Spinach

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about the plant, Spinacia oleracea. For other uses, see Spinach (disambiguation).

Spinach
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Amaranthaceae
Genus: Spinacia
Species:
S. oleracea
Binomial name
Spinacia oleracea

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is a

dehydration. It may be eaten cooked or raw, and the taste differs considerably; the high oxalate content may be reduced by steaming
.

It is an

temperate regions. The leaves are alternate, simple, ovate to triangular, and very variable in size: 2–30 cm (1–12 in) long and 1–15 cm (0.4–5.9 in) broad, with larger leaves at the base of the plant and small leaves higher on the flowering stem. The flowers are inconspicuous, yellow-green, 3–4 mm (0.1–0.2 in) in diameter, and mature into a small, hard, dry, lumpy fruit cluster 5–10 mm (0.2–0.4 in) across containing several seeds
.

In 2021, world production of spinach was 32 million tonnes, with China alone accounting for 92% of the total.[1]

Etymology

Originally from

European languages from Latin, which borrowed it from Arabic.[2] The English word "spinach" dates to the late 14th century from OF espinache.[3]

Taxonomy

Common spinach (S. oleracea) was long considered to be in the family

sensu lato, Spinach belongs to the subfamily Chenopodioideae.[6]

Description

As opposed to the great majority of the

flowering plants or plants used as vegetables, spinach is a dioicous plant, meaning different plants can have either female or male flowers.[a][7]

The flowers are small, green and unattractive to pollinators. Rather, pollination occurs via wind anemophily, for which the pollen has evolved to be very small and light so it can be carried large distances, often miles away.

  • Spinach male flowers
    Spinach male flowers
  • Spinach female flowers
    Spinach female flowers
  • Round seeds of the 'Monnopa' cultivar
    Round seeds of the 'Monnopa' cultivar
  • Spiky seeds of the 'Erste Ernte' cultivar
    Spiky seeds of the 'Erste Ernte' cultivar

History

Spinach is thought to have originated about 2,000 years ago in

better source needed
]

Spinach first appeared in England and France in the

bleeding.[8][13]

Culinary use, consumption and nutrition

Spinach is eaten both raw, in salads, and cooked in soups, curries, or casseroles. Notable dishes with spinach as a main ingredient include

spanakopita
.

Nutrients

Spinach, raw
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy97 kJ (23 kcal)
3.6 g
Sugars0.4 g
Dietary fiber2.2 g
0.4 g
2.9 g
Niacin (B3)
5%
0.724 mg
Vitamin B6
11%
0.195 mg
Folate (B9)
49%
194 μg
Vitamin C
31%
28 mg
Vitamin E
13%
2 mg
Vitamin K
403%
483 μg
MineralsQuantity
%DV†
Calcium
8%
99 mg
Iron
15%
2.71 mg
Magnesium
19%
79 mg
Manganese
39%
0.897 mg
Phosphorus
4%
49 mg
Potassium
19%
558 mg
Sodium
3%
79 mg
Zinc
5%
0.53 mg
Other constituentsQuantity
Water91.4 g
Link to USDA database entry
†Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults,[14] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.[15]

Raw spinach is 91% water, 4%

Daily Value, DV) of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, magnesium, manganese, iron and folate. Spinach is a moderate source (10–19% of DV) of the B vitamins, riboflavin and vitamin B6, vitamin E, calcium, potassium, and dietary fiber
(table).

100 g of spinach contains over four times the recommended daily intake of vitamin K. For this reason, individuals taking the anticoagulant warfarin, which acts by inhibiting vitamin K, are instructed to minimize consumption of spinach (and other dark green leafy vegetables) to avoid blunting the effect of warfarin.[16]

Although spinach contains moderate amounts of iron and calcium, it also contains

oxalates, which may inhibit absorption of calcium and iron in the stomach and small intestine. Cooked spinach has lower levels of oxalates, and its nutrients may be absorbed more completely.[17][18]

Cooking spinach significantly decreases its vitamin C concentration, as vitamin C is degraded by heating. Folate levels may also be decreased, as folate tends to leach into cooking liquid.[19]

Spinach is rich in nitrates and nitrites, which may exceed safe levels if spinach is over-consumed.[20]

Production

Spinach production - 2021
Country Production
(millions of tonnes)
 China 29.8
 United States 0.3
 Kenya 0.2
 Turkey 0.2
World 32.3
Source:
UN Food and Agriculture Organization, Statistics Division[1]

