SPINACH

Introduction

Spinach is said to have come from Persia. It would first have been cultivated regularly when the Graeco-Roman civilisation was at its height. It was introduced to Spain in 1100, and then in the 14th century across Europe, but not until 500 years ago was it introduced to England and France. It is uncertain whether it came to Europe when the Moors introduced it to Spain or whether it came from China.

The oldest mention of spinach is an old Chinese record from A. D. 647, which names it the ‘herb of Persia’. It was in 1929 that the cartoon ‘Popeye’ was first screened displaying a sailorman who consumed spinach by the tin-full, and got instant and spectacular muscle boosts from it. However, the idea that spinach contains enormous amounts of iron, good for building healthy blood and a strong body, is ill-founded. Funnily enough, it was due to the mistake of a researcher who placed the decimal point in the wrong place when analysing spinach, and therefore concluded an inaccurate iron content. That does not matter, however, as spinach has plenty more to offer as outlined below.

The King of Vegetables

If it’s not what it’s cracked up to be by Popeye, it does have its benefits. Research shows that this dark green vegetable is one of the richest sources of carotenoids, in particular beta-carotene and also a carotenoid pigment known as lutein. These compounds are antioxidants. They protect the membrane of healthy cells so that oxygen-free radicals do not get the chance to mutate cells and inhibit their normal function. This is particularly useful for lung health, giving smokers a certain level of protection if they regularly consume this and related green leafy vegetables. It is not only the many carotenoids, but also the abundant chlorophyll which makes spinach such a useful food. Tests in Italy comparing spinach to carrot, cauliflower, lettuce and strawberry proved spinach to be the most successful at preventing cell mutations when tested against nitrosamines.

Spinach (specifically its juice) has been shown to help in cases of anaemia, due not only to the iron, but also folic acid and chlorophyll, which are useful for blood-building and haemoglobin formation. It is also useful for other deficiency diseases owing to its richness in vitamins (specifically A, B, C and E) and various minerals - potassium, calcium, sodium, magnesium, phosphorus, sulphates and small amounts of iodine, nickel and cobalt, in addition to the iron. Due to this rich content of nutrients, spinach juice is very useful for people convalescing from illness and for others who are generally weak or not able to eat normally. Its influence on digestion and the action of the intestines further supports its value in such situations.

Notes

·         Spinach is useful for pregnant women, as it has been seen to help prevent spina bifida.

·         Babies as young as six months can usually tolerate spinach juice.

·         In order to get as much benefit from the iron in spinach it should be eaten with Vitamin C rich foods, as vitamin C helps the body to absorb iron. In this case, the spinach may be dressed with lemon juice.

·         WARNING Spinach contains high levels of oxalic acid. Oxalic acid seriously limits the amount of calcium and iron the body can absorb, but this is not a great problem unless one is susceptible to kidney and bladder stones - in which case vitamin C supplements should be avoided and larger amounts of spinach consumed.

·         Traditional spinach dishes often contain eggs, cheese or bacon - this has more recently been shown to be an excellent instinct, because both these accompaniments help to negate the effects of oxalic acid and increase mineral absorption.