Spinach is one of the most controversial vegetables in the world: most people wither love it or hate it. However, the numerous health benefits of spinach make it a valuable addition to anyone’s diet. Check out these 11 health benefits of spinach leaves!
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Before we dive deep into the benefits of spinach, let’s settle the question of what is spinach and what type of vegetable is spinach? What we’re used to simply referring to as spinach is actually spinach leaves, which are the edible part of the flowering plant known as Spinacia oleracea.
There are three types of spinach: savoy, semi-savoy, and flat-leaf spinach. The most popular uses of spinach include cooking fresh or frozen leaves, adding dried spinach as a seasoning, or extracting the highly valuable spinach juice.
1. Weight loss
The benefits of spinach for weight loss make it one of the best diet foods: it’s rich in fiber and protein while having very little carbohydrates and fats. Spinach is a great component of protein shakes and green smoothies, plus is tastes great is healthy soups and salads.
Wondering how much protein in spinach leaves? One cup of cooked spinach leaves contains over 5 grams of protein, while one cup of fresh spinach contains just 1 gram of protein – the difference is so big due to spinach being also very rich in water.
2. Hypertension
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is responsible for dozens of health conditions, but there are not too many ways to treat it. Spinach lowers the potassium levels in your body while also supplying it with vitamin C, normalizing your blood pressure.
3. Immune system
One of the most important spinach juice benefits is its ability to make your immune system stronger. Thanks to the high count of vitamins A and C, spinach increases the number of white blood cells, which, in turn, boost the immune response of your body to various diseases.
4. Brain function
Learning how good is spinach for your body is impossible without knowing how positively it affects our brain function. The vitamins C and K, as well as folate, benefits the brain at any age, making you a sharper thinker and improving your memory.
5. Hair loss
Iron famously aids hair loss, which is why many alopecia patients wonder: is spinach rich in iron? The answer is yes and there are many spinach benefits for hair. The iron and folate in spinach boost the production of red blood cells, which are responsible for supplying every part of our bodies, including the scalp, with valuable oxygen, and promoting hair growth.
6. Gastrointestinal health
Free radicals negatively affect every part of our bodies, but our gastrointestinal health suffers the most. The vitamin C, folate, and beta-carotene contained in spinach neutralizes the damage done by free radicals and prevents DNA damage and mutations that cause cancer.
7. Acne
If you’re suffering from acne, you’ve probably tried dozens of methods for fighting acne with little to no effect. You should also try spinach! Add it to your smoothies to enjoy its anti-inflammatory properties, or grind several spinach leaves, mix them with water, and apply them to your face as a mask.
8. Better complexion
Are you dreaming of glowing, evenly coloured skin? Add spinach to your daily diet! The vitamins C and K are known for their amazing effect on skin: they remove uneven pigmentation, acne scars, dark circles, and wrinkles to reveal your youthful, stunning look.
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