Popeye’s super strength came from eating spinach, and the creators of that famous cartoon really did know what they were talking about. Spinach is arguably one of the most nutrient-dense foods you can find, as it is loaded with essential vitamins and minerals and phytonutrients.
As a matter of fact, spinach is an excellent source of:
- Vitamin K
- Vitamin A, including several powerful antioxidants (i.e., carotenoids)
- Manganese
- Folate
- Magnesium
- Iron
- Copper
- Vitamin B2
- Vitamin B6
- Vitamin E
- Calcium
- Potassium
- Vitamin C
- Fiber
- Phosphorus
- Vitamin B1
- Zinc
- Choline
With that laundry list of essential nutrients, it’s easy to see why this “superfood” would be at the top of anyone’s list trying to lose fat and promote a healthy lifestyle. In addition to these micronutrients, spinach is also a rich source of phytonutrients and antioxidants, like the carotenoids lutein, zeaxanthin, neoxanthin, and violaxanthin.
These phytonutrients and antioxidants all work incredibly hard against inflammation, which makes spinach a highly anti-inflammatory food. Along these lines, the research is becoming abundantly clear that inflammation plays a major role in obesity and vice versa. Thus, including potent anti-inflammatory foods like spinach in your nutritionarsenal is critical in the battle of the bulge.
What’s more, all of these nutrients come at a very low price, calorically speaking. As a matter of fact, a single cup of spinach contains only 7 calories. Thus, you can load your plate, smoothie, or omelet with this nutrient-dense super-star with literally no regard for the calories.
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