I was very apprehensive with the brightly green mixture. I was expecting a very green taste like wheat grass. But, to my delight it tasted like a banana shake. I couldn't even taste the greens. To my understanding, Victoria Boutenko from www.rawfamily.com was the one who discovered this. What a Genius! Everyone that hates greens can now get them down in a delicious way!
I decided to give it a one more big challenge. Three of my grandchildren don't eat vegetables. They spent the week with me so we had fun making Green Hulk and leprechaun smoothies. They had a blast! Everyday they wanted to make another one. When my daughter picked them up she was shocked that I got them to drink greens. But, she was too chicken to try some herself. (I wonder where the kids get their habits from?)
The following details the benefits of the ingredients:
SPINACH
1 cup provides:
Calorie 6.9
Fiber 0.7 g
Carbohydrates 1.1 g
Fat 0.1 g
Protein 0.9 g
Vitamins
A 2813 IU (Lutein+Zeaxanthin 3659 mcg)
C 8.4 mg
E 0.6 mg
K 145 mcg
Riboflavin 0.1 mg
Niacin 0.2 mg
B6 0.1 mg
Folate 58.2 mcg
Choline 5.4 mg
Betaine 165 mg
Minerals
Calcium 29.7 mg
Iron 0.8 mg
Magnesium 23.7 mg
Phosphorus 14.7 mg
Potassium 167 mg
Sodium 23.7 mg
Zinc 0.2 mg
Manganese 0.3 mg
Selenium 0.3 mcg
VITAMINS IN SPINACH:
Vitamin A - Spinach does not contain Vitamin A as such, yet has a high "Retinol Equivalent Activity". (Retinol is another name for Vitamin A.) This is due to the Beta Carotene content of Spinach (See next item). Vitamin A is an antioxidant vitamin, essential for eye health and vision (particularly prevention of night blindness), assists in growth and bone formation and strength, maintains healthy hair, skin and mucous membranes, assists protein synthesis, prevents and fights viral and respiratory infections.
Beta Carotene - The human body converts Beta Carotene into Vitamin A in the intestines and liver. Spinach is one of the richest sources of beta carotene. (Only carrots and parsley contain more.)
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) - Acts as a coenzyme that facilitates the conversion of glucose into muscular and nerve energy. In many foods, B1 is not readily bioavailable (ie not much is absorbed into the body.) Thiamine in Spinach is one of the most bioavailable sources due to the presence of folate. Folate raises the bioavailability of Thiamine.
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) - Sometimes also known as Vitamin G, Riboflavin is necessary for the maintenance and repair of mucous membranes and body tissues. It also assists in converting proteins, fats and carbohydrates into energy.
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) - Sometimes known as Vitamin PP, Niacin assists in cell respiration, stabilizes cholesterol levels, produces energy from proteins, fats and carbohydrates, maintains a healthy brain and nervous system, as well as skin, tongue and digestive health.
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid) - Vitamin B5 is well known as an anti stress or anti anxiety vitamin, though plays a much wider role in nourishing and maintaining the nervous system and the production of anti stress hormones. It acts as a detoxifying agent, controls fat metabolism, assists in the production of energy and the formation of antibodies.
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) - The anti depression vitamin, it is also an anti allergy vitamin. Additionally, Vitamin B6 is essential for the manufacture of brain chemicals, nerve impulse transmitters, blood formation and energy production.
Vitamin Bc (Folate) - Spinach and other dark green leafy vegetables such as broccoli are nature's strongest sources of folate. Sometimes also known as Vitamin M, folate or folic acid is an anti-anaemia vitamin. It also prevents neural tube and other birth defects in fetuses, builds up resistance to infection in infants, is essential for blood formation, the transmission of genetic code and in cellular protein synthesis in the metabolism of RNA and DNA.
Vitamin C - Spinach is a moderate source of Vitamin C - another of the antioxidant vitamins. Vitamin C produces various brain chemicals and nerve substances, activates folic acid, promotes iron absorption, boosts immune function to provide resistance to infection, controls cholesterol levels, promotes wound healing and maintains collagen levels for healthy connective tissues such as in skin, joints and organs throughout the body.
Vitamin E - Spinach is a moderate source of this Vitamin that is commonly deficient in modern diets, particularly low fat diets. (Vitamin E is a fat soluble vitamin and usually accompanies fats/oils.). Vitamin E is an antioxidant, anti cancer and cardiovascular enhancing & protecting vitamin. It also enhances immune response. A little confusing by many is that there are eight different natural varieties of Vitamin E, plus synthetic varieties. Although their functions overlap, each has specific strengths or benefits over the others. Synthetic Vitamin E supplements often do not provide cardiovascular benefits even though they may prevent and treat prostate cancer effectively, for example. One of the many marvels of spinach is that it contains a broad spectrum of all the natural varieties of Vitamin E, so all the benefits from this group of vitamins can be found in the one plant.
