5 good reasons to strain spinach

As a child, we didn't like them too much ... Today, the number of recipes to which they lend themselves and their incredible health benefits deserve to give them a special place at the table!

1 / Spinach, good for the bones and tone

We now know that spinach, long associated with the strength of Popeye, is not the richest food in iron, but its nonetheless important contribution, associated with its vitamin C, remains very interesting for combating physical and intellectual fatigue. Especially since it is also very rich in magnesium, essential for general tone ... but also for bone health. And from this point of view, spinach, which also combines potassium, calcium and vitamin K, is an excellent counter to the fight against osteoporosis.

2 / Spinach, friends of the belly and the heart

With only 20Kcal / 100g and a high content of water and satiating fibers, spinach is clearly the friend of thinness. By promoting transit and detox, it helps maintain a flat stomach by contributing to good digestive and hepatic health thanks to its betaine which fights against "fatty liver disease". On the heart side, it is not left out in particular because of its richness in potassium which fights arterial hypertension (HTA) and in vitamin K which against arterial calcification (precaution however if you are on anti-vitamin K treatment) and of its strong antioxidant power.

3 / Enemy of diabetes and cancer

Spinach is very rich in antioxidants. On the diabetes side, in addition to its low glycemic index (GI 15), it is its alphalipoic acid content that makes its strength: it lowers the level of glucose in the blood, improves insulin sensitivity, reduces burning sensations / Numbness well known to diabetics and stimulates the regeneration of nerve fibers damaged by disease. The anti-cancer properties of spinach antioxidants (chlorophyll, ferulic acid, neoxantine, etc.) have also been demonstrated by several studies, in particular on digestive, breast, prostate and lung cancers.

4 / Sight and brain shields

Thanks to its content of lutein and zeaxanthin, powerful antioxidant pigments, spinach helps fight against cataracts, AMD and retinitis pigmentosa. As for its richness in folic acid (vitamin B9), it not only stimulates the production of serotonin and therefore fights depression, but also slows down brain aging.

5 / Spinach is also good fresh or frozen, raw or cooked

Spinach should be eaten at least twice a week. But do not hesitate to always seek medical advice in case of anti-vitamin K treatment and kidney stones or gout: spinach indeed contains oxalic acid and uric acid. Apart from these precautions, spinach is interesting to combine in all its forms.

- Cooked or raw:

Cooked spinach releases more lutein, zeaxanthin and betaine. Tasted raw in branches or shoots (and provided they are very fresh), they have a better level of vitamin C.

- Fresh: in branches or young shoots, you have to choose them very smooth and green, rinse them, prepare them and taste them immediately. Storing them for three days in the fridge causes them to lose 50% of their initial vitamin content. Fresh spinach once cooked should be eaten within 24 hours.

- Canned or frozen: chopped or branched, there is no difference. The highly thermal treatment of canned food, however, loses more vitamins than frozen packaging. As a precaution, quickly rinse the canned spinach to get rid of its preservative salt or sugar.