While researching for the book I came across some interesting
information about the goodness of
spinach and silverbeet. These are favourite vegetables of
mine as they are so easy to grow and give a very long harvest
period when you keep using the outer leaves.
I would like to share this with you (source is the Internet)
as many people are very concerned about their health and doing
all they can to avoid cancers.
Researchers have identified at least 13 different flavonoid
compounds in spinach that function as antioxidants and as
anti-cancer agents. (Many of these substances fall into a
technical category of flavonoids known as methylenedioxyflavonol
glucuronides.) The anticancer properties of these spinach
flavonoids have been sufficiently impressive to prompt researchers
to create specialized spinach extracts that could be used
in controlled studies. These spinach extracts have been shown
to slow down cell division in stomach cancer cells (gastric
adenocarcinomas), and in studies on laboratory animals, to
reduce skin cancers (skin papillomas). A study on adult women
living in New England in the late 1980s also showed intake
of spinach to be inversely related to incidence of breast
cancer.
Spinach Carotenoid Combats Prostate Cancer, A carotenoid
found in spinach and other green leafy vegetables fights human
prostate cancer two different ways, according to research
published in the Journal of Nutrition. The carotenoid, called
neoxanthin, not only induces prostate cancer cells to self-destruct,
but is converted in the intestines into additional compounds,
called neochromes, which put prostate cancer cells into a
state of stasis, thus preventing their replication.
Spinach has also been shown to be effective in stopping the
development of ovarian cancer in women (also eating plenty
of citrus will also assist)
Helping You Bone Up: The vitamin K provided by spinach-almost
200% of the Daily Value in one cup of fresh spinach leaves
and over 1000% of the Daily Value in one cup of boiled spinach
(which contains about 6 times as much spinach)-is important
for maintaining bone health. Vitamin K1 activates osteocalcin,
the major non-collagen protein in bone. Osteocalcin anchors
calcium molecules inside of the bone. Therefore, without enough
vitamin K1, osteocalcin levels are inadequate, and bone mineralization
is impaired. Spinach is also an excellent source of other
bone-building nutrients including calcium and magnesium.
Cardiovascular Protection from Spinach: For atherosclerosis
and diabetic heart disease, few foods compare to spinach in
their number of helpful nutrients. Spinach is an excellent
source of vitamin C and vitamin A, the latter notably through
its concentration of beta-carotene. These two nutrients are
important antioxidants that work to reduce the amounts of
free radicals in the body; vitamin C works as a water-soluble
antioxidant and beta-carotene as a fat-soluble one. This water-and-fat-soluble
antioxidant team helps to prevent cholesterol from becoming
oxidized. Oxidized cholesterol is able to stick to and build
up in blood vessel walls, where it can cause blocked arteries,
heart attack or stroke. Getting plenty of vitamin C and beta-carotene
can help prevent these complications, and a cup of boiled
spinach can provide you with 294.8% of the daily value (DV)
for vitamin A along with 29.4% of the DV for vitamin C.
Spinach is also an excellent source of folate. Folate is needed
by the body to help convert a potentially dangerous chemical
called homocysteine that can lead to heart attack or stroke
if levels get too high, into other benign molecules. In addition,
spinach is an excellent source of magnesium, a mineral that
can help to lower high blood pressure and protect against
heart disease as well. A cup of boiled spinach contains 65.6%
of the daily value for folate and 39.1% of the daily value
for magnesium.
Is that enough to make you want to go out and plant a couple
of rows of spinach and silverbeet?
Problems ring me at 0800 466 464 (Palmerston
North 3570606)
wallyjr@gardenews.co.nz Email
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