Spinach is a food that belongs to the Chenopodiaceae family and is widely cultivated because it has a multitude of nutrients. In fact, spinach is rich in protein, fiber, iron, potassium, carotenes, folates, vitamin C, vitamin A, and vitamin E.
These nutrients contribute to the normal formation of blood cells , they also protect our body against oxidative damage and provide fiber that favors the functioning of our intestinal transit. As you can see, they can help our body in many ways.
But there are other curiosities related to spinach that we are sure you do not know and we are going to tell you about them below.
You will see how they surprise you!
These are the curiosities of spinach that perhaps you did not know
You already know that the advantages can bring you many benefits. That is why we recommend consuming them as you wish: in salad, stews, with béchamel or even in a rich spinach smoothie.
Either way, they are a food that you are interested in incorporating into your diet, especially if you are looking for a way to lose weight .
But, so that you can learn a little more about this product we leave you 5 very curious facts about spinach and its history we leave them below.
1. They were used since ancient times
The first record of spinach in Chinese culture dates from the 7th century , while in Spain they were introduced in the 11th century and then they were spreading to the rest of Europe.
2. They were considered to have medical uses
In fact, during the First World War it was used as a remedy to stop bleeding . What they did was add the juice of the spinach to the wine and give it to the soldiers who were suffering from bleeding.
It was assumed that its high chlorophyll content would shorten the recovery times of the soldiers, thus favoring them to be incorporated earlier.
3. There are two different varieties
Although you may never have perceived it, the smooth spinach you know is not the only one on the market. In fact, there is another variety of curly leaf and both are rich in vitamin C, vitamin A, folates, Vitamin B6, Vitamin E and riboflavin.
4. They are an excellent antioxidant
As with other foods such as onions , spinach is also an important source of antioxidants . This is because they contain B-carotenes that are transformed into vitamin A and help stop the antioxidant actions of free radicals.
In this way, the functioning of our body is improved and aging is delayed.
5. They can help you gain muscle
Although most of spinach is made up of water, the truth is that it has a high level of protein that can help you gain muscle. It is also one of the vegetables that has the lowest caloric intake, so it is ideal to take it during a diet.
So if you are looking for a way to incorporate vegetable proteins into your meals and you don’t really know which are the best foods for it, you should know that spinach is one of the best.