This DiabetesIQ content is fact-checked and expert-reviewed to ensure strict editorial guidelines. Our content is evidence-based and provides objective analysis while maintaining the highest editorial standards in accordance with our integrity policy.
Published: January 05, 2022
This DiabetesIQ content is fact-checked and expert-reviewed to ensure strict editorial guidelines. Our content is evidence-based and provides objective analysis while maintaining the highest editorial standards in accordance with our integrity policy.
Remember what boosted Popeye the Sailor Man’s strength every
time he really needed it? Spinach, exactly. While the famous Popeye is a fictional
cartoon character, the many health benefits of spinach are real. Well, this popular
leafy green vegetable most likely won’t give you such a magical transformation
as it did for Popeye, but American Diabetes Association wouldn’t be suggesting
to include spinach in your diet for no reason and would definitely not call it “a
diabetes superfood” without any grounds.
First of all, spinach is a great source of nutrients. – It contains
Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, folate, potassium and iron. At the same time,
it’s exceptionally low in calories. – One cup of raw spinach contains just 7
calories. So, adding spinach to your diet may help you lose weight, as spinach
will fill you up without giving almost any calories.
Spinach is a non-starchy vegetable that is very rich in
fiber – about 5 grams per cup of cooked spinach. It is also very low on carbs
and has a very low glycemic index of just 15, all of which helps you reduce
blood sugar levels and keep your diabetes under control.
Besides, spinach contains an antioxidant named lutein, which
can help preserve cognitive abilities in older adults and protect against
eye-related diseases like cataracts and macular degeneration.
So what can you make out of spinach? It turns
out spinach is not a boring vegetable at all! There are so many dishes that
spinach can be a part of. We are sure you will be able to find a plenty of them
online, but here we present to you recipes with spinach that we personally
like.
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