SPINACH AND IT GREAT BENEFITS

What is Spinach?

Spinach is a member of the Amaranthaceae family and its scientific name is Spinacia oleracea. It is a green, leafy vegetable that is cheap and affordable for everyone. It is a rich source of minerals, vitamins, pigments, and phytonutrients. All of these together make spinach very beneficial for a number of vital processes. Due to the vast range of benefits from this vegetable, it is advisable to consume spinach on a regular basis. One of the biggest reasons why spinach is so important and valued around the world is that it is very durable. It can even survive through the winter and be just as healthy in the spring.

Spinach can be eaten raw as a part of many salads, and it can also be cooked or sauteed down into a reduced form. This can be eaten as a side dish vegetable or added in a number of recipes for soups, stews, and casseroles. It is native to the Middle East and was cultivated in Persia thousands of years ago. From there, it was brought into China, approximately 1,500 years ago. It made its way into Europe a few hundred years later and quickly became a staple in a number of cultural cuisines.

TYPES OF SPINACH


Savoy: This variety has dark green crinkly (wrinkly) and curly leaves. It is widely sold in supermarkets in the United States. Savoy also has several varieties such as “Bloomsdale” which is resistant to bolting, “Merlo nero”-a variety grown in Italy and “Viroflay”- a very large spinach with great yields.
 
Flat or Smooth-leaf Spinach: This variety has broad, smooth leaves which are quite easy to clean. It is widely sold in the form of canned and frozen spinach and used in soups, baby foods and processed foods.
 
Semi-savoy: This is basically a hybrid variety with slightly crinkled leaves. It is similar to savoy in texture but it can be cleaned easily. It is used for both fresh market and processing. “Five star” is the most commonly grown variety that is resistant to running up to seed.

 How Spinach Grows

It’s best to grow spinach in well-drained soil with a pH of from 6.5 to 7.
It’s also recommended to add compost or composted manure to the soil so that it can be as organic as possible.
If you plan to grow spinach twice a year and have this vegetable year-round, plant spinach seeds from four to six weeks before your last frost in the spring and then about six to eight weeks before the first frost in the fall.
The space between spinach plants must be about twelve inches to ensure the leaves reach their full size.
If your spinach has soft leaves, you must make it grow faster by adding nitrogen-rich soil additives, such as blood meal or cottonseed meal.
Composted manure and liquid fertilizers can also be used before planting to ensure full, quick, and strong growth.
Note that warm weather causes spinach bolting, which makes the vegetable’s leaves taste bitter when it’s flowering.
When this vegetable begins to bolt, its leaves taste bitter, and the plant is ready to be pulled.
Bolting spinach looks tall and fragile when the flowering process begins.
Heat (higher than 75° Fahrenheit) speeds up spinach bolting.
The most preferred temperature for the best growth is between 35° and 75° Fahrenheit.

Nutrition

One cup of raw spinach contains:

• 27 calories
• 0.86 grams of protein
• 30 milligrams of calcium
• 0.81 grams of iron
• 24 milligrams of magnesium
• 167 milligrams of potassium
• 2,813 micrograms of Vitamin A
• 58 micrograms of folate

Spinach also contains vitamin K, fiber, phosphorus, and thiamine. Most of the calories in spinach come from protein and carbohydrates.

Potassium

Spinach is one of the best sources of dietary potassium, weighing in at 839 milligrams per cup (cooked). To compare, one cup of banana has about 539 milligrams of potassium.

Iron

A lack of iron in the diet can effect how efficiently the body uses energy. Spinach is a great source of iron, along with lentils, tuna, and eggs. Make sure to combine vitamin C-rich foods with plant iron to improve absorption.

Calcium

Spinach contains approximately 250 milligrams of calcium per cup (cooked), however, it is less easily absorbed than calcium from sources like dairy products. Spinach has a high oxalate content, which binds to calcium making it dificult for our bodies to use.