Vitamin K - Spinach is one of the better sources of dietary Vitamin K (though cauliflower is by far the best source). This vitamin's main function is the control of blood clotting - hence the name "K" (for Koagulation. Pardon the spelling, but it was discovered and named by a Danish scientist about 75 years ago. This probably accounts for the misspelling by today's English language standards. Besides, "C" was already taken as a vitamin name.) Up until recently, the blood clotting control function was believed to be Vitamin K's only function. Research in recent years has discovered numerous other functions, such as being an even more powerful antioxidant than Vitamin E. It is now known to be necessary for bone health (as is Vitamin D) because it "glues" calcium into the bone matrix. In regulating calcium, Vitamin K also keeps calcium out of artery walls (prevents atherosclerosis, and accordingly heart attacks).
MINERALS IN SPINACH:
Calcium - Although abundant in spinach, the calcium story is one of the few "negatives" for this dark green leafy vegetable. The calcium within spinach is not well absorbed by the human body. Spinach contains an "antinutrient" called oxalate that binds to calcium and prevents its absorption in the human body. The ratio of calcium to oxalate found in spinach prevents the absorption of around 95% of the calcium within the spinach, allowing only around 5% to be absorbed and be useful as a nutrient. (Oxalates are common in many vegetable products, though play a much worse role in some. Soy, for example, is so heavy in oxalate content that it not only prevents calcium absorption from the soy itself, it seeks out calcium in the human cellular structure, binds to it and depletes the body of existing calcium reserves. This can result in many calcium deficiency diseases and the lumps of coagulated, oxalate-bound calcium are a common cause of kidney stones. Why ever Soy is considered a "health food" is hard to fathom, short of commercial interests.)
Copper - Spinach is a moderate source of this essential trace mineral. Copper is a co-factor with enzymes involved with skin and hair colour and condition. It plays a role in brain nerve function, blood formation, bone strength and resistance to disease.
Iron - Spinach is one of the best plant sources of this essential trace mineral. Iron is a major component of red blood cells and serves to transport oxygen to cells and for muscle development. Iron is also essential for developing resistance to infection.
Magnesium - Spinach is a moderate source of this essential nutrient mineral. Magnesium assists various B group vitamins in their function. It is essential for energy production and cell replication, maintenance and repair, is a co-factor for many hormones and is essential for nerve impulse transmission. It is also one of the bone compound minerals.
Manganese - Spinach is a moderate plant source of manganese and a superior source than animal or fish derived food. Manganese helps to maintain a healthy nervous system and a deficiency is well noted in numerous mental illnesses. Human enzymes require manganese for proper function, as does the thyroid and female sex hormones. Manganese is one of the range of minerals necessary for strong and healthy bones and assists vitamins B, C & E fulfill their functions. It stimulates glycogen storage, synthesises structural body cell proteins and the manufacture of RNA & DNA.
Phosphorus - Spinach is a moderate plant source of this essential mineral. It is an important structural component of bones and teeth, is necessary for the metabolism of sugars for energy, it activates the B group vitamins, aids calcium absorption and is a cofactor for numerous enzymes, and it's alkaline nature reduces blood acidity levels.
Potassium - Spinach is a moderate source of dietary potassium - a very major mineral in the human body. Our daily requirements of potassium are roughly equal to our requirement for calcium. Potassium helps maintain water balance within the body, preserves the acid-alkalie balance within the body, assists nerve impulse transmission (in conjunction with sodium), stablises the internal structure of human cells, plays an important function in heart and other muscle composition and strength.
Selenium - Selenium is one of the most important and at the same time most deficient trace minerals in the modern human diet. Soil quality is the major factor. Given the right soils, Spinach provides some, albeit small levels, of selenium. Selenium acts as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent. assists in preventing cancers, promotes male sex hormone production, preserves normal liver function, works synergistically with iodine to boost thyroid function, maintains healthy eyes, hair and skin
Sodium - Sodium is readily found in every food product and even moreso in processed foods. The health issue we face is one of excessive sodium, rather than a lack of it as is the case with many other minerals. The real health story in relation to Spinach is that it is low in sodium - a desirable trait given the excessive intakes in modern diets.
Zinc - Spinach is a moderate plant source of essential dietary zinc. Zinc works synergistically with calcium for the mineralization of bone. It is essential for male sperm production and the metabolic processes of numerous glands. Zinc boosts immune response, regulates insulin activity and optimises liver function including the release of Vitamin A for use throughout the body.
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