Spinach was well known for the design of Popeye, the sailor who feeds on the vegetable and becomes strong enough to defeat all his opponents. In fact, there are two species of spinach. Originally from Asia and belonging to the Chenopodiaceae family, the real spinach that appears in the cartoon is practically not consumed in Brazil. The spinach that is easily found in fairs and supermarkets is of another species, coming from New Zealand.
Contrary to popular belief created by the design, spinach doesn't make anyone strong like Popeye. This “strength” would be characterized by a supposedly large amount of iron present in the vegetable. In fact, spinach doesn't contain a lot of iron as imagined. What happened was a confusion involving the American Dr. E. Von Wolf, in 1870.
When analyzing the vegetable, the researcher entered the amount of iron present in spinach in the wrong way, omitting a comma in the number of the composition, thus giving the idea that spinach had an amount of iron ten times greater than it, in fact, possessed. Only in 1937, through research by German chemists, did this myth go down the drain. However, the sailor cartoon was already a hit, as it starred earlier in 1933.
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In addition to not having a large amount of iron, spinach has a substance called oxalic acid, which prevents the body from absorbing iron and other minerals.
However, the vegetable should not be abolished from anyone's diet. Spinach has antioxidant substances, responsible for blocking cancer-causing substances. In addition, it has large amounts of vitamin A and C, in addition to the substance folate, which is important for pregnant women, as it helps to prevent neurological defects in the baby.
Importance of Food in Health - Health - Brazil School
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SCHOOL, Team Brazil. "Spinach "; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/saude/espinafre.htm. Accessed on June 27, 2021.