Health Benefits of Spinach
When you were a kid, your mom told you spinach was good for you. When is Mom ever wrong? Spinach offers twice as much fiber as other greens. So when you want a salad that's going to fill you up, go for the spinach variety.
 Showcase your home-grown spinach in Wilted Spinach Mandarin. |
Health Benefits of Spinach
Like other dark greens, spinach is an excellent source of beta-carotene, a powerful disease-fighting antioxidant that's been shown, among other things, to reduce the risk of developing cataracts. It fights heart disease and cancer as well.
As a dark, leafy green, spinach possesses several important phytochemicals, including lutein, which helps prevent age-related macular degeneration. Spinach also contains lipoic acid, which helps antioxidant vitamins C and E regenerate. Because of its role in energy production, lipoic acid is being investigated for regulating blood sugar levels.
Served raw, spinach is a good source of vitamin C, another powerful antioxidant. Overcook it, however, and you lose most of this important vitamin. Though spinach is rich in calcium, most of it is unavailable, because oxalic acid in spinach binds with calcium, preventing its absorption. The abundant potassium in spinach is available, and it will promote heart health. When you cook spinach, it cooks down tremendously. Because cooking concentrates nutrients and fiber, a serving of cooked spinach gives you even more bang for your buck than a serving of raw.
Nutritional Values of Raw Spinach
Serving Size: 1 cup
| Calories | 7 |
| Fat | 0 g |
| Saturated Fat | 0 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Carbohydrate | 1 g |
| Protein | 1 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sodium | 24 mg |
| Vitamin A | 2,813 IU |
| Folic Acid | 58 micrograms |
| Vitamin C | 16 mg |
| Iron | 1 mg |
| Manganese | <1 mg |
| Potassium | 167 mg |
| Carotenoids | 5,347 micrograms |
Want even more information about spinach? Try these links:
- Spinach Recipes: Cook with this tasty and good-for-you green.
- Nutrition: Find out how spinach fits in with your overall nutrition plans.
- How to Remove Green and Yellow Vegetable Stains: Oops! If you've had an accident with your spinach, try out these stain-removal tips.
- Vegetable Gardens: Grow a full harvest of great vegetables this year.
- Gardening: We answer your questions about all things that come from the garden.
