Spinach is one of the healthiest green leafy vegetables and plant based food loaded with vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients but low in calories. Spinach contains a host of nutrients like vitaminB2, vitamin C, A, K and E, calcium, iron, protein, magnesium, manganese, copper, zinc, phosphorous, selenium, folate and dietary fiber. It is loaded with carotenoids and flavonoids. All these nutrients together make spinach highly beneficial for our health and valued around the world. It improves the skin and hair health also. It is advisable to consume this green leafy vegetable on regular basis to improve your eyesight, to avoid age related macular degeneration, to main healthy blood pressure and stronger muscles. Spinach also offers innumerable benefits to our physiological processes, whether you consume it raw or cooked.
Consuming Spinach Regularly Will Provide Following Benefits To Your Health, Hair And Skin.
1. Healthy Eyesight
Spinach is loaded with beta carotene, xanthene, lutein which promotes healthy eyesight. Vitamin A contained in spinach can help people suffering from dry eyes, eye ulcers and itching of the eyes.[1] The presence of Lutein and zeaxanthin in spinach acts as strong antioxidant and protects the eyes from the harsh UV rays that often leads to cataracts and also reduces the risk of age related macular degeneration.
2. Maintains Healthy Bones And Muscles
high in vitamin K, spinach is highly beneficial for maintaining bone health. Vitamin k aids in synthesizing of a protein osteocalcin which is essential for maintaining the density and strength of the bones and reduce risk of osteoporosis.[2] Vitamin K also helps in retaining calcium in your bone. Other minerals like magnesium, phosphorus, zinc etc. also aids in building strong bones healthy teeth and nails. Spinach is also a good alternative to dairy product because of its impressive calcium content. One of the components CO-Q10, an antioxidant in spinach plays impressive role in strengthening the muscles, particularly the heart muscles which functions to pump blood to all body parts. Consuming one cup spinach everyday will help to keep your bones strong and muscles healthy.
3. Good For Brain Health
Consuming spinach on regular basis can help to keep your brain active and healthy. Being loaded with potent antioxidants lutein, beta-carotene, folate, potassium it is great brain food which can reduce the risk of age-related brain disease like Alzheimer’s and dementia by guarding your brain from free radical damage.[3] Vitamin C, K and folate contained in spinach helps to protect the nervous system by curbing the production of hormone.
4. Maintains Blood Pressure
One of the impressive health benefits of spinach is that it can help to maintain blood pressure.[4] this is because spinach in high in potassium and low in sodium and also loaded with fiber and healthy nutrients like magnesium, folate that contributes in reducing blood pressure by relaxing the blood vessels and ensuring proper blood flow.
5. Promotes Gastrointestinal Health
Spinach is good for intestinal health. Spinach is high in fiber and vitamin c and beta-carotene strengthens the digestive tract lining and protects colon cells from free radical damage.[5] The high fiber content of spinach increases bulk, softens the stools, cleanses intestinal tract and reduce transmit time of food to pass through intestinal tract. Therefore consuming spinach is a great remedy for fighting constipation and poor digestion or gastric ulcer.
6. Boost Immunity
Spinach is one of the best foods for boosting immune system. Spinach is loaded with antioxidants that protects immune cells from environmental damage and encourages the production of bacteria fighting white blood cells and helps to protect urinary, intestinal and respiratory tract.[6] Antioxidant in spinach helps to protect the enzymes that repair DNA damage and help to rejuvenate the body.
7. Good For Heart Health
The powerful antioxidants, particularly beta-carotene and vitamin C contained in spinach enhances cardiovascular health by inhibiting oxidation of cholesterol that increases the risk of hardening of the arteries and poses risk of atherosclerosis, stroke and heart attacks.[7] Spinach also contains other heart healthy nutrients like folate, magnesium and potassium that reduce cholesterol and fat deposits in the blood vessels.
8. Reduces Cancer Risk
Various studies have revealed that vitamin A, C, folic acid and other flavonoids contained in spinach works together to fight against cancer. Folate in spinach helps our body repair DNA and produce new cells.[8] The carotenoids lutein, zeaxanthin and beta-carotene also plays significant role in removing and protecting the body from the cancer causing molecules or free radicals before they harm the body. the anti-inflammatory compounds found in spinach not only protects the heart from inflammation but also help to combat prostrate, stomach, breast, cervical, ovarian and skin cancer and reduce pain associated with gout and arthritis.
9. Prevent Anemia
Spinach is highly beneficial food for fighting anemia as it contains enough vitamin A, folic acid, calcium and iron.[9] Spinach contain adequate amount of iron which helps to reproduce red blood cells which carries oxygen to every cell of the body. Begin eating spinach if you are suffering from anemia.
Spinach Benefits For Skin
Not just your body, your skin also needs certain nutrients for maintaining its youthfulness and glow. Loaded with essential vitamins and minerals, spinach is highly beneficial for your skin health. Here are the various benefits your skin will get by consuming raw, cooked or juiced spinach
10. Sun Protection
As stated earlier, spinach is loaded with B vitamins, it can protect against sun tanning by guarding the skin from harmful UV rays of the sun which causes skin to age fast and reduces the risk of skin cancer.[10]
11. Cures Acne
Spinach juice is a good remedy for clearing acne and maintaining healthy skin. Besides drinking spinach juice which has impressive amount of zinc and magnesium aids in replenishing and rejuvenating the body and get good sleep and there by accelerating the healing process internally.[11] You can use spinach juice or paste as a face mask to clear your skin of acne and blemishes. Add other skin nourishing ingredients like cucumber, tomato etc.
12. Avert Premature Aging Of The Skin
Powered with antioxidants and help you spinach helps to fight free radical that cause your skin to age pre-maturely.[12] Drinking spinach juice and adding spinach in your diet will slow down the aging process by providing the essential nutrients that can repair skin related degeneration and provide healthy glowing skin.
13. Promotes Hair Growth
Not just skin spinach is equally good for getting healthy hair growth. This is because spinach is an excellent super food which contains vitamin B, C, E and minerals like calcium, potassium, iron, omega-3 fatty acids, foliate and magnesium needed for healthy hair growth.[13] Supplying these nutrients to the hair follicles, it helps to strengthen the roots and hair and combat hair fall. Vitamin A and C helps to maintain healthy scalp. Deficiency of these nutrients makes your hair dry and dull and cause breakage and thinning of hair. For healthy shiny hair add spinach in your regular diet.
Caution: Please use Home Remedies after Proper Research and Guidance. You accept that you are following any advice at your own risk and will properly research or consult healthcare professional.