Spinach facts | Health Benefits

Spinach is the family member of the beet and closely related to Swiss chard. It is a cool season crop of early spring or late fall. It is the vegetable greens cultivated for both salad and cooking purposes. Spinach is an excellent source of vitamins which is cultivated on Arkansas.

Name	Spinach
Scientific Name	Spinacia oleracea
Native	Southwestern Asia
Name in Other Languages	Albanian: spinaq Basque: espinaka Catalan: espinacs Croatian: špinat Czech: listový špenát Danish: spinat Dutch: spinazie Estonian: spinat Finnish: pinaatti French: épinards German: Spinat Hungarian: spenót Icelandic: spínat Irish: spionáiste Italian: spinaci Latvian: spināti Lithuanian: špinatai Maltese: spinaċi Norwegian: spinat Polish: szpinak Portuguese: espinafre Romanian: spanac Slovak: špenát Slovenian: špinača Spanish: Espinacas Swedish: spenat Welsh: sbigoglys Azerbaijani: ispanaq Khmer: spinach Uzbek: ismaloq Vietnamese: rau bina Turkish: ıspanak Afrikaans: spinasie Chichewa: sipinachi Hausa: alayyafo Somali: isbinaajka Swahili: mchicha Yoruba: owo Zulu: isipinashi Cebuano: spinach Filipino: spinach Indonesian: bayam Javanese: bayem Malagasy: epinara Malay: bayam Maori: kōkihi Esperanto: spinaco Haitian Creole: epina Latin: spinach Hindi: Palak Telugu: Pachchali Koora Malayalam: Vasala Cheera Tamil: Pasalai Keerai Bengali: Palang Sag Punjabi: Palak
Plant Growth Habit	Annual or rarely biennial
Growing Climate	Cool
Soil	Well-drained
Plant Size	30 cm
Lifespan	One
Stem	Thin, flexible stem, Height: 12 inches
Leaf shape and size	Alternate, simple, ovate-triangular; Length: 1-12 inches
Leaf color	Light-dark green
Flower	Inconspicuous, yellow-green, Diameter: 3–4 mm
Fruit shape & size	Small, hard dry, lumpy, Across: 1/4-1/2 inch
Flavor/aroma	Mild, crisp, pungent, earthy
Major Nutritions (Raw)	Vitamin K (phylloquinone) 144.9 µg (120.75%) Vitamin A, RAE 141 µg (20.14%) Vitamin B9 (Folate) 58 µg (14.50%) Manganese, Mn 0.269 mg (11.70%) Iron, Fe 0.81 mg (10.13%) Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) 8.4 mg (9.33%) Magnesium, Mg 24 mg (5.71%) Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) 0.058 mg (4.46%) Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 0.057 mg (4.38) Copper, Cu 0.039 mg (4.33%)
Health Benefits	Eye ailments Age related disease Neural functions Reduces blood pressure Supports muscles Bones Cataracts Metabolic functions Treats ulcers Prevent strokes Proper development of fetus Anti-inflammation Anti-cancer activity Protects skin Growth of infants
Calories in 1 cup (30 gm) Raw	7 Kcal.
Precautions	The purine content in Spinach could precipitate Gout. Some people might experience allergic reactions to Spinach. The oxalates found in Spinach may obstruct the calcium absorption. Those with gallbladder or kidney problems should be careful while consuming this green. The functions of thyroid gland functions. The cooking may decrease goitrogenic compounds found in Spinach. Raw spinach could lead to food-borne illness such as E. coli. Due to the intake of Spinach, some people might experience kidney stones because of high oxalic acid found in the plant.
How to Eat	Spinach can be consumed either raw or cooked. Spinach is added in recipes such as soups, curries, quiches, soufflés and pates.
Other Facts	Spinach is considered as the third popular children’s food after ice cream and turkey after the Popeye’s debut made on 1929, January 17th. Spinach is known as “The Persian Green” in China. March 26th is celebrated as the National Spinach Day. Spinach acts like a diuretic and laxative because it eliminates excess water and bowels from the body. China produces 19 million tons of spinach. So China is considered as the greatest manufacturer of spinach.