6 Good Reasons To Start Eating Spinach!

Last Updated on February 1, 2021

Scientifically known as Spinacia oleracea, many people consider this leafy green vegetable a superfood due to its high amounts of nutrients and antioxidants. Spinach has a strong influence in pop culture due to the fictional character Popeye – a sailor hero that eats a can of spinach to increase his strength when he is in obvious danger. It’s probably one of the most popular cartoon characters ever, and many young kids started eating spinach because of him. Any balanced and healthy diet must include a wide variety of leafy green veggies. Spinach should be one of them. Unfortunately, many people dislike its raw taste. It is especially unpopular among young children. But don’t discard this vegetable just because your kids don’t love it. There are many delicious spinach recipes you can try that are nearly impossible to dislike. Teach them to like spinach – it is worth it! Spinach Nutrition Facts Let’s look at the nutrition facts of this vegetable (per 100 grams): Calories: 23 Total fat: 0.4 g (0.1 g saturated fat) Sodium: 79 mg Total carbohydrate: 3.6 g (2.2 dietary fiber; 0.4 g sugar) Protein: 2.9 g Vitamin A: 188% daily value (DV) Vitamin K: 402% DV Vitamin C: 31% DV Manganese: 39% DV Magnesium: 20% DV Copper: 14% Iron: 15% It also contains other vitamins and minerals in lower amounts, such as potassium, calcium, vitamin B6, and riboflavin, just to name a few. Now, without further ado, here are 6 amazing health benefits of spinach that will convince you to introduce spinach into your diet.

1. Improves Eye Health

Spinach can be considered food for good eyesight. You know why? Because it contains high amounts of lutein and zeaxanthin, two types of carotenoids that are fairly common in vegetables and responsible for their color. The human eye also contains both these carotenoids, which act as a protective shield against UV damage. A handful of scientific studies also concluded that lutein and zeaxanthin can prevent (or even reverse) macular degeneration and cataracts, two complicated problems that often lead to blindness.

2. Improves Heart Health

Nitrates are compounds naturally produced by the human body, and that can be found in certain foods. Inside the organism, nitrates can lose an oxygen atom and turn into nitric oxide, a substance that can be toxic for humans in high amounts, but that can also improve heart health if kept between optimal levels. Nitric oxide is a signaling molecule. This means that it sends signals to other cells and tells them what to do. In this specific case, it tells the muscle cells around the arteries to relax. This message causes the blood vessels to dilate, thus decreasing blood pressure. High blood pressure is one of the major factors that can lead to dangerous heart diseases, so eating a spinach salad every once in a while might be a great way to keep your blood pressure in check.