Spinach

The benefits of Spinach are

You already knew spinach was good for you, but did you know just how good? Spinach protects against eye disease and vision loss; it’s good for brain function; it guards against colon, prostate, and breast cancers; it protects against heart disease, stroke, and dementia; it lowers blood pressure; it’s anti-inflammatory; and it’s great for bone health. Spinach has an amazing array of nutrients, including high amounts of vitamin K, calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, magnesium, and iron.

• A carotenoid found in spinach not only kills prostate cancer cells, it also prevents them from multiplying.
• Folate promotes vascular health by lowering homocysteine, an amino acid that, at high levels, raises the risk of dementia and cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke.
• Folate has also been shown to reduce the risk of developing colorectal, ovarian, and breast cancers and to help stop uncontrolled cell growth, one of the primary characteristics of all cancers.
• Regular spinach consumption cuts colon tumor formation in half
• The vitamin C and beta-carotene in spinach protect against colon cancer in addition to fighting inflammation, making them key components of brain health, particularly in older adults.
• Spinach is loaded with vitamin K (one cup of cooked spinach provides 1,111 percent of the recommended daily amount!), which builds strong bones by helping calcium adhere to the bone. Spinach is also rich in lutein, which protects against age-related macular degeneration, and it may help prevent heart attacks by keeping artery walls clear of cholesterol buildup.
• Spinach is one of only two plant sources of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) which is vital for heart and muscle health.
• The nitrate in spinach helps keep blood pressure under control.
• It improves heart health :The antioxidant properties found in spinach, such as beta-carotene and vitamin C, work as one unit in order to prevent the cholesterol oxidation. The oxidation of cholesterol has been said to be responsible for the development of fatty plaques which could block the arteries and seriously impede blood flow. If cholesterol oxidation is halted, fatty plaques will no longer develop. In this way, excellent cardiovascular health is promoted. Furthermore, the magnesium component in spinach helps regulate the levels of blood pressure. With spinach’s folate content, harmful chemicals that can lead to stroke are turned into harmless compounds.
• It promotes better vision : The aging population should just as well take advantage of the health benefits given by spinach. But frankly speaking, the younger generation should also eat spinach as early as now too. As much as possible, it is important that we all take the necessary steps towards prevention and not merely towards finding a cure.The antioxidants in spinach also help promote better vision. Zeaxanthin and lutein, all packed in glorious leaves of spinach, help protect the eye from the development of cataracts. It also exerts a protective effect against age-related macular degeneration. Because our eyes allow us to see the beauty of life, it is equally important that we take care of it no matter what our biological age is.
• Spinach contains far more beta-carotein and lutein than most other fruits and vegetables.
• It helps fight prostate and ovarian cancer : Aside from protecting us from skin, stomach and breast cancer, studies have also found that it can also help fight the development of ovarian and prostate cancer. According to a report published in the Journal of Nutrition, spinach has carotenoid which enables prostate cancer cells to destroy themselves and then further inhibit the reproduction of these cancerous cells. Remember that cancer is caused by normal cells which had started to reproduce abnormally until its growth could no longer be controlled.Aside from carotenoids, spinach has also been said to possess another strong antioxidant known as kaempferol. This substance stops cancerous cells from forming. Women who regularly consumed foods rich in kaempferol had been found to have lesser ovarian cancer risk. Other sources of kaempferol include blueberries, broccoli, curly kale, grapes, citrus, apples and onions.
• It improves the function of the brain : Spinach is good for your brain, too. This leafy vegetable protects you from the premature decline of your mental faculties. It works by preventing oxidation’s harmful effects on your brain. It has been said that this is the rule of thumb: the darker the leaf of the vegetable, the better it is for your health. Have you ever noticed how dark the color of the spinach leaf is? So there you go. That should convince you. But if you are still not convinced, think about how sharp your mind will still be even at 60.
• It has anti-inflammatory properties : Spinach contains unusual amounts of two important anti-inflammatory compound, violaxanthin and neoxanthin, which helps control and regulate the inflammatory processes inside the body.
• It boosts the function of the immune system : Spinach is loaded with vitamin A, an important component of white blood cells, or lymphocytes – a vital part of the immune system. These cells are responsible for boosting the body’s ability to fight off infection. Eating spinach will give the body the vitamin A that it needs which in turn would contribute to the health of the white blood cells thereby giving our immune system the boost that it needs.
• Chlorophyll-benefits