Benefits of spinach and its nutrition facts

It has been known that a diet rich in fresh foods including fruits and vegetables is excellent for your health and immunity. Among these foods, leafy greens have gained utmost importance and are often recommended as a part of healthy diets. But, why is that? Why are leafy greens like spinach so essential for your health and what exactly are their benefits? You will find these answers in this article, which caters to introduce you to the health benefits and nutritional value of spinach along with some basic facts.

In short, it can be said that spinach is a highly functional food that has rich antioxidant content. It packs a number of vitamins and minerals, which provide it with health-promoting effects in the form of cancer prevention, cardioprotection, improvement of immunity and the management of diabetes and anaemia. The benefits of spinach in the diet have been recognised for individuals of all age groups and it can be an easy and healthy addition to the diet.

Some basic facts about spinach

Spinach is an annual flowering plant with edible leaves, which is grown in various parts of the world. It is considered to be the most important leafy vegetable. Here is what you must know about spinach leaves:

• Scientific name: Spinacia oleracea
• Family: Amaranthaceae
• Common name: Spinach, Paalak, Paalak ke patte, Saag
• Native region and geographic distribution: The native region of spinach is Southwestern Asia, but is now grown in all temperate regions of the world. It is commonly grown in India and is utilised as a food crop.
• Parts used: Leaves
• Types of spinach: There are 3 major types of spinach, which include savoy spinach, semi-savoy and smooth-leaved type, each having different properties. Red spinach is a subtype of the smooth-leaved type, which actually has red veins on its flattened leaves. Malabar spinach and other varieties are not botanically related to spinach but have their own nutritional benefits. Baby spinach is a type of spinach that has been harvested early and is also utilised as a vegetable.

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