Spinach and Other Green Vegetables - What Are Their Superpowers?

Your elders have probably admonished you to eat your greens. And they are right about it. The health benefits of leafy greens are numerous, which is why they should be a part of your diet.

One of the best leafy greens happens to be spinach. It has a breathtaking nutritional profile and several health benefits.

Spinach

Since spinach is versatile, it can be added to a variety of dishes. And that is good news since spinach is full of antioxidants and nutrients.

Thanks to its rich nutritional profile, eating spinach may help to reduce blood pressure, bring down oxidative stress and improve eye health.

Spinach has high amounts of vitamins A, C, K1, folic acid, iron, and calcium. It also has plenty of minerals and vitamins, including vitamins E, B9 andB6, magnesium, and potassium.

Spinach also boasts high amounts of lutein (good for eye health), kaempferol, nitrates, quercetin, and zeaxanthin.

Since spinach is so rich in nitrates, it may help to reduce blood pressure by some amount.

Leafy Green Health Benefits

One of the biggest benefits of leafy greens is that they are rich in fiber which helps improve digestive health.

Leafy greens also have plenty of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients, which may prevent harmful free radicals from wreaking damage in your body.

In short, leafy greens are an essential component of a healthy diet. Not only do leafy greens have lots of nutrients, they are also low in calories. The combination of low calories and high fiber means that leafy greens can help prevent weight gain. A diet that has high amounts of leafy greens will certainly reduce the risk of obesity.

Besides spinach, there are other notable leafy greens that you must know about.

Collard Greens

Collard greens are leafy greens that are related to spring and kale. Their thick leaves have a slightly bitter taste.

Cooked collard greens of just one serving size (190 grams) pack over 1,000 percent of the daily value of vitamin K.

Kale

Kale happens to be one of the most nutrient-dense leafy greens in the world. It has high amounts of antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins.

Just 67 grams or one cup of raw kale can supply you with 680% of the daily required amount of vitamin K. Likewise, from the same serving, you will also get 130% of the daily value of vitamin C and 205% of the daily value of vitamin A.

Microgreens

As the name suggests, microgreens are quite small, measuring around one to three inches in length. They are immature greens made from seeds of herbs and vegetables. Although they were used primarily for decoration and garnish, they are now being consumed in greater quantities thanks to their high nutrition profile.

Microgreens can contain much higher amounts of nutrients when compared with their mature forms.

Bottom Line

The health benefits of leafy greens are numerous. Hence, you should be sure to eat generous servings of leafy greens as part of your diet.