This strong flavored vegetable is packed with iron, calcium, magnesium, folate, manganese; along with the vitamins such as A, C and K. The nutrients found in spinach are believed to enhance brain functions, improve eyesight and even fight certain cancers.
It Promotes Brain Functions
Spinach mainly does this with the help of flavonoids present in it. The antioxidants helps slow down the aging of brain cells. Other than that, potassium found in it increases the blood flow of the brain cells and enhance cognition, concentration and neural activities. Studies suggest that eating about three servings of cruciferous yellow or green vegetables help in slowing down the cognitive decline by 40%.
It Enhance Eyesight
Many researches confirm that eating foods such as spinach that contain antioxidants; lutein and zeaxanthin fight against age-related macular degeneration. One study concluded that the subjects; both age-related macular degeneration group and the control group experienced improved vision when given the diet rich in lutein and zeaxanthin.
Similarly, another study supports the same belief that the risk of weak eyesight with age decreases to about 35% in people who consume more foods rich in lutein and zeaxanthin. Its daily recommended intake vary according to different researchers, some suggest taking 6 mg per day while other suggest eating 11 to 12 mg each day. However, usual American diet contains about 1 to 2 mg of lutein each day, which is way below the daily recommended value.
sources:
https://www.jneurosci.org/content/19/18/8114.short
https://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=382145
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07315724.2000.10718975