Spinach is an annual plant. According to the botanical classification, it belongs to the genus "spinach" of the "amaranth" family. Its use as a food product originated in Persia. However, the beneficial properties of spinach, combined with the simplicity of its cultivation, have led to an increase in the popularity of plants in other countries.
Russia learned about spinach in the mid-eighteenth century. However, for about a hundred years he was considered a "master" vegetable and was inaccessible to ordinary people. In Soviet times, the vegetable was not in demand. The inhabitants of our country began to actively include it in the diet already in the 90s of the 20th century, when information about the beneficial components that are in spinach began to appear in specialized magazines.
Material Content:
Spinach Composition
Fresh herbs contain 90% water. Therefore, the concentration of proteins, fats and carbohydrates in it is negligible. There are 2.9 grams of protein, 0.4 grams of vegetable fat, and 3.6 grams of carbohydrates per 100 grams of product. In this case, the vegetable is an excellent source of vitamins. It consists of vitamins “A”, “B”, “C”, “E”, “K”, “D”, folacin, and beta-carotene, which are so necessary for normal functioning. To close the daily requirement of these components, an adult needs about 200-250 grams of spinach. The amount of vitamin “K” in the plant (per 100 grams) exceeds the daily norm by more than 4 times.
In addition to vitamins, spinach contains a rather large amount of calcium and magnesium: 99 mg and 79 mg, respectively. The use of vegetables can compensate for the lack of these substances. However, contrary to popular belief, the plant does not contain a large amount of iron.According to various sources, its dose in 100 grams of the product does not exceed 2.7-3.5 mg.
Note: according to earlier studies, 100 grams of spinach contains 35 mg of iron. These data were refuted by German scientists in 1937, and an official refutation appeared in 1981.
Growing and distribution
At home, spinach is planted to the main crops, after fertilizing the earth with humus. For planting, the space between other plants is often used. A special plot for it is not required. The optimal conditions for spinach growth are direct sunlight and an ambient temperature of 10˚ to 18˚. In this case, the leaves become juicy and mouth-watering.
Before planting, the seeds of the plant are soaked in water for 24 hours, after which they are slightly dried so that they do not stick together. It is necessary to plant a vegetable at the rate of 30 grams of seeds per 1 m₂. The distance between the rows should be 5-6 centimeters.
In the process of growing spinach must be looked after. Watering is carried out 2-3 times a week, depending on weather conditions. The volume of water is 3 liters per 1 meter of row with plants. In addition, after the appearance of the second leaf, the greens must be thinned out so that the distance is 10-15 cm. The soil around the vegetable should be loosened regularly.
Young spinach, the leaf length of which does not exceed 5 cm, has the greatest value. The plant is used for making salads or for eating raw. Spinach grown industrially is distributed through stores in the form of bunches or in airtight packaging. The leader in growing vegetables is China. The second place is occupied by the USA. In Russia, spinach is not so in demand. However, thanks to the desire of people for a healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition, our country is rapidly catching up with world leaders in terms of the volume of vegetables grown.
Storage
Long-term storage of fresh spinach is almost impossible. The plant withers for 7-8 days even when stored in the refrigerator. At room temperature, the plant deteriorates and loses most of its vitamins even faster.
You can save the beneficial properties of the plant by freezing it. To do this, the vegetable is rolled into small balls or pressed, and then placed in the freezer. Frozen spinach retains its properties for 8 months. After thawing, it can be used to make sauces, fry, stew, include in other dishes, salads.
In addition to freezing, spinach can be stored in salted, canned or dried form. Salted and canned vegetables retain up to 60% of their beneficial properties for a year and a half, dried - up to 3 years.
Nutritional value and calorie content
As mentioned above, the content of proteins, fats and carbohydrates in spinach is low. Therefore, talking about its high nutritional value is impractical. 100 grams of the product allows you to get 23 kcal (96 kJ). The value of spinach as a food product lies in the high content of vitamins and some mineral components.
Benefits of Spinach
The benefits of spinach for the body are due to the high content of vitamins and mineral salts.
Leafy vegetable affects a person as follows:
- contributes to the normalization of electrolyte balance;
- saturates with vitamins;
- serves as a means of preventing rickets and some other diseases;
- great for diet food;
- actively fights free radicals, prevents early aging;
- improves skin condition;
- stimulates the pancreas;
- strengthens blood vessels;
- regulates intestinal activity;
- B vitamins, which are part of the vegetable, improve the functioning of the nervous system.
