Pump up your body with spinach

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Pump up your body with the Popeye vegetable - spinach

Tuesday, April 17, 2012 by: Dr. Jockers

http://www.naturalnews.com/035591_spinach_nutrients_steroids.html#ixzz1sKXjCsOd

(NaturalNews) Spinach is one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet.

Popeye got it right with this powerhouse but it is too bad he ate it out of

a can. Fresh, organic spinach is much more nutrient dense and contains far

fewer environmental toxins than the canned stuff. Most children and adults

like the flavor and texture of fresh spinach over the canned alternative. Be

sure to pump up your body with spinach on a regular basis.

Spinach is native to ancient Persia (Iranian regions). Arab traders carried

spinach into India and China. Traders also brought this green leafy

vegetable to the Mediterranean regions of Europe and eventually to the US.

There are three primary types of spinach on the market. The most popular

style on the market today is baby spinach, while one could also get

smooth-leaf and savoy (which has curly leaves).

Powerful plant steroids

Spinach contains its own type of plant based steroids called

phytoecdysteroids. Phytoecdysteroids are similar to insect molting hormones

and have been shown to dramatically increase glucose metabolism. This keeps

blood sugar levels stable and minimizes the need for the critical

fat-storage hormone insulin. Additionally, phytoecdysteroids increase human

muscle tissue growth rates by 20% when applied in a culture medium.

Spinach is extremely rich in blood purifying chlorophyll. This chlorophyll

is easily metabolized and used to build new red blood cells and pull out

carcinogenic substances from the body. Chlorophyll also provides magnesium

which acts to strengthen the blood-brain barrier and protect the

neurological system from environmental toxins.

Spinach is an amazing source of glycoclycerolipids that protect the

digestive tract from inflammatory damage. These glycoclycerolipids are the

main fatty acids that makeup the cell membranes of light-sensitive organs in

chlorophyll containing plants. Additionally, spinach is an important source

of copper, zinc, and selenium which boost immunity.

Spinach also contains some very newly studied carotenoid anti-oxidants

called eposyxanthophylls. The epoxyxanthophylls that have been researched to

show remarkable anti-cancer properties include neoxanthin and violaxanthin.

Spinach is also rich in the powerful carotenoid anti-oxidants lutein and

zeaxanthin. These phytonutrients are extremely important for healthy vision

& brain function.

The carotenoids act to protect chlorophyll from intense UV radiation. Under

intense sunlight, chlorophyll can convert into an excited form called

triplet chlorophyll along with singlet oxygen molecules which act as potent

free radicals. The more carotenoids a plant contains the greater the degree

of survivability it has and the enhanced nutritional bioavailability it

provides.

When purchasing spinach be sure to get it organic as the non-organic

commercial varieties are considered one of the most heavily sprayed edible

plants in the world. Also, look to get it fresh to avoid chemical

preservative agents and aluminum found in the cans. It is also easy to grow

as a garden vegetable in areas of mild temperatures.

Sources for this article include:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinach

http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?dbid=43 & tname=foodspice

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xanthophyll

http://www.naturalnews.com/032263_superfoods_brain_health.html

About the author:

Dr. Jockers owns and operates Exodus Health Center in Kennesaw, Ga. He

is a Maximized Living doctor. His expertise is in weight loss, customized

nutrition & exercise, & structural corrective chiropractic care. For more

information go to www.exodushc.com To find a Maximized Living doctor near

you go to www.maximizedliving.com Dr. Jockers is also available for long

distance phone consultations to help you beat disease and reach your health

goals