Qianjiang Evening News, Hourly News reporter Yang Qian, correspondent Xu Youjia Photo courtesy of CFP
The rain and snow are gone, the warm sun is coming, this weekend’s warm sunshine and warmer temperatures can’t help but make people feel like spring Steps are getting closer.
Spring health care must not be sloppy, especially when it comes to food supplements. Confucius said, “Don’t eat from time to time”. Food should be eaten according to the season, and it should be eaten according to the season when the ingredients naturally grow to maturity and are most nutritious.
When socializing in winter and spring, you should eat more fresh vegetables, wild vegetables or sprouts to feel the delicacy gifted by nature and experience the breath of spring.
A variety of seasonal vegetables are on the market one after another, and the most eye-catching one is spinach.
Spinach originated in Persia and was introduced to my country in the Tang Dynasty. The ancients saw that the root of spinach was red, the shape was like a hook like a beak, and the green leaves were like the feathers of a parrot, and it was also called “red-billed green parrot”.
“Compendium of Materia Medica” records: “Spinach opens the blood vessels, opens the chest and diaphragm, regulates the middle breath, quenches thirst and moistens dryness. ”, is a rare medicinal and edible vegetable. The spinach in the Chinese New Year is not only the most tender in taste, but also has the effect of nourishing yin and calming the liver and clearing away heat and toxins, which helps to prevent high blood pressure, high blood pressure, etc. caused by insufficient liver yin in spring. Headache, dizziness and anemia.
Modern pharmacological studies have found that spinach is rich in carotenoids, vitamin C, vitamin K, minerals, coenzymes and other nutrients, so spinach is known as a “model nutrition student”. Friends who have watched the cartoon “Popeye” are deeply impressed by the protagonist’s powerful image as soon as he eats spinach. Studies have found that this may be related to the ecdysterone component contained in spinach, which plays an important role in the process of human muscle building. to an important role.
Protect eyes and eyesight
Spinach is one of the best sources of lutein, a nutrient that is very effective in preventing “macular degeneration” caused by aging eyes. Studies have shown that eating spinach 2-4 times a week in middle-aged and elderly people can delay vision loss. In addition, the carotene contained in spinach can be converted into vitamin A in the body, preventing dry eye and other diseases, which is beneficial to the health of the lens.
Lower lipids and blood pressure
Spinach is rich in chromium and insulin-like substances, which can regulate blood sugar and keep it stable. Spinach is a high-potassium and low-sodium food. Potassium can help the body excrete excess sodium, balance blood pressure, balance acid-base and cell osmotic pressure. Hypertensive patients can eat spinach to lower blood pressure.
Slimming and beauty
Spinach is rich in plant fiber, which can promote intestinal peristalsis, refresh and relieve greasy. It is a standard low-calorie food. Its fat content accounts for 8.9%, and every 100 A gram of spinach contains only 24 calories, which can be consumed by walking for only 6 minutes; and the antioxidant components in spinach, such as flavonoids, are beneficial to promote cellular antioxidant, scavenge free radicals, and reduce pigmentation and wrinkles. Mash to extract juice and wash your face several times a week to clean skin pores and keep skin smooth.
Strengthen bones and prolong life
Spinach is a rare vegetable with high vitamin K content. Vitamin K is involved in the blood clotting process. The latest research shows that it is also an essential element to promote the formation of bone calcium. Eating only 50 grams of spinach a day can delay bone aging. In addition, the minerals, magnesium and vitamin D in spinach can synergistically participate in the absorption of calcium in the body, further enhancing bone health.
Because of its strong applicability, spinach is often used in soups, salads, stir-frying alone, and stir-frying with meat and vegetables Or put it on a plate and eat it with eggs to promote the absorption of vitamin B12; with pig liver can play a role in preventing anemia in the elderly; with carrots, it can lower cholesterol and prevent stroke. However, it should be noted that spinach is rich in oxalic acid. Excessive intake will affect the absorption of calcium and easily form calcium oxalate stones. Therefore, you need to blanch spinach in boiling water for 60 seconds before eating to remove most of the oxalic acid.
Tips
Spinach is not suitable for patients with nephritis and kidney stones. The oxalic acid and calcium salts in spinach can combine to form calcium oxalate crystals, which can make the urine of patients with nephritis cloudy and cast. And salt crystals increase, so it is not suitable to eat.
Spinach should be selected with tender leaves and roots, and should be eaten with alkaline foods as much as possible, such as kelp, vegetables, fruits, etc., to promote the dissolution and discharge of calcium oxalate and prevent stones.
“Ben Cao Congxin” said: “All vegetables can relax the stomach, and spinach is especially cold and slippery.” Therefore, patients with diarrhea due to spleen deficiency should not eat spinach, otherwise it will aggravate the diarrhea.