By Dr. med. Claudia Schmiemann
Spinach is native to central and western Asia. For the first time the plant is described in the 10th century in the Mediterranean area. Spinach made its way to Spain in the 12th century from where it spread through France and England in the 14th century. The leaves are edible and one of the first greens we can grow in spring.
Spinach became famous with the cartoon Popeye the sailor who gets his strength from eating canned spinach.
The veggie contains decent amounts of Vitamin A, C and K. The amount of Magnesium, Manganese, Iron and Folate is high as well. People on blood thinner like warfarin have to be aware of the fact that Vitamin K antagonizes warfarin. Moreover there is B Vitamins, Vitamin E and Calcium.
Raw spinach contains oxalates which reduce the absorption of iron and calcium in the body. By steaming the leaves the oxalates content decreases.
The high content of anti-oxidants like glutathione make it a valuable contribution for any anti- inflammatory diet (always good for Lyme patient and anyone who suffers from chronic inflammatory processes).
Main producer of spinach is China with 92% of the world´s harvest of 31 million tons.
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