Among leafy green powerhouses, spinach packs a wallop

Stories about spinach often reference Popeye, the sailor who gobbled it by the can to gain immense strength. 但是如果你需要把一个卡通人物带到一个关于健康饮食的谈话中, 想想绿巨人.

In addition to their shared hue, spinach packs a nutritional punch that looms large even among its peers.

"I think spinach is quite unique," said Dr. 约瑟夫·罗伯茨是凤凰城亚利桑那州立大学营养学助理教授.

Dark, leafy greens are recommended as part of a healthy eating pattern. “它们很大程度上被认为是营养发电站，”罗伯茨说，因为它们营养丰富. 换句话说，“你可以在不摄入大量卡路里的情况下获得大量营养."

Roberts, who was lead author of an 学术审查 about spinach that was published in the journal Food & 功能，指出菠菜是维生素a, C和B9(叶酸)的良好来源。.

The nutritional values for spinach can get gaudy. 根据美国.S. Department of Agriculture, 一杯生菠菜 只有7卡路里. 但它提供了男性每天所需维生素K的121%和女性推荐量的161%. 菠菜中维生素K的含量大约是生菜的四倍, about five times more than broccoli and eight times more than cabbage.

煮菠菜, 每杯, 为女性提供每日所需维生素A的129%，为男性提供建议量的105%.

Spinach also provides more of the minerals magnesium, potassium and iron than cabbage, 生菜或西兰花.

青翠的蔬菜还富含植物化学物质，这些化合物大多存在于植物中，具有一系列促进健康的特性. They've long been known to function as antioxidants, which help fight inflammation and aging, 罗伯茨说. 研究人员直到最近才开始全面探索它们如何能做得更多.

Spinach also is one of the best plant sources for lutein, 一种植物色素，被称为类胡萝卜素，与更好的眼睛和大脑健康有关.

Some studies have looked at spinach thylakoids, which are parts of a plant cell that turn sunlight into energy. 菠菜类囊体提取物已被证明可以增加饱腹感, the feeling of being full after eating, 尽管罗伯茨说，这种效果还没有在整个菠菜中进行过广泛的研究.

然而, 他说, spinach is high in fiber, "something that most Americans need to increase their consumption of.“纤维已被证明有助于预防心脏病、糖尿病等疾病. Raw spinach has a little more than half a gram of fiber 每杯. In boiled spinach, you'll get more than 4 grams 每杯. (菠菜含有91%的水分，煮熟的菠菜比同等体积的生菠菜含有更多的叶子.)

所以，除非你是《线上娱乐电子游戏网站》(The New Yorker)最著名漫画里的孩子，否则还有什么不喜欢的呢? 好吧, although "spinach" was once used as a synonym for "nonsense," there are a few possibly serious issues to consider.

Spinach is high in oxalates, which can interfere with the body's ability to absorb minerals, 罗伯茨说. 他说，菠菜实际上含有大量的钙，但草酸盐会在肠道中与钙结合.

“这可能会导致某些人形成肾结石，”他说. 易患肾结石的人有时会吃低草酸盐饮食. 罗伯茨说，煮菠菜可以减少你摄入的草酸盐量.

菠菜还含有嘌呤，在体内可转化为尿酸. 在痛风患者中, uric acid can trigger an attack, 罗伯茨说, 但研究表明，食用菠菜对痛风发作的风险几乎没有影响."

维生素K, which plays an important role in blood clotting, can interfere with the blood thinner warfarin. That's less of an issue with newer blood thinners, 罗伯茨说, 但服用华法林的人应该“持续摄入维生素K”," which will help stabilize warfarin levels.

当你决定上菠菜的时候，也许不要把大力水手当作榜样. Aside from the health risks associated with smoking a pipe, he might be getting sodium he doesn't need. One cup of the canned stuff can have from 440 to nearly 750 milligrams; the American Heart Association recommends limiting sodium to no more than 2,每天300毫克, 理想极限为1,大多数成年人500毫克.

罗伯茨说，对于所有的水果和蔬菜来说，“越新鲜越好." So, 在杂货店, he'd go for a fresh bundle of spinach over a bag or plastic container, 假设新鲜的一捆可能是最近摘的.

If you do buy fresh, 他说, consume it soon. “你不想让它长线上电子游戏飞禽走兽放在冰箱里，因为营养成分会减少.“冷冻食品通常在收获地点附近加工，实际上营养含量更高, 他说.

How you prepare your spinach matters. "Cooking can impact the nutritional content of spinach,他说. 煮沸会降低维生素B和C的含量，以及一些植物化学物质. Those compounds end up in the cooking water, 他说, 因此，“挽救的一种方法是使用烹饪水作为汤的基础."

Popeye would be pleased to know that spinach pairs well with olive oil. 维生素K和维生素A以及叶黄素需要少量脂肪才能被人体吸收. So, Roberts recommended sauteing spinach in a little bit of oil, or eating it raw with a little oil drizzled on top.

And then there's smoothies. "This is actually how I eat my spinach every day,罗伯茨说。, who has about a cup of spinach each morning. 切碎菠菜实际上可以增加叶黄素和其他化合物的生物利用度, 他说.

“但重要的是, 当然, is to find a form of spinach that you enjoy,他说, "because all of them will deliver some nutrition and some benefit."