Recently, more people are starting to love green smoothies by finding the best healthy smoothie recipe ever on the internet. And one of the most popular variants is the spinach variety. However, a few—probably including you—are still hesitant to try it out because of the taste. They would rather know if making a few glasses of it every week is worthwhile.
For one, a spinach smoothie can give you a nice energy boost just like with every green smoothie recipe. It can also help you include more fruit and veggies in your diet, which is always a huge plus. And, of course, it has other benefits other than those. Here are some of them:
- Provides you with antioxidants
The good thing about spinach is that they have a lot of antioxidants in the form of vitamin C. And you can get a lot of those from a healthy orange smoothie recipe. These antioxidants help reduce oxidative stress in the body. This reduction can slow down aging by aiding skin cells to recover from damage and prevent wrinkling.
Other benefits of antioxidants are improved blood pressure and eye health. Experts also believe that it can help alleviate other chronic illnesses. However, some studies are still ongoing to prove that claim.
- Boosts your immune system
Aside from being an excellent antioxidant, the vitamin C from a delicious healthy smoothie recipe can also boost your immune system. Note that vitamin C is known to be effective at helping the body fight infections and regulate cellular functions, as well as an anti-aging vitamin.
Moreover, health experts suggest vitamin C may reduce the chances of cancer, like lung, colon, and breast cancer. On the other hand, some swear by its effectiveness in reducing the duration of a cold. And many believe that it can also help maintain healthy eyes.
Aside from spinach, green smoothies often have other immune-boosting ingredients. A few of them include
- chia seeds,
- green apple,
- citrus fruits and
All these ingredients can also give you additional nutrients that can aid you in battling future sicknesses.
- Gives you nutrients your body needs
With antioxidants, spinach also has other vitamins many people need, like vitamins A and K. You can get boatloads of them if you follow a healthy kale smoothie recipe and add spinach to it.
In particular, vitamin K is abundant in spinach. Two cups of this leafy vegetable can give you more than 200% of your daily recommended vitamin K. This vitamin is essential to a person’s health, regulates blood clotting, and assist in building healthy bones. (2)
Athletes sometimes consume spinach smoothies for vitamin K supplementation to enhance their performance. Meanwhile, some also rely on vitamin K to improve their diabetes and osteoporosis. However, experts are still studying those effects.
Spinach also has good folate (vitamin B9) and calcium. Both can help you have stronger bones and potentially help with severe health issues like heart disease, anemia, cancer, congenital disabilities, and cognitive decline.
- Assists you in reducing your cholesterol
Having spinach and other leafy vegetables in your day-to-day meals and drinks is a much more natural way to lower cholesterol and weight. While spinach doesn’t directly help reduce your cholesterol, it can tremendously aid the process. In addition, including this leafy vegetable in your diet and your smoothies can assist in satiating your hunger longer and encouraging you to eat healthier foods.
- Supplies you with iron
Iron is an essential mineral your body needs, and spinach is an excellent source of iron. Remember that iron is vital to form your blood’s red blood cells and hemoglobin. So if you have anemia or are pregnant with a child, eating spinach and mixing it in your smoothies can prevent you from having bouts of low blood count.
- Supplies you with copious amounts of dietary fiber
Spinach is a green leafy vegetable with a lot of fiber. As you may know, fiber is an effective ingredient to curb overeating. Including lots of fiber in your diet can help you avoid gaining too much weight. It also aids your digestion and makes your bowel movements more regular. As a bonus, it helps lower cholesterol levels and controls blood sugar levels. (3)
The more fiber you eat or include in your diet, the fuller you feel after each meal. And if you want to get more of it, you can always make one using a healthy oatmeal smoothie recipe.
However, note that the beneficial effects of fiber can diminish when an ingredient goes through a blender. If you badly need some fiber, you can often eat your fibrous food instead of just drinking them with your smoothie.
Conclusion
Now that you know the benefits of a spinach smoothie, the next step is to find a healthy spinach smoothie recipe and make one. And if you’re still hesitant because of the taste, you may want to try one first. You won’t regret it!
References
Farrell, Lauren. “Does Vitamin C Boost Your Immune System?” in BestReviews. Chicago Tribune, April 27, 2021. https://www.chicagotribune.com/consumer-reviews/sns-bestreviews-health-boost-immune-system-vitamin-c-20210426-ynonecir3zczxeurrcmp4mytwe-story.html.
Horton, MS, RD, Brierley. “5 Amazing Health Benefits of Spinach,” reviewed by Lisa Valente, MS, RD. EatingWell, February 21, 2020. https://www.eatingwell.com/article/7669302/health-benefits-of-spinach/.
Mayo Clinic Staff. “Dietary Fiber: Essential For A Healthy Diet.” Mayo Clinic, January 6, 2021. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/fiber/art-20043983.
