Spinach

Popeye was right! Spinach is good for you, but not in a tin mind you and it’s not particularly good for muscular forearms either! Spinach is high in vitamins A, C and folate, and is a source of vitamin E. It also contains small amounts of minerals calcium, iron and magnesium.

There’s little doubt Popeye’s immune system must have helped him soc it to Sea Hag and Bruto! Leafy vegetables such as spinach contain lutein and zeaxanthin which are two antioxidants called carotenoids. High intakes of these protective phytochemicals may reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in people aged over fifty. Unfortunately the oxalic acid in spinach binds to its iron and calcium and neither of these two minerals are well absorbed from salad leaves.