Eat lots of spinach for better health

I often munch on a few leaves while I’m cooking dinner. Research recently completed at Penn State indicates that salad greens, eaten before a meal, lower the overall number of calories you eat at a meal. (By the way, one cup of spinach has 6.6 calories and one gram of carbohydrate!)

In our house, we like spinach in a mixed green salad with a few mandarin oranges, some sliced almonds and a little feta (or, sometimes, walnuts and blue cheese). I keep trying to find new ways to incorporate it into our diets. When you list the top 10 healthy foods, spinach is right up there. Some will disagree, but eating it may be akin to purchasing health insurance. Here’s why. (I suspect this information will surprise you.)

I’ve always thought of spinach as a source for iron, but (sorry, Popeye) the iron in spinach is not easily absorbed, so don’t assume you’re getting much. But that’s OK, because iron deficiency is not really an issue for aging adults.

There is another health consideration, one you may hear from spinach detractors. A Finnish study found that high levels of iron increased the risk of heart attacks. Do not let those who turn up their noses at this green, leafy wonder deter you with these comments. The bottom line is that spinach won’t provide much iron, and that’s just fine.

Here’s what spinach will do. It contains loads of antioxidant Vitamin C with its magnificent cholesterol and blood pressure-lowering capabilities. Vitamin C also protects the health of smokers and is useful to people concerned about wound healing. Spinach has lots of Vitamin A, which fosters normal cell reproduction, important for people in pre-cancerous and cancerous conditions. And spinach contains folate with its well-demonstrated, positive effects on heart disease and stroke. (One caution, check with your doctor or pharmacist if you’re taking blood thinners as adverse reactions are possible with any food containing Vitamin K.)

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My brother tells me he eats spinach out of a bag during long commutes. I’ve been known to make a sandwich consisting of two large leaves of spinach and more than a moderate amount of organic peanut butter. (It’s my personal approach to fast food.)

My mother sprinkles dried spinach flakes on her food because she’s read about spinach’s link to eye health. But mom says the best way to eat it is the way she did in her growing up years, when she picked spinach (and lettuce) right out of the garden and, minutes later, enjoyed it for supper, drenched with vinegar and sugar.

The vinegar and sugar approach is one I’ve not tried. But I did make a pizza last night that uses carrot juice in the crust, chopped spinach, cherry tomatoes and lots of low-fat cheese on top. This is health insurance at its tastiest.

Sharon Johnson is an assistant professor in family and community development at OSU Extension and a member of the Senior Advisory Council. Reach her at s.johnson@oregonstate.edu.