You’ve been asked how important it is to eat proper servings of vegetables every day over and over again throughout your life. And as you grow older, produce becomes even more essential to your long-term health. All fruits and vegetables can support your overall health, but after reaching 50 there is definitely one type of vegetable that needs to be maintained in a dietary rotation.
“If you choose one vegetable, choose it Leafy vegetables, especially spinach“Is called Amy Goodson, MS, RD, CSSD, LDA dietitian registered with our Health Professionals Committee, Sports nutrition playbook..
Goodson recommends spinach to people over the age of 50 because leafy vegetables are an excellent source of nutrients that are particularly beneficial with aging: calcium, vitamin B12, and potassium.
“Adults over the age of 50 are increasing their nutritional requirements for a handful of vitamins and minerals to support healthy aging,” explains Goodson. “Specifically, we need more vitamin B12 because we need more calcium to maintain bone mineral density with age and absorption usually declines with age. And for all Americans. We also need potassium, a nutrient of concern, “she continues. Its high-quality protein is another important nutrient that is prioritized with age to maintain lean muscle mass.
Spinach happens to be a triple threat when it comes to the nutrients that support these healthy aging. “One vegetable does not give you the total amount of all three nutrients you need, according to the Dietary Intake Standards (DRI), but leafy vegetables like spinach are charted when you provide all three. It’s on the top, “says Goodson. “”[Leafy greens] Provides calcium, potassium, and some vitamin B12. It also provides fibers that are important for gut and heart health, as well as antioxidants that are important for helping the body fight inflammation. “
Spinach is ranked as the best vegetable to load after over 50, but Goodson emphasizes that a balanced diet is needed to maximize the nutrients contained in spinach. Did.
“What’s interesting is that many of these nutrients aren’t high in vegetables,” says Goodson. “The best sources of calcium are dairy products such as milk, cheese and yogurt. The best sources of vitamin B12 are mainly animal proteins such as beef, liver, fish, eggs, dairy products and fortified cereals. However, calcium is found in fruits and vegetables in addition to dairy products such as milk and yogurt. “
But even if one vegetable doesn’t get the most out of these nutrients, there’s no doubt that you can rely on spinach as a dietary supplement.
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How to eat more spinach
Anyone who likes to cook can be captivated by knowing how wonderful spinach is as they get older. For this type of produce, you can use a variety of recipes to get the best value.
“Green leafy vegetables become scrambled eggs at breakfast, can be used to make salads at lunch, and are a side dish of any protein. As a bonus, you can also blend spinach into fruit smoothies for even more nutrients. ! “
If you don’t count yourself as a cook, try the simplest garlic-lemon spinach recipe for an absolute surefire way to introduce more of this leafy vegetable to your life. There is no mistake.
Erich Barganier
Erich Barganier is a health and food writer.read more
