Popeye Knew What He Was Doing - Spinach Will Make You Stronger

Regardless of what nutritional diet you might ascribe to – paleo, primal, DASH, Mediterranean – there is really no debate about whether spinach is good for you. None of the schools of thought disagree that it packs a serious nutritional punch on many fronts. Just one cup of spinach contains

·         0.7 grams of dietary fiber

·         167 milligrams of potassium

·         56 percent of Vitamin A needs

·         14 percent of Vitamin C

·         181 percent of Vitamin K

·         15 percent of folate

·         Significant amounts of Vitamin B1, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6, Vitamin E, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc.

In addition, there are 0.86 grams of protein. With all of these nutrients, spinach promotes a whole host of health benefits, such as

·         Lowering blood pressure

·         Lowering blood sugar

·         Promotes better eyesight

·         A digestive aid

·         Protects against hardening of the arteries

·         Protects against skin conditions such as acne and psoriasis

·         Helps prevent constipation

In previous generations, this dark green vegetable gained a rather unfavorable reputation in the department of taste, especially among children. This is due to the fact that their taste buds are more sensitive, especially to bitterness. Spinach leaves have oxalic acid, which gives a bitter accent that also tends to linger in the mouth afterward. This bitterness is accentuated during the cooking of the leafy vegetable. The version of spinach served in school lunches in decades past was of the cooked and canned variety, usually with no dressing offered, so it is no surprise children were averse to it.

What perhaps compounded the problem was that many make the mistake of overcooking spinach, which also brings out more of the bitter flavor. To counteract these palatability issues, parents used to entice their children to eat their spinach so that they will “grow up big and strong.” The implicit notion of not being as strong as their peers was at times an effective motivation, particularly among young boys. Parents would also receive assistance from the world of entertainment, with the popular Popeye cartoon. Whenever Popeye was put in a predicament, a can of spinach always served as the source of his extra strength he needed to overcome his opponents.

Spinach plants grown in Castelltallat, Catalonia.

Author: Victor M. Vicente Selvas, with full permission.

 This is Actually True

Conventional wisdom would say that this is nothing more than a popular lie told in order to get the kids to eat something healthy that they do not typically find tasty. After all, spinach is a leafy vegetable, containing a scant amount of protein. As we all know, it is protein that is the building blocks of muscular tissue. Not only is spinach severely lacking in that department, the quality of vegetable protein is inferior to those found in animal sources.

However, as it turns out, it seems that Popeye – and parents – were on to something after all, most likely without knowing it. Despite it being a leafy vegetable, spinach in fact does promote muscle growth and strength. So how does spinach manage to do this?

It Actually Does Contain Steroids

No, not the harmful, health-risking types that many athletes shoot into their veins, or swallow. These are naturally occurring, plant-based steroids of a class known as phytoecdysteroids. They are actually synthesized by the plant to protect it from parasites such as nematodes. However, ingested by us, they also have health benefits. They increase the rate of metabolism of glucose. Also, it improves the body’s ability to adapt to stress. This ability is a key component of muscular growth from weightlifting. Also, if you contract an illness and have to rest for a few days, the adaptation to the stress of immobility will allow you a greater ability to retain more of your muscle.

Muscle Building Hormones

A hormone that is essential to increased muscle mass is HGH, or human growth hormone. Its structure is that of an amino acid chain, and it has two essential functions. It stimulates cell production, and also aids in their repair. Your body produces it spontaneously. Though, without a proper diet and effective exercise plan, it may not be produced in adequate amounts for growth. Furthermore, the body naturally produces less as you age. Human growth hormone not only stimulates growth for the muscles, but also the bones. Lack of adequate amount of HGH can render you susceptible to conditions such as osteoporosis.

It so happens that spinach possesses two compounds that stimulate the production of human growth hormone. The first is glutamine, an amino acid that also has several other functions, including, but not limited to

·         Aiding in protein biosynthesis

·         Transporting ammonia in blood

·         Produces ammonium which balances the kidney acidity

·         Biosynthesis of lipids

Glutamine is the most prolific amino acid flowing in the blood. Under most conditions, the body can make enough to perform its essential functions. But, if you are endeavoring to grow your muscles, you will need more from food sources such as spinach.

The other amino acid found in spinach that is responsible for HGH stimulation is glycine. With just one hydrogen atom at the side, it is the simplest amino acid in existence. Its functions, however, are far more complex than its makeup. It serves as a neurotransmitter for the central nervous system. In this capacity, it actually works together with glutamate, a product of glutamine for receptors. It also synthesizes aminolevulinic acid, which is a precursor to porphyrins such as heme, which gives red blood cells their color. Glycine is also widely used in industries such as cosmetics, toiletries, medicine, and of course, the food industry.

Boost the Taste

For some people, spinach can be an acquired taste – and some have a more difficult time acquiring it than others. As stated above, cooked spinach, especially the canned variety, can have an unpleasant bitter taste if cooked too long – and the children will be the most sensitive to that.

If you cannot reliably cook spinach without preventing the bitter flavor, there is no better way to get your children to handle it than having it raw. The texture is somewhat different than lettuce, but it makes for a much healthier substitute to the often used iceberg lettuce. Raw spinach has a weaker flavor, and if you or your children find it unpleasant, it will be overwhelmed by the dressing you use.

There are many ways to improve the taste of cooked spinach. One is to make it part of a dish, such as an egg omelet. Another is to make use of the flavor of spices. Together with olive oil, you can use your preferred flavoring. Garlic, cinnamon, sea salt, crushed red pepper, and turmeric are popular choices, or a combination of some of the above. Of course, if you have a preferred blend in mind, it couldn’t hurt to try that as well. Sautéing is a delicious way to bring out the best in this vegetable.

Muscle building purposes aside, spinach is definitely a food that should be consumed on a regular basis. So if you are going to include it in several meals per week, it is much more fun to eat it if it tastes good. Of course, if you are the type that likes the plain cooked spinach, by all means dig in without any additions. And you can tell your children with a clear conscience that they will indeed grow up big and strong if they eat this nutritional powerhouse.