Super spinach really boosts power: Study

By Dr. Ananya Mandal, MDFeb 6 2011

Scientists have found out the basis of what we already knew – spinach is good for us. They have found that it is the nitrates in spinach that are abundant in all green leafy vegetables that boosts the powerhouses in cells which provide energy. In fact a single helping of spinach is enough to increase the efficiency of mitochondria. These are small bean-shaped bodies which fuel cell activity and growth. This explains how Popeye the Sailor man – a famous cartoon character, who dates back to the 1930s, gets his power from a can of spinach.

It was thought till now that it is the iron content of spinach made it a power-food. Now scientists have learned that nitrates are the true energy-boosting ingredient in the vegetable. These inorganic chemicals were thought to be of no nutritional value till now.

Lead researcher Professor Eddie Weitzberg, from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden said, “We’re talking about an amount of nitrate equivalent to what is found in two or three red beets or a plate of spinach…We know that diets rich in fruits and vegetables can help prevent cardiovascular disease and diabetes, but the active nutrients haven’t been clear. This shows inorganic nitrate as a candidate to explain those benefits.” The effect of spinach is so strong that it starts working in just three days.

Prof Weitzberg and colleague Professor Jon Lundberg have shown in their studies earlier that dietary nitrate increases levels of nitric oxide in the body with the help of friendly bacteria. Nitric oxide is an important molecule which opens up blood vessels, lowers blood pressure, and improves circulation. This new study adds to the knowledge that nitrates help mitochondria by making them less “leaky”. This has the effect of increasing their efficiency as biological machines. The findings appear in the latest issue of the journal Cell Metabolism.

Another fact that was uncovered was that mouthwash may reduce the benefits of nitrates. Bacteria in the mouth are needed to provide the first step in the pathway that uses nitrates to generate nitric oxide explain researchers. “In our view, strong mouthwashes are not good if you want this system to work,” said Prof Weitzberg.