We have been discussing superfoods, their nutritional value and healing powers in the past few weeks. This article is dedicated to spinach, long hailed for its multiple benefits and strength-building nutrients (iron).
Spinach should have topped the superfood list because of its importance to health, but I am following an alphabetical order. This dark leafy vegetable and its sidekicks (kale, collards, Swiss chard, mustard, turnip, and beet greens, bok choy, romaine lettuce and orange bell peppers) can easily tower all whole foods for their infinite wealth of nutrients. The vegetable offers vitamins B (thiamine, riboflavin, pyridoxine, folate), C, E, and K, beta-carotene, lutein/zeaxanthin, glutathione, pholyphenols, chlorophyll, minerals (calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium, manganese), betaine, omega-3 fatty acids, alpha lipoic acid, and coenzyme Q10.
Due to the synergy of its multiple phytonutrients, frequent spinach consumption can lower risk of heart disease, stroke, inflammation, cancers of the colon, lung, skin, stomach, ovaries, prostate and breasts, and blinding eye diseases such as cataracts and age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Carotenoids in spinach or its family are the protective nutrients to artery walls. The darker the green the richer it is in lutein/zeaxanthin, members of beta-carotene. Yes, beta-carotene is very high in leafy greens, but the orange pigment in the plant is overpowered by the intense green of chlorophyll. This precursor of vitamin A along with vitamin C stops oxidation and accumulation of cholesterol in blood vessels.
High contents of folate along with betaine, an essential fat in spinach, eliminate homocysteine, a factor that increases possibility of heart disease and stroke. The minerals, potassium, magnesium and calcium, polyphenols, and omega-3 fatty acids in the plant contribute to cardiovascular health, reducing blood pressure and stroke probability.
Spinach, a rich source of phytochemicals and antioxidants along with folate, helps maintain cells and protect their DNA. Glutathione restores impaired DNA, enhances the multiplication of cells, improves immunity, purifies from toxins and relieves inflammation. Alpha lipoic acid improves glutathione and controls blood sugar levels. This water and fat soluble fatty acid acts on the cell membranes and repairs free radical damage, reducing risk of many cancers as well as age-related mental decline. As the body is unable to produce the two antioxidants after a certain age, it is important to eat spinach regularly for protection against cancer.
Lutein in spinach offers further protection from gastric cancer as well as lung cancer for smokers and former smokers. The deep green pigment, chlorophyll, in spinach provides the most bioactive protection against cancer and chronic disorders. It acts like an antimutigen to inhibit tumor cell growth.
Some blinding eye diseases can be prevented or at least reduced with the consumption of spinach and dark leafy greens as well as cold-water fish and their marine-derived omega-3 fatty acids. Lutein and zeaxanthin in dark greens seem to protect the eyes and retinal cells from free-radical damage caused by exposure to ultraviolet light and smoking, decreasing incidents of AMD and cataracts, thus blindness. People susceptible to such damaging conditions as exposure to sunlight need to increase consumption of spinach, dark-leafy greens, broccoli, orange bell peppers and eggs.
Don’t be surprised. Egg yolks, too, contain high amounts of lutein and zeaxanthin, which are more bio-available to the body than from any other food. Free-range eggs are high in nutritional value such as vitamins A, B, D, and E, selenium, high quality protein, and omega-3 fatty acids plus the above carotenoids. Don’t be afraid to include “vegetarian fed” or “omega-3” eggs; locally they are called baladi eggs.
Spinach is a good source of vitamin K, which is critical for the production of certain proteins that promote normal blood coagulation. Vitamin K is important for vascular health and bone-building to minimize hemorrhaging and hip and bone fractures. It is important in genetic conditions such as hemophilia.
I doubt anyone has difficulty finding spinach or other greens. They are available in all our markets, loose, in bunches, or frozen. They require thorough washing and rinsing with cool water; soil tends to stick onto the leaves. Soaking makes greens lose important nutrients. Greens can be eaten lightly cooked or raw. Cooking makes carotenoids in greens and tomatoes more bio-available and increases lutein, but it downgrades vitamin C and folate. For this reason, serve them lightly cooked or raw in salads. To improve the assimilation of spinach and tomato carotenoids, add a little extra-virgin olive oil.
Most of us eat spinach and its sidekicks, but make sure you do it several times a week. Greens make appetizing salads with a dash of olive oil and a sprinkle of nuts. Try pasta with spinach. Add a bunch of the leaves in vegetable soups. Try steamed spinach with a lemon, garlic and olive oil dressing.
Eggs with spinach make a healthy dish. Stir-fry the greens with onions and mushrooms in a little olive oil. I am sure you have more interesting recipes involving spinach and other greens. They will do you a lot of good. Enjoy them.
(Mariam Alireza is a holistic science specialist. Send comments to [email protected].)