has minerals like iron, calcium, and folic acid. Spinach contains some extremely strong antioxidants like zeaxanthin, lutein, and quercetin. We will be discussing the nutrients of spinach per hundred grams as follows:
Nutrition value per 100 g |
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Principle |
Value |
Percentage of RDA |
Fiber |
02.20 grams |
06.00 % |
Carbohydrates |
03.63 grams |
03.00 % |
Protein |
2.860 grams |
05.00 % |
Total Fat |
0.390 grams |
01.50 % |
Energy |
23.00 K Cal |
01.00 % |
Vitamins |
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Vitamin A |
9377 IU |
312.00 % |
Vitamin E |
02.030 milligrams |
13.50 % |
Vitamin C |
28.10 milligrams |
047.00 % |
Vitamin K |
482.90 ug |
402.00 % |
Pantothenic acid |
0.065 milligrams |
01.00 % |
Thiamin |
0.078 milligrams |
06.50 % |
Pyridoxine |
0.195 milligrams |
15.00 % |
Folates |
194.00 ug |
48.50 % |
Riboflavin |
0.189 milligrams |
14.50 % |
Niacin |
0.724 milligrams |
04.50 % |
Electrolytes |
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Potassium |
558.00 milligrams |
12.00 % |
Sodium |
79.00 milligrams |
05.00 % |
Minerals |
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Zinc |
0.530 milligrams |
05.00 % |
Copper |
0.130 ug |
14.00 % |
Phosphorus |
00.00 milligrams |
00.00 % |
Iron |
2.71 milligrams |
34.00 % |
Manganese |
0.480 milligrams |
21.00 % |
Selenium |
0.00 ug |
00.00 % |
Magnesium |
0.8970 milligrams |
39.00 % |
Calcium |
099.00 milligrams |
10.00 % |
Phyto-nutrients |
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Carotene-α |
0.00 ug |
--- |
Crypto-xanthene-ß |
00.00 ug |
--- |
Lutein-zeaxanthin |
12198.00 ug |
--- |
Carotene-ß |
5626.00 ug |
--- |
Health Benefits of Spinach
From the table above, it is clear that spinach contains carotenoids, making it a fighter against cancer and reducing stress. It also helps maintain blood sugar levels in the body, while calcium helps make bones strong, and zeaxanthin helps make vision health right. Other health benefits of spinach are as under:
- Helps in Maintaining Skin, Nails, and Hairs
- Spinach has an enormous number of vitamin A which helps your skin fight against the effects of ultraviolet radiation of the sunlight and protects your skin. Moreover, the oxidative nature of vitamin A also keeps the dermal layer of the skin healthy.
- The magnesium and iron present in the spinach help maintain healthy hairs, as hair loss typically occurs due to the iron deficiency. Vitamin C enhances collagen synthesis, and it will make your hair healthy and shiny.
- If you have a problem with brattling nails, you should consume spinach daily; the spinach will heal this problem.
- Weight Loss
Spinach helps in weight loss by decreasing hunger and reduces the urge to have sweets. If you use spinach regularly for three months, you can lose your weight. For this, it is advised to take five grams of spinach daily.
- Reduces Risk of Cancer
Spinach has the power to reduce the chances of cancer and helps in reducing the growth rate of the tumors. The glycoglycerolipids perform this task of preventing the body from the risk of cancer. Breast cancer can be prevented by vitamin A and spinach is enriched with vitamin A. If a woman consumes spinach twice in a week, then getting breast cancer would be low compared to those who do not consume spinach with this regular pace. Spinach is enriched with carotenoids, which are incredibly beneficial in the prevention of cancer. When spinach is cooked and heated, it releases a special kind of compound called indole. This compound helps the body to fight against cancer and inflammation.
- Good for Diabetes
The presence of water and fiber makes spinach good for diabetes. Because these two components of spinach reduce glucose level after consuming spinach. The nitrates in the spinach also control the insulin level in the blood. Moreover, spinach has a meager count of carbohydrates and can be beneficial for the diabetes of type two.
