Popeye Must Have Known Something About Spinach

By Kevin DiDonato MS, CSCS, CES

When I was a kid, my mom used to dump a pile of spinach on our plates and expect us to eat it.  All I can remember is the foul smell and how gross the spinach looked and tasted.  She would always remind me, “If you want to be strong like Popeye, then eat your spinach!”

Yes, it is true, I was a very big Popeye fan.  Come to find out, Popeye did teach me a thing or two.

Remember when Popeye ate the spinach and he got stronger?  Ever wonder why?

Research published in Cell Metabolism shows just how powerful spinach is.   Even though the exact mechanism is not clear, they found increasing your intake of spinach can make the body more efficient.    The research found by eating spinach or other vegetables, which have higher levels of inorganic nitrates, can lead to the mitochondria working better.   Result:  lower oxygen demand during cardiovascular work!  Impressive! There is more!

The most power-packed vegetable on the market today, spinach is a pile of nutrition.  Spinach provides you with plenty of fiber, and is chock full of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals helping the body function optimally.

Research is now coming out on how beneficial spinach can be, and the exact role it plays in our health.

When I am really hungry, the last thing on my mind is spinach.  But research shows, incorporating spinach in combination with complex carbs and lean proteins helps you feel fuller, longer, due to the fiber found in spinach.   The fiber has been linked to reducing blood sugar levels immediately following a meal – great news if you want to lose weight!

Spinach not only helps control appetite by improving the feeling of satisfaction, it can reduce blood pressure.

Spinach has inorganic nitrates.  Once spinach enters our mouths, saliva starts to break down the spinach into a usable form of energy.  After leaving the mouth, it enters the stomach where the acid and enzymes break down the nitrates into nitrite or nitric oxide.

What do nitrites and nitric oxide have to do with health?

The nitrite, or the nitric oxide, has been shown to reduce blood pressure by opening up the veins and arteries which might be constricted or narrowed.   Nitric oxide acts is a vasodilator which can help lower blood pressure.  How quickly? The inorganic nitrates start working in as little as 3-4 hours after you eat it!  Some people think inorganic nitrates are bad for you.  However, the inorganic nitrates found in spinach have more benefits than not eating it at all.

Spinach is one of the foods highest in inorganic nitrates.  Spinach also has plenty of fiber, high levels of vitamins A and K, and plenty of Folate.