Magnesium

Spinach is also one of the best sources of dietary magnesium, which is necessary for energy metabolism, maintaining muscle and nerve function, heart rhythm, a healthy immune system, and maintaining blood pressure. Magnesium also plays a part in hundreds more biochemical reactions that occur in the body.

BENEFITS OF SPINACH

 

1.Weight Loss:

Spinach leaves benefits in weight reduction as it is low in calories and fat. It is very nutritious and has a good quality of fat soluble dietary fibre. This fibre aids in digestion, prevents constipation, maintains low blood sugar and curbs overeating. Thus, this leafy vegetable is often recommended to dieters because in dieting, it is important to avoid repetitive eating.

2. Anti-cancer:

Spinach is rich in flavonoids- a phytonutrient with anti-cancer properties. Thus, it has been found to be effective in slowing down cell division in human stomach and skin cancer cells. Moreover, spinach has proven to be effective in providing protection against the occurrence of aggressive prostate cancer.

3. Promotes Eye Health:

Spinach contains antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin in plentiful which protect the eye from cataracts and age related macular degeneration (ARMD). Zeaxanthin is an important dietary carotenoid which is absorbed into the retinal macula lutea

4. Maintains Healthy Bones:

Spinach is rich in vitamin K which is vital for maintaining bone health. A cup of boiled spinach provides around 1000% of the RDA of vitamin K which lowers and controls the over activation of osteoclasts. These are the cells that aid in breaking down the bone structure over a short period of time. Vitamin K also promotes the synthesis of osteocalcin, the protein that is essential for maintaining the strength and density of bones. Spinach is a good alternative to dairy products as it gives proper substitute to calcium, thus preventing the occurrence of osteoporosis. It is an important protein diet for vegans as it helps in building the muscle tissues as well as supporting the collagen growth.

5. Lowers Hypertension:

Hypertension or high blood pressure is responsible for causing kidney disease, heart ailments and stroke. Consuming spinach is beneficial in lowering hypertension as some of its constituents help to reduce stress and anxiety. The nutrients in spinach play a critical role in keeping the balance of Na- K pump by lowering the K (potassium) in your body. Vitamin C also plays an important role in lowering hypertension.

6. Relaxes the Body:

Spinach keeps the body relaxed and completely stress free. It contains tremendous amounts of zinc and magnesium which enable you to sleep better at night, thus making way for more effective healing. Magnesium helps in replenishing your lost energy within seconds. A good quality sleep rests your tired eyes, thus relaxing your body as a whole.

7. Promotes Gastrointestinal Health:

Consuming more of spinach promotes gastrointestinal health. The beta-carotene and vitamin C present in it protect the cells of the body’s colon from the harmful effects of free radicals. Besides, folate prevents DNA damage and mutations in colon cells.

8. Brain and Nervous Function:

Spinach maintains proper brain functioning specially during old age. Consumption of spinach on a daily basis makes your brain young and active, thus enabling you to think intelligently. Spinach contains folate, vitamin K and vitamin C which help in modulating the hormone production of our nervous system. Vitamin K promotes healthy nervous system and brain function by facilitating the synthesis of sphingolipids, the crucial fat that makes up the Myelin sheath around our nerves. Thus, spinach can prove beneficial for correcting behavioral and cognitive issues.

9. Prevention of Atherosclerosis and Heart Attack:

Excessive fat deposition can cause thickening of the human artery wall resulting in Atherosclerosis. Heart attacks are caused due to the hardening of the artery walls. Spinach is rich in Lutein content which prevents thickening of the walls of arteries, thus reducing the risk of heart attack. Besides, spinach contains a high quality nitrite which not only helps in preventing the occurrence of heart attack but also cures the heart diseases associated with fat deposition.

10. Lowers Blood Pressure:

Peptides contained in spinach are effective in lowering blood pressure as they inhibit the angiotensin I-converting enzyme.

11. Anti-inflammatory Properties:

Spinach contains Neoxanthin and violaxanthin, the two anti-inflammatory epoxyxanthophylls that regulate inflammation. Thus, it is beneficial in preventing inflammatory diseases such as arthritis, osteoporosis, migraine headaches and asthma.

