Spinach is part of those vegetables whose nutritional value is highly beneficial for your body and mind.
Studies have linked spinach to a better general state of the person, as well as reducing the occurrence of diseases.
There are several variants of spinach, but they all share the same delicious flavor, its nutrients and can be prepared in different ways.
Health benefits of spinach
Spinach is packed with a multitude of benefits, despite its small size.
It is moisturizing, since it contains a high water content. Staying hydrated is essential; Significant water (and metabolite) losses have a detrimental effect on your mental and physical capacity.
It is also rich in a wide range of minerals, used by our body as tools to carry out its functions. Among the most notable is calcium.
It also provides us with vitamins of different kinds, which act as antioxidants and anti-inflammatories.
Therefore, it is natural that the nutritional value of spinach is an advantage of great help in controlling diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension and more, as we will mention later.
1. They strengthen the bones
Spinach is rich in vitamin K and magnesium, both metabolites used by your body to maintain strong, healthy bones. A cup of spinach satisfies the daily requirements of both.
As a person ages, especially after the fourth decade of life, the bones lose density and strength. This is particularly accentuated in women, who are prone to suffering from osteoporosis in advanced ages.
Vitamin K, along with vitamin D absorbed from the diet and UV rays, work to reverse this degenerative process.
They stimulate the deposit of calcium in our bones and prevent excessive degradation, in a constant process called bone remodeling.
Magnesium, for its part, is a metabolite that helps cells absorb calcium circulating in the blood, so that it is not excreted by our body.
However, although spinach contains a high amount of calcium, our body is not able to fully absorb this mineral at the intestinal level.
This is due to the oxalates it contains, molecules that bind calcium and prevent its use by our body.
Therefore, although it provides us with calcium, spinach is not the best source of this mineral.
2. They prevent arteriosclerosis
The beneficial properties of spinach extend to our cardiovascular system.
Studies indicate that spinach consumption is related to a lower incidence of heart disease, such as heart attack, generally caused by arteriosclerosis.
Arteriosclerosis is the thickening of the walls of blood vessels due to the formation of a fibro-fatty plaque or atheroma, made up of connective tissue and lipids.
Atheroma is formed by a continuous inflammatory process due to lipid deposition. As it grows, the blood flow decreases. Affecting, in turn, different organs (heart, brain and more).
The vitamin K2 in spinach favors the elasticity of the arteries. In such a way that, during each heartbeat, a sufficient amount of blood is transported to all tissues.
It also decreases the growth of atheroma and the possible complications derived from it.
Arteriosclerosis is also related to high consumption of fat and processed sugars. Replacing these harmful habits with, for example, salads containing spinach (low in both) is highly beneficial.
3. Regulates blood pressure
Spinach also fights against hypertension and helps maintain blood pressure at adequate levels.
As we mentioned, arteries have a certain elasticity. Depending on the circumstances, the arteries can dilate or constrict.
Certain factors, such as aging, high salt intake and physical inactivity, blood pressure rises for prolonged periods, causing hypertension.
Vitamin K2 stimulates the production of proteins that keep the walls in optimal condition, avoiding their hardening and maintaining elasticity.
High blood pressure is a major risk factor for arteriosclerosis, so keeping your blood pressure under control is important.
4. Reduces eye diseases
Spinach offers high levels of vitamin A (retinol, for example) and carotenoids such as lutein and zeaxanthin.
The first (vitamin A) is an antioxidant that reduces the effects of oxidative stress, a product of free radicals naturally produced by our body.
Carotenoids offer protection against age-related macular degeneration, an eye disorder that occurs as a person ages, culminating in blurred or even partial loss of vision.
Studies have also linked the consumption of carotenoids with a lower incidence of cataracts, a very serious ocular affectation solved by surgery.
5. They benefit brain function
The spinach content acts in our body as a barrier that keeps our mental capacity intact, directly or indirectly.
In our body, free radicals are naturally produced. The body keeps the concentration of these at the margin through cellular mechanisms, which fail during aging.
Our brain is particularly sensitive to these effects. Our memory and cognitive capacity decreases as the years go by if we do not take care of it.
The vitamin K, lutein, folate, and beta carotene in spinach are potent antioxidants that trap these harmful molecules and prevent brain degeneration.
In a more indirect way, spinach promotes optimal circulation by safeguarding the heart and arteries, which in turn keeps the blood supply to the brain intact.
6. Improves intestinal transit
Spinach contains a moderate amount of fiber, a powerful ally for intestinal motility.
Fiber exerts a probiotic effect. Polysaccharide compounds (a type of sugar beneficial to your body) are found that are used by bacteria in your gut.
There, the bacteria use the sugars as fuel through a fermentation process. Thus, the natural barriers of your body remain erect.
Second, a healthy intestinal microenvironment favors the digestion and absorption of food. Translated, in turn, into a better intestinal transit.
7. Strengthen muscles
Spinach contains a good number of amino acids, such as leucine, isoleucine, arginine, lysine, and phenylalanine.
Amino acids act, comparatively, as building blocks by your muscle tissue. During the rest period after physical activities, the amino acids in your diet become proteins.
Proteins help muscle hypertrophy, that is, its growth.
8. They take care of the skin and hair
The benefits of spinach are not limited to our internal organs, they also extend to our physical appearance.
