Spinach

                      Spinach

Bad News for Popeye

Bright and bold-looking spinach leaves are related to a group of plants called goosefoots because of the shape of their leaves. Popeye thought he got his strength from spinach because spinach has a high level of iron, which is needed to take the oxygen to muscles so they can power us up.

But, Popeye obviously didn’t realise that most of the iron in spinach is actually bound up with oxalic acid and so it can’t be used by the body. Oxalic acid interferes with the body's ability to absorb calcium and some other foods consumed at the same time as the spinach, too. Raw spinach in particular has a greatly reduced nutritional value, but even cooked spinach still contains some oxalic acid, which makes it difficult to benefit from the nutritional content of this vegetable. 

Spinach does have some good features. It's high in fiber... the stuff that keeps things moving through you digestive system. Spinach also contains a phytochemical belonging to the carotenoid family, called zeaxanthin. Zeaxanthin appears to be valuable for keeping eyes healthy, especially in older people.