They Are Friends With Heart And Blood Pressure
This is undoubtedly one of the most significant properties of Spinach. Because they are low in sodium but rich in potassium, a mineral salt that helps keep blood pressure under control, Spinach is an excellent food for those suffering from hypertension.
The peptides (sequences of amino acids) contained in their proteins then inhibit angiotensin, a vessel constrictor which, in the case of hypertension, is best kept at low levels. The nitrates in Spinach also help lower blood pressure and decrease the risk of heart disease. Their fibers also reduce cholesterol levels and help prevent cardiovascular and metabolic diseases like diabetes. Thanks to their iron content, Spinach is also helpful in case of anemia:
They Protect Eyesight
Here is another attractive property of Spinach, considered among the most valuable foods to help our eyes stay healthy. A property that comes from the leaves rich in lutein, an antioxidant substance absorbed by the blood and deposited in the eyes, particularly in the retina.
Along with zeaxanthin (a yellow pigment also contained in Spinach), lutein protects our eyes from damage caused by sunlight. These elements also help prevent important eye system diseases, such as cataracts and macular degeneration.
Furthermore, thanks to the antioxidant properties of vitamin C, folic acid, and beta carotene, eating Spinach helps prevent eye ulcers, itching, swelling, and irritation. That’s why, especially in the summer when the sunlight is at its peak, eating Spinach helps at any age: from children to the elderly, we should all often put this precious vegetable on the table.
They Are Friends With Mothers (And Babies)
Among the properties of Spinach, this is perhaps the best known. Spinach is rich in folic acid(vitamin B9), an indispensable nutrient during pregnancy, as it helps prevent essential and dangerous pathologies of the fetus, capable of compromising the health and, sometimes, the child’s life. During pregnancy, it is better to eat Spinach after cooking, as raw Spinach does not protect the body from toxoplasmosis.
But this vegetable is also an excellent food during the breastfeeding period because it does not change the taste of the milk, and, even in this phase, folic acid continues to play an essential role in the health of both the mother and the newborn: it helps for example to regulate the activity of hormones and to strengthen the immune system and contributes to the correct development of the nervous system.
Contains Natural Antioxidants
Here is another fundamental property of Spinach: since they are rich in antioxidants, they can have an anticancer function. In addition to vitamin C and folic acid, flavonoids, and carotenoids (including beta carotene), Spinach contains all antioxidant substances capable of counteracting the action of free radicals. These antioxidants, including those contained in Spinach, help slow aging, protect the skin and eyes from sun damage and protect the cardiovascular system. Vitamin C also contributes to collagen formation and, combined with vitamin A, can help soothe irritation and itching. But the function of the antioxidants contained in Spinach does not stop there. It has been linked to a process of curbing the increase in oxidative stress: stress is considered to be responsible for diseases such as diabetes and breast and prostate cancer.
Furthermore, Spinach is the vegetable with the highest content of glyco-glycero-lipids and, in particular, of monogalactosyl diacylglycerol (MGDG) and sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerol (SQDG). Both of these molecules perform a meaningful antitumor action as, by inhibiting an enzyme called DNA polymerase, they hinder the production of new blood vessels (angiogenesis) and the replication of cancer cells.
Lack of oxygen and nutrient supply and inhibition of the multiplication of neoplastic cells prevents the growth of tumors. Furthermore, the function of fiber, of which Spinach is rich, in the prevention of tumors of the gastrointestinal tract is recognized.
They Help Us Purify Ourselves Finally
Among the properties of Spinach to take into consideration, there is their being friends with digestion and a healthy diet because they are rich in water and fiber, nutrients that contribute to the regular functioning of the intestine, with a consequent purifying effect. . Furthermore, the fibers contained in Spinach are calorie-free and manage to induce a sense of satiety, useful for those who need to lose weight.
Furthermore, a portion of Spinach (about 100 g) contains very few calories: only 29. But the list of benefits of Spinach does not end here: the fact that it is rich in amino acids, which help increase lean body mass, should also be listed, and muscular endurance, and nitrates, substances that help improve muscular endurance.