In 2021, world production of spinach was 32 million tonnes, with China alone accounting for 92% of the total.[1]

Marketing and safety

Fresh spinach is sold loose, bunched, or packaged fresh in bags. Fresh spinach loses much of its nutritional value with storage of more than a few days.

canned, or blanched or cooked and frozen.[21]

Some packaged spinach is exposed to radiation to kill any harmful bacteria. The

kilograys, having no or only a minor effect on nutrient content.[22]

Spinach may be high in cadmium contamination depending on the soil and location where the spinach is grown.[23]

In popular culture

The comics and cartoon character Popeye the Sailor Man is portrayed as gaining strength by consuming canned spinach.[24] The accompanying song lyric is: "I'm strong to the finich [sic], 'cuz I eats me spinach."[25] This is usually attributed to the iron content of spinach, but in a 1932 strip, Popeye states that "spinach is full of vitamin A" and that is what makes people strong and healthy.[26]

A cartoon depicting a mother telling her daughter "It's broccoli, dear" over a dish at a dining table. The child answers: "I say it's spinach, and I say the hell with it.". It is signed by Carl Rose.
The American phrase "I say it's spinach" meaning "nonsense" comes from a 1928 cartoon in The New Yorker.[27] [28]

See also

Explanatory notes

  1. ^ Asparagus and sorrel are the other notable exceptions.

References

  1. ^ a b c "Spinach production in 2021; Crops/Regions/World/Production Quantity/Year from pick lists". UN Food and Agriculture Organization. 2023. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  2. ISBN 978-0-19-954793-7
    .
  3. ^ "Spinach". Online Etymology Dictionary, Douglas Harper. 2019. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  4. ^ "Caryophyllales". www.mobot.org. Retrieved 2020-12-02.
  5. ISBN 978-1-55092-512-8
    .
  6. ISBN 978-1-4615-6015-9
    , retrieved 2021-06-11
  7. ISBN 978-2-7592-3196-6. Quæ
  8. ^ a b c d "Spinach history - origins of different types of spinach". Vegetable Facts. 2019. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  9. ISBN 9780778801504
    .
  10. Ibn al-ʻAwwām, Yaḥyá ibn Muḥammad (1802). "23.8"
    . Kitāb al-Filāḥah. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
  11. ^ Clifford A. Wright. Mediterranean Vegetables: A Cook's ABC of Vegetables and their Preparation in Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, the Middle East, and North Africa, with More than 200 Authentic Recipes for the Home Cook. (Boston: Harvard Common Press, 2001). pp. 300-301.
  12. ISBN 9780778801504. Archived from the original
    on July 24, 2011. Retrieved March 7, 2010.
  13. ISBN 978-0-486-22799-3
    . Retrieved 13 August 2010.
  14. ^ United States Food and Drug Administration (2024). "Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels". Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  15. PMID 30844154.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link
    )
  16. ^ Sheps SG (19 April 2018). "Warfarin diet: What foods should I avoid?". Mayo Clinic. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  17. ^ "Osteoporosis Diet & Nutrition: Foods for Bone Health". National Osteoporosis Foundation. 2015-12-21. Retrieved 2019-11-18.
  18. PMID 24393738
    .
  19. doi:10.1016/j.lwt.2012.06.017
    .
  20. PMID 24122771
    .
  21. ^ a b Pennsylvania State University (23 March 2005). "Storage time and temperature effects nutrients in spinach". ScienceDaily. Retrieved 5 July 2008.
  22. ^ Bliss, Rosalie Marion (27 May 2010). "Nutrient retention of safer salads explored". US Department of Agriculture.
  23. ^ "ToxGuide for cadmium" (PDF). Atlanta, GA: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, US Department of Health and Human Services. October 2012.
  24. ^ Gabbatt, Adam (8 December 2009). "E.C. Segar, Popeye's creator, celebrated with a Google doodle". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
  25. ISBN 978-0-595-19331-8
    . Retrieved 18 November 2022.
  26. beta-carotene
    , which the body converts to vitamin A
  27. ^ Douglas Harper. "spinach (n.)". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved February 2, 2014.
  28. ^ "The Press: I Say It's Spinach". Time. October 22, 1951. Retrieved February 1, 2014. Many a New Yorkerism (e.g., Cartoonist Carl Rose's 'I say it's spinach, and I say the hell with it') has become a part of the language.

External links

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