12. Aids in Calcification:

Being rich in vitamin K, spinach aids in calcification. This is because this vitamin is a crucial component of the process called carboxylation which produces the matrix Gla protein. This directly prevents calcium from forming in tissue, thus fighting atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease and stroke.

13. Boosts Immunity:

Vitamin A in spinach protects and strengthens the entry points into the human body, such as mucous membranes, respiratory, urinary and intestinal tracts besides being a key component of lymphocytes (white blood cells) that fight infection. One cup of spinach provides as much as 337% of the RDA of vitamin A.

14. Prevents Anaemia:

Regular consumption of spinach can prevent anaemia as it is an excellent source of iron. This mineral is particularly important for menstruating women and growing children and adolescents. Moreover, it is much better than red meat as it provides a lot less calories and is fat and cholesterol free. Iron is also needed for good energy as it is a component of haemoglobin which carries oxygen to all cells of the body.

Spinach Benefits For Skin

Skin is the largest and the most sensitive organ of our body. We all crave for healthy and glowing skin as it enhances our appearance to a great extent. Thus, even our skin needs certain nutrients for maintaining its health. Green leafy vegetables are great for skin and spinach is no exception.  Loaded with most useful vitamins like Vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E and vitamin K as well as vital minerals, this vegetable plays an important role in skincare. Following are the benefits of spinach for skin.

 15. Cures Acne:

Spinach is effective in clearing up acne, thus maintaining healthy skin. To get rid of acne, you can make a face mask by blending spinach with little water and applying it on your face for 20 minutes. This will remove dirt, oil and inflammation from your skin, thus refreshing and rejuvenating it from within. You can also drink spinach juice with other vegetable juices mixed in the following proportions, ½ tomato, ¼ cucumber, 1 carrot, 1 celery, ½ red pepper, ½ cup cabbage, 1 green onion and a handful of spinach. Blend these ingredients to get the juice and drink it daily. This is effective for skin healing and prevents acne.

16. Sun Protection:

Spinach is rich in vitamin B which protects your skin from the harmful ultra violet rays that cause sun damage, skin cancer and pre-mature ageing of skin.

17. Anti-ageing Benefits:

Spinach is loaded with tons of antioxidants that destroy free radicals in your body. These free radicals damage your skin, thereby causing pre-mature ageing. Thus, eating spinach regularly will maintain the youth of your skin and slow down age related degeneration, making your skin look younger and rejuvenated.

18. Improves Complexion:

Being rich in vitamin K and folate, spinach gives you a clear complexion by minimizing acne, bruising on the skin and dark circles. The bounty of vitamin and minerals in this vegetable give you quick relief from dry itchy skin, thus providing you with a radiant complexion.

19. Skin Repair:

As stated earlier, spinach is a rich source of vitamin A and vitamin C. Vitamin A improves skin tone whereas vitamin C plays an important role in the repair as well as growth of skin cells. The amazing antioxidants and nutrients in spinach even out your complexion, making your skin look radiant.

Benefits Of Spinach For Hair

Proper nutrition is vital for getting luxurious hair. For this purpose, it is important to have a balanced diet which provides you with the required nutrients. Spinach occupies an important place in this regard as it is loaded with nutrients and antioxidants that promote healthy hair. Here are the following spinach benefits for hair.

20. Promotes Hair Growth:

Spinach is a super food comprising of vitamins B, C and E, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium and omega-3 fatty acids all of which are required for healthy hair growth. Iron helps the red blood cells carry oxygen to hair follicles which is essential for healthy hair growth and strong strands.

21. Combats Hair Loss:

Hair loss is often caused due to the deficiency of iron. This mineral strengthens the hair strands by enabling the blood cells to carry oxygen to the hair follicles. Deficiency of iron causes anemia which results in hair loss among other adverse effects. Spinach is rich in folate and iron. While folate aids the creation of red blood cells, iron helps them carry oxygen, thus combating hair loss.

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