- Beneficial for Blood Pressure
Spinach has nitrates in it; these nitrates are helpful in the improvement of endothelial function of the heart and maintains the blood pressure normal. In this way, spinach is also good for the health of the heart. The leaves of the spinach are used in the treatment of hypertension. The nitrates can make arteries tension free and reduce the stiffness in them. These nitrates expand the arteries and vessels and hence reduces the pressure of blood.
- Beneficial for Eyes
Lutein and zeaxanthin of spinach make it antioxidant and hence improves the health of the eye. Spinach is found to be useful for the vision of older people by reducing the risk of cataracts.
- Helps to Have Strong Bones
As we all know that vitamin K and calcium are essential for the health of bones. Daily consumption of the spinach will fulfill the requirement of the daily need for calcium and vitamin K; as a result, your bones will get healthy. Regular consumption of spinach can also reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
- Good for Digestion
Although spinach does not have many dietary fibers in it, it is still considered to be beneficial for the digestive system. The fiber in spinach will give you a feeling of satisfaction, and you will not feel hunger for a long time. It also helps in the movement of food in the intestines and enhances the process of digestion.
- Asthma Treatment
The presence of vitamin C in spinach is extremely helpful in asthma treatment. Asthma is caused due to oxidative stress, and vitamin C is an antioxidant element. The leaves of spinach contain zeaxanthin and lutein; both these compounds can help in treating asthma.
- Enhances Brain Function
Spinach has the ability to reduce the level of corticosterone in the blood. This hormone is responsible for stress, and the anti-stress property of spinach deals with it. The presence of carotene-beta, folates, vitamin K, and lutein are also said to be anti-stress substances.
Best Way to Use Spinach
- Spinach can be used as a salad, or it can be added to different green salads. There are also a number of ways that you can use spinach in order to gain its full nutritional benefits.
- It can be added to hummus; this will enhance the taste of the hummus as cooked spinach is delicious.
- The best time to take spinach is in the morning. You can make juice of spinach and add it to your smoothie.
- Spinach can also be added to cupcakes. This will increase the aroma of the cupcakes and also helps to maintain the sugar level in the body.
- It can also be added to green salads by adding olive oil; this will make the salad more healthier and delicious.
- Many people add spinach to their food for balancing the nutrients and also sometimes to make food tender.
Side Effects
Although spinach is amazingly beneficial for the overall health of the body and most nutritionists suggest that it does not have extreme side effects. But there are still some side effects for some people that should be addressed.
Kidney Stones
The most common and dangerous side effect of spinach is kidney stones. Oxalates of spinach have the ability to combine with the calcium; this combination leads to the creation of oxalate stones in the urinary vessels. It is beneficial for those people who are already facing the problem of kidney stones.
Reaction with Blood Thinning Medicines
Spinach is full of vitamin K, which is the most critical element in creating blood clots. So, if you are taking those medicines that are for blood thinning, then you should reduce the intake of spinach.
Storing Spinach Leaves
Best way to store spinach is to refrigerate it and try to remove all moisture from it. You can wrap it in a towel or any other moisture absorber cloth.
Selection of Spinach from Market
- Do not buy spinach with yellow leaves.
- If you are buying frozen spinach, then make sure that you have read the best before use.
Final Words
In a nutshell, it is recommended that one should add spinach to their daily meal. It has vitamin A and vitamin C, which are antioxidant and extremely helpful in the reduction of cancer risk and also for diabetes. Spinach is proved to be the power pack of so many nutrients that help the body to fight against diseases. Spinach is said to be poison for the person who is suffering from the kidneys problem. Some research also proves that spinach is not suitable for thyroid patients.
References
https://www.cleverism.com/health-benefits-of-spinach/
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/270609#benefits
https://www.stylecraze.com/articles/benefits-of-spinach-for-skin-hair-and-health/
https://www.nutrition-and-you.com/spinach.html