Spinach
Photography and styling by Grain(e)s & co.
Spring is finally here, so it’s the best time to eat dark, leafy green spinach. Here are a few of the reasons why you should add it to your plate this springtime.
Part of your 5-a-day
Spinach is a leafy green vegetable. 2 heaped tablespoons of cooked spinach counts as a portion of your 5-a-day. If you prefer it raw, like in a salad, then it’s a cereal bowl's worth of spinach that you need for it to count as 1 of your 5-a-day.
Vitamin K - coagulation & bone health
Spinach is a great source of vitamin K, particularly vitamin K1 - a.k.a. Phylloquinones - which is the most abundant form of vitamin K and is mostly found in plant foods.
We need these vitamins for blood clotting and wound healing, but also to help form and maintain the structure of our bones by improving calcium absorption.
Vitamin A - eyes, immunity & development
Spinach is rich in pro-vitamin A carotenoids, which are pigments that our body can absorb and convert to vitamin A.
Vitamin A is key in helping our vision, particularly in adjusting to dim lighting, supporting our immunity - our body’s defences against illness & infection -, and keeping our skin healthy. Vitamin A also plays a role in cell growth and development, making it important for reproduction.
Folic acid - growth & pregnancy
Spinach is a good source of folic acid, an essential B vitamin - vitamin B9.
Folic acid is crucial during periods of rapid growth and development - such as pregnancy & infancy - as it is needed for cell growth and multiplication. Adequate folic acid intake is essential for those planning a pregnancy and during pregnancy as it is a key player in the healthy development of babies, supporting skull, brain and spinal cord development and protecting against birth defects - particularly neural tube defects.
Folic acid also plays a role in producing and keeping healthy red blood cells and blood vessels, and supporting our immune system.
Iron - oxygen & growth
Spinach contains iron, a trace element that our bodies need in small amounts to stay healthy.
It’s important we get iron in our diet as our bodies use iron to make haemoglobin which helps our red blood cells carry oxygen around the body. Iron also stores oxygen in our muscles and provides it when needed. In addition, iron supports healthy growth and development.
Iron is particularly important for people who follow a plant-based diet. This is because iron found in plant foods - non-haem iron - is less readily absorbed than animal-based iron, as it needs an extra chemical conversion within our body to make it absorbable.
Having low iron can lead to anaemia - a low number of red blood cells - which can include symptoms like fatigue, weakness, dizziness and shortness of breath, among others.
Vitamin C - skin health, immunity & plant-based iron absorption
Spinach is a source of vitamin C. We need to get vitamin C daily from our diet as it is an antioxidant that we cannot store in the body.
Vitamin C has different bodily functions, including maintaining healthy skin, teeth, gums & bones as it is needed to make and maintain collagen - a protein that forms & keeps the structure of many tissues. It also protects our cells against oxidative damage caused by free radicals, which can affect our health & accelerate ageing.
We need vitamin C to support the healthy functioning of our immune system - helping fight against infection - and when we have a cold it can help reduce our symptoms and recover faster.
On top of these, vitamin C is an important part of a plant-based diet. It helps increase the absorption of plant-based iron. So make sure to combine a source of vitamin C with a source of plant-based iron to help with absorption.
Calcium - bone & teeth health
Spinach is a source of plant-based calcium. Our body uses calcium to build and maintain healthy bones and teeth. Calcium also helps regulate muscle contraction, including the heart and ensures our blood clots normally.
The take-home:
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References
NHS. Rough guide - Fruit & vegetable portion sizes. Livewell. 2021 https://www.nhs.uk/livewell/5aday/documents/downloads/5aday_portion_guide.pdf
McCance & Widdowson. The Composition of Foods integrated dataset 2021. 2021. Retrieved March 25, 2023, from https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/composition-of-foods-integrated-dataset-cofid
British Nutrition Foundation. Vitamins and Minerals in our Food. Retrieved March 25, 2023, from https://www.nutrition.org.uk/media/5xeeolog/vitamins-and-minerals-in-our-food-pdf.pdf
NHS. Vitamins and Minerals. NHS Sources. Retrieved March 31, 2023, from https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/
Carr AC, Maggini S. Vitamin C and Immune Function. Nutrients. 2017 Nov 3;9(11):1211. doi: 10.3390/nu9111211. PMID: 29099763; PMCID: PMC5707683.
Carr, Anitra; Maggini, Silvia (2017). Vitamin C and Immune Function. Nutrients, 9(11), 1211–. doi:10.3390/nu9111211