Spinach offers these 5 fantastic health benefits
What's the story
If Popeye the Sailor Man could become strong with spinach, so can you! When it comes to green leafy veggies, spinach rules them all. It is called a superfood as it is abundant with a lot of nutrients vital to the body. Low on calories, this winter vegetable offers wholesome advantages to skin, hair, eyes, bones, etc. Check out its five health benefits.
Context
Here's what our expert says
Spinach is a green leafy vegetable available in plenty during the winter months. It is a great source of many vitamins and minerals along with fiber. Vitamins K and calcium make it a great food for the bones. Vitamin C is an antioxidant, that boosts the immune system and its presence improves iron absorption. Iron, folic acid, and vitamin B6 prevent birth defects.
Strong bones
Prevents osteoporosis
If you are down with osteoporosis or your bones are weakening with age, spinach can come to your rescue. This green veggie is loaded with calcium, vitamin K, and manganese, all of which promote bone health. Hence, eating spinach regularly can improve the absorption of calcium in your body, thereby making your bones strong and maintaining your bone density.
So 'visionary'
Good for eyes
Spinach is packed with antioxidants that are good for the eyes. Two of them are lutein and zeaxanthin which foster healthy eyesight. Eating this leafy vegetable at regular intervals can help you steer clear of cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, and many other ocular problems. Besides these antioxidants, it also has vitamin A that maintains mucus membranes in the eyes for better vision.
Rich in folate
Assists in a healthy pregnancy
Besides many other nutrients, spinach is blessed with the goodness of folate, which is a vitamin that prevents neural tube birth defects in babies. This is exactly why your doctor may prescribe you folate supplements during pregnancy. Other than that, spinach is also quite rich in vitamin B6, which fosters the brain development of the baby inside your womb.
Stay strong
Boosts immunity
Spinach boasts an impressive nutrient profile. It features a good amount of vitamin C, which helps the body fight off several infections, big and small. This is why this green vegetable is mostly consumed during the winter season when the metabolism and immune response slow down owing to the weather conditions. It also has vitamin E and magnesium that boost immunity further.
'Eat' water
Keeps you hydrated
You may believe that the only way to stay hydrated is to drink enough water. However, that is partially false. Yes, you need water to stay hydrated but it is not necessary to only consume it in its liquid state. Spinach is 91% water, which makes it among the very rare food items that can maintain your water consumption level.