Spinach - Spinacia Oleracea L.

Spinach : Spinacia Oleracea L. is a green, leafy vegetable that is a powerhouse of nutrition. We will explore the various beneficial effects of eating this vegetable in your diet.

Role in Blood Pressure: Vegetables with high nitrite content may offer a good source of nitric oxide. This constituent appears to help regulate blood pressure. There is evidence that dietary nitrate supplementation from vegetables rich in nitrates like spinach and beets may potentiate Nitric oxide mediated dilatation and thereby lower blood pressure. Among different vegetables, spinach seems to have the highest concentration of nitrate. Research indicates that dietary nitrate may promote endogenous Nitric oxide production within our bodies.

Role in reduction of Cardiovascular Risk: There is evidence that diets like the Mediterranean diet and DASH* diet that are rich in leafy vegetables like spinach may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Antioxidant properties: Research shows that consumption of fresh vegetables like spinach that are rich in polyphenols decrease the risk of oxidative stress-induced disease. The antioxidant effects of spinach when given to rats in experimental models revealed its ability to help decrease the oxidative stress as a result of a high fat diet. The phytochemical and bioactive agents within spinach participate in scavenging reactive oxygen species and decreasing macromolecular damage.

Beneficial dietary composition: Spinach is rich in dietary nitrates, flavonoids, polyphenols, carotene (a precursor of Vitamin A), ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), fiber, water soluble antioxidants, iron, and several essential minerals.

Weight Management: Spinach contains phytochemicals and bioactive agents that may help curb appetite and increase satiety. This may play a role in weight management.

*DASH Diet : Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension 

In short, this superfood is loaded with antioxidant, anti-carcinogenic, cholesterol lowering, weight and blood pressure modulating bioactives that can be easily exploited by eating a diet rich in this leafy green. I encourage you to always pick organic varieties to minimize the harmful effects of pesticides. Again, I stress that we explore spinach as a Superfood and not a drug, as spinach was never meant to replace conventional medications. As always, I wish you make wise food choices and live long and strong!