RED SPINACH AND SHITAKE SOUP RECIPE. SPINACH HEALTH BENEFITS

RED SPINACH AND SHITAKE SOUP

SPINACH HEALTH BENEFITS

Green leafy vegetable spinach is often recognized as one of the functional food for its nutritional, antioxidants and anti-cancer constituents.
Spinach  is very low in calories and fats (100 g of raw leaves provide just 23 cal), but has a good amount of soluble dietary fiber.

Fresh 100 g of spinach contains about 25% of daily intake of iron; one of the richest among green leafy vegetables. Iron is important for red blood cells production.

-Zea-xanthin, an important dietary carotenoid, is selectively absorbed into the  eyes. It is an antioxidant which protects  light-filtering functions.
-This helps protect the eyes from "age related macular disease" (AMD), especially in the elderly.

-Vitamin A is needed for healthy skin, mucus membranes and is a must for vision. Vitamin A and flavonoids helps against lung and oral cavity cancers.
-Vitamin K plays vital role in strengthening bone mass by promoting osteotrophic (bone building) activity in the bone. 

-It also helps patients with Alzheimer's disease by limiting neuronal damage in the brain.

-Spinach also contain  B-complex vitamins like vitamin- B6 (pyridoxine), thiamin (vitamin B-1), riboflavin, folates and niacin. Folates help prevent neural tube defects in the offspring.

100 g of farm fresh spinach has 47% of daily recommended levels of vitamin C.

Potassium helps in controlling heart rate and blood pressure.
Manganese and copper are antioxidant co-factors.
Copper is required in the production of red blood cells.
Zinc is an enzyme co-factor which helps growth and development, sperm generation, digestion and nucleic acid synthesis.

It is also a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids.

Link here    and various sources

Regular consumption of spinach in the diet helps prevent osteoporosis (weak bones), iron deficiency anemia and is believed to protect from cardiovascular diseases, colon and prostate cancers.

On safety profile

Do noit reheat spinach left-overs.  It may cause nitrates to be converted by certain bacteria (into poisonous nitrites and nitrosamines).
This usually happens on nitrate-rich foods, such as spinach and many other green vegetables..

Because of its high vitamin K content, it interferes with drug metabolism. Patients taking anti-coagulants such as "warfarin" are encouraged to avoid spinach in their food.

Some vegetables , like spinach contains oxalic acid. The oxalic acid  may crystallize into oxalate stones in the urinary tract. People with known oxalate urinary tract stones are advised to avoid oxalic acid veggies.     
Matured old spinach leaves (boiled) are known to be good for vision and heart health..

It may also contain goitrogens which may interfere with thyroid hormone production . Avoid spinach if you have thyroid dysfunction

RECIPE

RED SPINACH AND SHITAKE SOUP

Ingredients

10 stalks red leaf spinach- cut

100 grams inoki mushroom/ shitake or

10 pieces oyster mushrooms (halves)

1 large onion- cut into 4

10 pieces medium size anchovies/ half cube anchovies paste

1 tbsp mushroom paste (from canned  soup)

1 tsp sugar

Salt and pepper

2 green chili/ chili pepper

The  healthy way to cook

Fill up cooking pot with 3 cups of water, shitake, anchovies, mushroom paste and onion. Bring to boil

After boiling for 7 minutes, add in spinach, salt, pepper, sugar. The minute spinach wilted al dente, put off fire and immediately remove pot from hot stove.  

The spinach should be of fresh color and not wilted. Serve with rice and simple fried fish/ simple spicy fried chicken etc.