Spinach: characteristics, care and uses

Spinach has the scientific name Spinacia oleracea

The spinach that has a scientific name Spinacia, It is a plant that is cultivated throughout the year, which belongs to the Amaranthaceae family as well as to the Chenopodiaceae subfamily, usually this plant It is grown as a vegetable due to the edible leaves it hasThey are large and also have a fairly dark green color.

As we have already mentioned, this plant is grown throughout the year and we can eat it fresh, we can cook it or even fry it. Today this is one of the vegetables that we can find most often when frozen.

Features

Spinach is one of the herbaceous plants that has the ability to be annual

Spinach is one of the herbaceous plants which has the capacity to be annual and in certain of its varieties can be long-lasting.

They have the possibility of reaching a measure of approximately one meter high, the stems of this plant are simple and have few branches. Spinach leaves are usually quite fleshy, having a Extended form and on the other hand, it has a root that is pivoting, just as it has few ramifications and is also superficial.

Being in its first phase, it has the ability to develop leaves that are grouped into a rosette.

Being in its second phase, this is a plant that develops a floral stem that has the possibility of reaching a measure of about 80 cm high. From this there are some flowers that are of a greenish tone and spinach, because it is a plant that is of the dioecious type, has flowers that are male as well as female, which has made it much easier to obtain new hybrid species that have a better flavor, another texture, another color and even resistance to a large number of climates.

Properties

Among the main properties that we can find is the fact that it can have a large amount of beta carotene which is much more than those of the carrot, it is for this reason that if we consume spinach it can lead to counteracting the possibility of cancer cells developing.

Beta carotenes are pigments found in vegetables that, due to the action that it fulfills in the liver, they are being transformed into Vitamin A, with each of the benefits that this can offer for the health of the human being.

Spinach has a high content of alpha lipoic acid, which is an antioxidant with a strong impact and has the ability to prevent the cells of our body from going through premature aging.

We know lutein as well as zeaxanthin as two flavonoids that are present within the components of spinach and that are responsible for developing a role of great importance in having the ability to prevent what is ocular aging, which is What does it mean that it is the vision loss due to age.

The nutritional properties of spinach

It has been concluded that flavonoids can prevent cataracts from developing in those who are of advanced age.

The content of vitamin K represents another of the properties of great value that this vegetable has and is that vitamin K is very important so that we can ensure correct blood clotting. In the same way, its content of unsaturated fatty acids has many benefits for a greater fluidity of the blood, as well as being of great help to be able to combat the threats that arteriosclerosis can cause.

We can eat spinach raw if we prepare a salad or we can also cook it. The best thing is that the spinach can be consume raw if we propose a diet that is to lose weight.

The nutritional properties

Most of the spinach are composed of water, which exceeds the percentage of 90%, which also has a fairly low percentage of carbohydrates as well as fats, it is for this reason that they are so recommended by nutrition specialists as a food that can be part of our diet if we want to regulate or lose a little weight.

The groups of vitamins that spinach contains are E, A, C and also vitamin B, offering a antioxidant action, regulates vision so that it is in good condition in those who suffer from eye problems, it is good for the skin, hair, bones, mucous membranes and also for the immune system in general, being one of the most suitable foods to be able to prevent diseases that affect the heart, as well as degenerative diseases such as cancer.

Apart from the fact that it has the ability to intervene in the formation of collagen, as well as red blood cells, spinach is a food that can be an excellent treatment against anemiaLikewise, it intervenes in the process of formation of white blood cells, in the absorption of iron found in food and also in resistance against infections. The high content of phosphate that it has makes this an ideal food for pregnant women, since it can prevent malformations from occurring in the fetus.

Uses

In the kitchen, spinach is usually prepared steamed, since in this way it is can retain a large amount of their nutrientsWe can also take advantage of its benefits if we boil it for at least five minutes, fry it, cook it in the oven or any other way to cook it.

As a starter plate We can combine it by sautéing them with a little garlic, onion and also a little black pudding.

Uses of spinach

In the same way we can add them to an omelette, in a stew, in some creams or also in purees, apart from be an ingredient in those fish dishes as for example in the tuna cake or also in the cod cake.

Care

Spinach it is an annual plant it is recommended to sow in the spring. It has a fairly high sensitivity to cold, therefore before being able to sow them, it is possible that it will not survive unless it is protected with a transparent plastic that is used in greenhouses or we can place them inside our house in a room that has enough light.

This is a plant that does not demand much, we can use a substrate that is composed only of black peat Or we can also mix it with 20 or 30% perlilla, but taking into account that because it is a plant that grows and germinates quickly we have to place only three seeds for each seedbed.

We have to place the seedbed with direct sunlight and we have to water the land only so that it is moist, thus avoiding puddles. When the shoots are already 10 cm high we can transplant them to the garden or in pots.


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