There is an opinion that spinach leaves produce an antitumor effect. There is no scientific justification for this, however, in folk medicine, a vegetable is often included in the composition of funds intended for the fight against cancer.
It is worth noting that spinach is not suitable for saturating the body with iron ions, since it contains structures that interfere with the absorption of the nutrient. If necessary, use the plant as a source of iron, it should be cut as young as possible. In such spinach, the number of inhibitors of its absorption is minimal.
The use of spinach in medicine
Spinach is used in both official and traditional medicine. Doctors recommend regularly consuming herbs for patients undergoing chemotherapy. At the same time, the recovery time is shortened, impaired body functions are restored faster, due to the large number of vitamins, the plant strengthens the immune system, which helps to overcome even the most serious diseases.
Spinach is also used in dentistry. The inclusion of the discussed vegetable in the daily diet allows you to quickly strengthen the gums, relieve bleeding, and stimulate regenerative processes after surgical interventions.
Due to the large number of mineral elements contained in it, the plant is used in cardiology. Using spinach, you can compensate for the lack of potassium, magnesium and other substances necessary for the work of the heart. The use of vegetables has a beneficial effect on the thyroid gland. The presence of a large amount of iodine in it contributes to the normalization of the organ, prevents hypothyroidism.
Lutein in spinach is used to prevent retinal atrophy. Therefore, it is recommended to eat the plant as a food for people at risk for ophthalmic diseases (prolonged computer work, congenital malformations of the eye, atrophic processes).
In folk medicine, a vegetable is part of the means for treating back pain, tuberculosis, and inflammatory diseases. Herbal decoction of spinach is recommended for gargling. In addition, plant-based formulations will be useful to people who regularly experience heavy physical exertion.
Is it possible during pregnancy and lactation?
Spinach is recommended for use during the entire period of pregnancy and breastfeeding. The benefits for women and babies just starting to develop are especially noticeable in the first trimester of pregnancy. The vegetable saturates the pregnant woman’s body with vitamins “A” and “E”, which not only contributes to the normal development of the fetus, but also reduces the severity of toxicosis in the expectant mother.
Note: spinach is a great product for losing weight after pregnancy! A large number of vitamins in combination with a low content of fats and carbohydrates makes it an indispensable tool in returning to its former physical form.
During lactation, the product helps to saturate breast milk with vitamins, minerals and beta-carotene necessary for the baby. At the same time, there is an improvement in the functioning of the mother’s immune system and intestines.
Spinach for children: healthy or bad?
Of course, spinach for children is extremely useful. As mentioned above, the product contains a huge amount of substances necessary for the growth and development of the baby. Mineral salts take part in the formation of the skeletal system, vitamins activate and make possible all vital processes in the body.
The only caveat is that it is better to eat a young vegetable. In this case, the child will receive the maximum amount of vitamins. Old plants contain a large amount of oxalic acid harmful to the kidneys and substances that interfere with the absorption of iron ions.
Spinach in cosmetology
In cosmetology, spinach is used as the basis for face masks. The following recipes are most commonly used:
- To remove the "crow's feet" - the juice of 3 sheets of vegetable, 10 ml of liquid vitamin A and 5 ml of face cream are mixed together and applied around the eyes. The application is kept for half an hour, after which it is washed off with water. The procedure should be performed daily.
- Anti-aging mask - spinach leaves are boiled in milk so that they become soft. The resulting material is distributed on soft tissue and applied to the face and neck in the form of a compress.
- The bleaching composition - 3-5 ml of spinach and sorrel juice is added to a glass of kefir. The composition is applied to the skin and held for 20-30 minutes. After that, wash with cool water.
The substances contained in spinach help to improve the appearance, give the skin health and for many years look younger than their years.
Harm and contraindications
In general, spinach has no contraindications and does not have a harmful effect on the human body. An exception is people with kidney failure. The fact is that the vegetable contains excessively much oxalic acid, which can aggravate the pathology and become a provoking factor for urolithiasis.
Raw spinach contains acid in its organic form. In an inorganic, more harmful for "renal" patients form, it passes during the heat treatment of the product. Therefore, people who have problems with the urinary system, it is recommended to abandon the use of spinach completely or eat it exclusively raw and in minimal quantities.
The health benefits and harms of spinach are well understood to date. Therefore, you can use a plant product without fear. Inclusion of spinach in the food list will reduce the risk of infectious diseases, oncology, improve overall health, and avoid vision problems. At the same time, there is no need to eat vegetable in kilograms, as was customary among the royal people of the 18-19th century. To obtain the desired effect, 1-2 leaves are eaten daily at dinner.