Vitamin A and C are essential metabolites in the cellular processes of the dermis and hair follicles.
Vitamin A stimulates sebum production. This is a lubricant secreted by our skin, essential to avoid dryness and subsequent fragility.
On the scalp, the above is extremely important. The lubrication of the hair shaft creates a hydrophobic layer, that is, it repels water. This protects your hair from overhydration and weakening.
Also, vitamin A acts as a promoter of dermis cell replication.
Vitamin C exerts a similar effect, favoring the creation of new cells and the maintenance of a suitable cellular environment. In addition, it favors the production of collagen.
Collagen stimulates wound healing and repair.
9. They fight cancer
Cancer is nothing more than uncontrolled cell division, forming masses made up of aberrant cells of all kinds.
They are the result of dozens of factors, including oxidative stress. Since carotenoids and vitamins act as antioxidants, they prevent tissue degeneration.
On the other hand, studies have focused on a component extracted from spinach, glyceroglucolipids. These molecules stop the replication process of cancer cells.
They do so by acting on proteins related to cell division, such as cyclins A and E. Their inactivation prevents the replication and growth process from continuing.
Studies have shown promising effects on cancer of the cervix, lung, stomach and even leukemia.
10. Decreases inflammation
Spinach is an excellent anti-inflammatory, which acts in a general way.
As we have already explained, spinach counteracts the inflammatory processes of arteriosclerosis due to its antioxidant effect and by inhibiting the molecules responsible for inflammation.
Inflammation can lead to cell death and partial loss of organ function during aging. Spinach benefits slow down this progressive degradation.
The anti-inflammatory effects have neuroprotective benefits, formation of new blood vessels (improves circulation) and tissue regeneration after the inflammatory process.
11. They are ideal for weight loss regimens
Spinach is an ideal vegetable if you want to implement foods that are not hypercaloric in your diet.
Spinach favors digestion, is low in calories and hydrating. Which makes it an extremely important ally during weight loss.
Since they are low in calories, you can integrate them widely into your diet without the risk of consuming excess calories.
spinach properties
calories
Spinach is very low in calories. A cup of spinach (30g) offers only 6 calories. So you can consume larger amounts and still stay in a caloric deficit.
Water
Spinach is a vegetable loaded with water, highly beneficial for your body. Staying hydrated improves your circulation, favors kidney function and the excretion of waste that must be expelled.
proteins
30 g of spinach only offers 0.9 g. of proteins. It is not an excellent source of protein, however, its protein content is loaded with amino acids that promote muscle growth and maintenance of your body.
carbohydrates
A cup of spinach offers 1.1 g of carbohydrates, particularly dietary fiber, which is extremely important to maintain proper intestinal transit, regular bowel movements, and the formation of healthy intestinal bacteria.
Sugar
The amount of sugar in spinach is practically nil. Therefore, if you want to embark on a low-sugar diet, spinach is an excellent option.
Fiber
It is mostly made up of insoluble fiber, such as cellulose. As it is not digestible by intestinal enzymes, it remains at this level for longer, favoring the formation of bacteria and intestinal movements.
fats
Like sugars, the amount of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are very low. A cup of spinach only offers 0.1 g, so spinach can be helpful if you want to cut down on excessive fat intake.
Omega 3
One cup of spinach offers 41.6 mg of omega-3s, made up of alpha linoleic acid. Spinach is a rich source of these and they are partly the reason behind its protective effects on different organs and its anti-inflammatory effects. It also increases HDL concentrations and improves blood pressure.
omega 6
The concentration of omega 6 in spinach is much lower than that of omega 3 (7.8 mg per 30 g of spinach). However, like the previous one, they contribute to cardiovascular health, circulation, reduce the oxidative effect and improve your lipid profile.
Trans fat
Spinach does not contain any trans fat at all. The latter do not contain any nutritional benefit and are of synthetic origin, which is why spinach lacks these.
How to prepare spinach
Spinach can be prepared in different ways, depending on the person’s palate. Each way is delicious and offers us its advantages.
However, no matter how you prepare it, they will all provide you with the range of benefits that spinach offers.
You don’t have to completely replace your usual recipes to eat more spinach. You can incorporate the vegetable into everyday dishes, such as pasta or soup.
Spinach can be eaten raw or cooked. However, remember that the bioavailability of nutrients (that is, their ability to be absorbed) increases when we cook them.
Raw spinach can be mixed with other vegetables – tomatoes, spinach and cucumbers – to make nutritious salads.
You can include them during your daily breakfasts, adding spinach as an extra ingredient for your tortillas.
You can add flavor, nutritional value, and color to your soups by adding spinach. You can prepare creamy soups based on spinach and potatoes, interspersed with fragrant spices.
Sautéing spinach is an exquisite alternative, where the flavor of the oil and other vegetables (such as onion) intermingle, creating appetizing and healthy dishes.
You can also boil the spinach in water over high heat, for 2-3 minutes. Enough to increase the bioavailability of its nutrients, but not enough to denature its proteins.
Finally, you can prepare delicious and energizing smoothies by blending spinach with other fruits, such as bananas or blueberries.
University Professional in the area of Human Resources, Postgraduate in Occupational Health and Hygiene of the Work Environment, 14 years of experience in the area of health. Interested in topics of Psychology, Occupational Health, and General Medicine.