Healthytalk8 Spinach is well known for its health benefits, from childhood, where it was shown eating popeye (a sailor man)
It (Spinacia oleracea) is a leafy green vegetable that originated in Persia, but now it grows about in every country.
What about Malabar spinach? many people get confused that it is spinach, but that is not true.
Malabar spinach plants grow in India and throughout the tropics, it looks similar to spinach, with a dark green leaf, shape.
Spinach is found commonly in two colors red and green and which one brings more health benefits to compare:
Which is better? Red or green spinach? there is quite a big difference not only in color but in oxalate level.
Green spinach contains a high level of oxalates, which contribute to kidney stones, whereas red spinach is free of oxalate.
Red spinach also contains iron which is essential for your good blood flow and density that overall prevent anemia.
Colors matter, red, and blue color vegetables like red spinach, often have a higher concentration of antioxidants.
Red spinach roots are also used to treat dysentery.
Is spinach can really make me like popeye? or is it a superfood?
Contents
Yes, spinach is really a super food that makes you like popeye, because it contains several vitamins, minerals, and nutrients.
It is mostly considered eaten cooked or raw, and the high oxalate content may be reduced by steaming.
Due to several containing nutritions on it, it may reduce oxidative stress, prevent cancer, eye disease, reduce blood pressure, etc.
You can see its power by providing its several health benefits which we have discussed below.
Rich 10 Health Benefits of spinach
There are many health benefits of spinach which is why it was well popular in the 20s times (on popeye hands) including:
Loaded with Antioxidants effect
Rich in carotenoids that may be more effective and combinations of antioxidants may enhance the protective effects.
Antioxidants are substances that control oxidation, or free radicals produced in our body.
If oxidants start becoming more in the body, then they can damage your body, therefore, there is an antioxidant system to control it.
Spinach is one of the best sources of the antioxidant lutein, which may promote healthy skin, eye, and immune function.
Boiling for about 90% minutes spinach drop lutein about 90%, while frying for just 2 minutes about lost 60%.
Even research suggests that the best way to get more lutein from spinach is to eat raw, chop, and juice form.
Nutritional value
100 gm raw spinach contains this much nutritional value is:
| calories | 26% |
| Protein | 2.9 g |
| carbs | 3.6 g |
| fiber | 2.2 g |
| fat | 0.4 g |
| Iron | 3.72 mg |
| calcium | 30 mg |
| vitamin C | 28.1 mg |
Help in losing weight
Various studies on animals and humans the effect of thylakoids shown on suppressing hunger and weight loss.
Green vegetables like spinach are low in calories and carbohydrates and full fill with fiber are excellent sources of weight loss.
According to a report in 2020, about more than 2 billion adults (39% of the adult global population) were overweight.
If you are planning to reduce weight, then spinach juice or salad may help in weight loss with their low calories.
So add this to your daily diet, especially when you are in weight loss duration.
Check Out – Obesity – Dozens of Effect On The Body, And Reasons
Great for skin and hair
Spinach is loaded with vitamins A, C, E, and K which are necessary for healthy skin and hair.
Cells need vitamin A for growth, including hair, and tissues, which also helps in making sebum (an oily substance) (2).
This sebum moist scalp and skin, which keeps hair healthy and shiny.
Vitamin C can also help reverse the signs of aging due to its vital role in the body’s natural collagen synthesis.
Vitamin K protects the collagen in the body (Collagen is a major component of your skin)
A sufficient amount of collagen makes the skin plump, smooth, and youthful.
All these nutrients combination helps to enhance skin healing from scars or sun damage and fortify its natural barrier.
Reduce high blood pressure
Spinach is a rich source of nitrate which may lead to lower blood pressure and improved vascular function (3)
It also leads to heart attack, and stroke, and can damage kidneys, and blood vessels, without warning, which is why it is also known as a “silent killer“.
A study of 27 people found that eating spinach effectively lowers blood pressure level and also boost heart health (4) (5)
Got results show that the pepsin digest of leaf protein may be useful in the treatment of hypertension (6) (7).
May balance vital hormones
Containing fiber makes it to help to excrete the toxins (and excess hormones) the liver has metabolized.
Green leafy vegetables are considered to be hormone-balancing foods, which can reduce stress hormone called cortisol.
Spinach is rich in folate which is a known blood flow booster (that plays a critical role in male sexual function) (8).
Green vegetables such as spinach, swiss chard, and kale are high in magnesium, and this may increase body testosterone levels (9)
Check Out – Signs That Show You Have Low Testosterone Level?
Prevents cancer risk
9 major case-controlled studies of lung cancer found that people with a higher intake of carotenoids are at a lower risk of cancer.
Another study found that carotenoids are more strongly associated with reduced breast cancer risk (10).
Spinach has a high source of zeaxanthin and carotenoids that can flush out the free radicals from your body.
Plant like spinach and kale contain chloroplast glycoglycerolipids as anti-cancer therapeutic agents (11).
Check Out – Short And Long-Term Side Effects of Cancer Treatment
Good for digestive health
Its high amounts of fiber which is good for the digestion system, and prevent constipation.
Lack of fiber is the common reason for constipation, so consuming high dietary fiber, which promotes regular poop.
Spinach is high in insoluble fiber are like a roughage that pushes things forward into your elementary canal.
These foods include such as whole grain, sprouts, avocado, wheat germ, broccoli, and cauliflower.
Make bone strong
Spinach makes bone strong because it contains a sufficient amount of calcium.
However, it also contains oxalate, which reduces the amount of calcium absorption in bone by binding with calcium and other minerals.
Calcium is a strengthening agent for your bones and keeps your bones healthy (12).
Prevent Eye disease
Many dark green vegetables like spinach are also high in carotenoids (13) but what is it?
Carotenoids are pigments in plants and algae, which produce bright yellow, green red, and orange colors in vegetables, and fruits.
Dietary carotenoids are believed that decrease the risk of disease, particularly certain cancers and eye disease
It is rich in lutein and zeaxanthin (an antioxidant) that may prevent eye disease, by absorbing the blue light that damages the eye (14).
Check Out – Improve Eyesight With 8 Natural Ways – At Home
Who should avoid spinach?
As we know that spinach has many health benefits, but many have some adverse effects on health.
There are certain conditions or diseases, that spinach should avoid eating including:
Kidney stone
If you eat more spinach, so check this out, it also contains oxalate (a substance that contributes to making kidney stones.
To prevent kidney stones, wash it thoroughly and keep it in water for 20 to 30 minutes, which removes oxalate to great extent.
Here are some other common reasons for kidney stone include:
- Lack of water intake
- fast, or junk food which is high in sodium
- Holding urine, urine contains lots of acids or calcium, which may contribute to kidney stones.
Arthritis people
People who have arthritis should avoid spinach because it is high in purine, which makes more uric acid in the body.
Increased uric acid can damage body organs. Even doctors also recommend that spinach should avoid arthritis people.
Blood clotting
Spinach is high in vitamin K1, and it’s vital for blood clotting, however, too much spinach may interact with medications
Too much spinach causes more blood clots, which leads to heart attack, stroke, damage to the body’s organs, or even death.
Blood clotting may affect blood thinning medicine, so consult your doctor first, if you are on any medications.
BOTTOM LINE
Spinach contains many health benefits such as preventing cancer and eye disease risk, reducing High BP, etc
However, it can be avoided in these conditions including arthritis, too much leads to blood clots.
NOTE: This situation is rare, so add spinach to your diet, to get the most of it, it should be consumed raw.
