How Spinach is Good For Your Health
Nutrient Content
Vitamins
Excellent Source of (Daily Recommended):
- Vitamin K – 181%
- Vitamin A – 56%
Good Source of (Daily Recommended):
- Folate – 15%
- Vitamin C – 14%
A Source of:
- Vitamin E – 3%
- Riboflavin – 3%
- Vitamin B6 – 3%
Minerals
Good Source of (Daily Recommended):
- Manganese – 13%
A Source of:
- Magnesium – 6%
- Potassium – 5%
- Iron – 5%
- Calcium – 3%
Other
Also a Source of:
- Fiber – 3%
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids
- Antioxidants – Kaempferol, Quercetin, Zeaxanthin, Lutein
*All nutritional information found at (1)
How Spinach Prevents Chronic Disease
Spinach, like many vegetables, prevents several chronic diseases that plague America today. Most notably, spinach helps to prevent cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
How Spinach Prevents Cancer
Spinach is a great resource to incorporate into your diet to prevent various cancers.
Spinach prevents cancer primarily through the activity of its antioxidants. Antioxidants fight free radicals, which are often a factor in the growth of cancer cells. (2)
Spinach is high in vitamin C. Vitamin C has been shown to fight against a number of cancers, including lung, breast, and blood cancer. (3, 4, 5)
Spinach is also high in quercetin. Quercetin is an antioxidant known as a “scavenging free radical” destroyer. (6)
- Spinach is also rich in an antioxidant called kaempferol. Kaempferol has been shown to reduce risk of several cancers, including skin, liver, and colon cancers. It primarily focuses on increasing apoptotic activity within tumor cells. (9)
- Moreover, spinach is rich in two compounds, MGDG and SQDG, which have been shown to decrease the size of cervical cancer tumors. (10)
- As you can see, spinach is linked to a variety of cancer fighting benefits. Many studies have additionally linked spinach consumption to a decreased risk of breast cancer and prostate cancer. (11, 12)
How Spinach Prevents Diabetes
Spinach is high in fiber. Fiber helps you avoid over-consuming by making you feel fuller after a meal. Avoiding over-eating cuts out drastic blood-sugar spikes after a meal. With limited sugar content and high fiber, spinach itself does not impact your blood sugar, and prevents blood sugar spikes by slowing digestion. (13)
In addition to this, the antioxidants in spinach play a significant role in relieving type 2 diabetes.
Studies have shown that spinach consumption can relieve inflammation. Also, spinach consumption has showed promising results in preventing insulin resistance. (14)
Studies have also shown that spinach plays a vital role in glucose metabolism, so you can keep your glucose levels in check after a spinach-filled meal. (15)
How Spinach Prevents Cardiovascular Disease
Spinach can help prevent several cardiovascular diseases. Spinach contains a lot of nitrates. Nitrates have been shown to lower and maintain blood pressure levels. In turn, this helps decrease your risk of heart disease.
One study showed that spinach reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels by up to 5 mmHg. (16) Regularly consuming spinach can keep nitrate levels high. Spinach is broken down slowly and keeps high levels of circulating nitrates.
Also, spinach is rich in Vitamin K1. This is an essential vitamin for preventing blood clots. Blood clotting is often the result of high LDL cholesterol and LDL cholesterol plaque buildup. Spinach is one of the richest sources of vitamin K, certainly compared to other fruits and vegetables. So, be sure to incorporate spinach into your diet! (17)
Spinach Promotes a Number of Health Benefits
Spinach not only help to prevent diseases, but support and promote the function of several important systems in our bodies.
How Spinach Promotes Immune Health
Spinach is especially rich in vitamin C content. Vitamin C is essential for improving your immune health because it increases white blood cell count. White blood cells kill infected cells and foreign pathogens. (18)
In addition to vitamin C, kaempferol helps improve immune health by acting as a critical regulator in the repair pathway. Kaempferol focuses on eliminating foreign cells and fighting off infections. (19)
How Spinach Promotes Eye Health
Spinach has a number of different nutrients that contribute to eye health and relieve you of conditions such as age-related macular degeneration, which is often the cause of blindness in older adults.
First off, spinach is rich in vitamin A and beta carotene. Beta carotene acts as the precursor for vitamin A, and both of them help improve your overall vision, especially night vision. (20)
In addition, spinach is high in zeaxanthin and lutein, both of which are carotenoids. They protect your eyes from damage caused by sunlight. They have been shown to prevent macular degeneration and cataracts. (21)
Some studies have even shown that zeaxanthin and lutein can reverse existing eye damage. However, more studies are needed to confirm these findings. (22, 23)
How Spinach Promotes Bone Health
Spinach is a source calcium and magnesium. Magnesium helps the body retain calcium. Calcium is responsible for bone strength and density. Maintaining healthy levels of calcium in your body is essential for the prevention of diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis, and fractures. (24, 25)
How Spinach Promotes Skin Health
Vitamin C has been shown in a number of studies to prevent sunburns and wrinkles. (26)
How Spinach Promotes Digestion
Spinach is high in insoluble fiber. Insoluble fiber promotes gut health, as it aids the travel of food through the digestive tract. Fiber places you at less risk of constipation and irregular bowel movements. (27)
How Spinach Prevents Anemia
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Anemia is a condition caused by insufficient iron. Common symptoms of anemia include immense fatigue, stomach pain, and drowsiness. Spinach is a good source of iron, so it can help prevent anemia and its adverse symptoms. (28)
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