If you eat spinach regularly, chances are the antioxidants, nutrients and phytochemicals found in spinach leaves will have a positive effect on the health of your brain. The spinach plant, also known as Spinacia oleracea, has been used as a vegetable and medicine to restore energy and vitality for thousands of years. Support your nervous system, memory, learning and cognition by eating fresh spinach regularly.
Brain Chemistry
Spinach modulates the production of hormones in the central nervous system when eaten regularly, triggering depressive or sedative effects in the brain. In a study published in "The Indian Journal of Experimental Biology" in 2008, researchers from the Pradhan Centre for Neurosciences in India tested the effects of spinach on brain chemistry. Rats that were fed spinach had increased serotonin, decreased norepinephrine and dopamine levels. Spinach also increased sleeping time in rats and decreased their motor activity. More research is required to confirm these results in human subjects; however, researchers confirm that spinach may have a significant effect on the nervous system, affecting mood, sleep, physical activity and stress.
Brain Aging
Eating spinach may help to prevent age-related cognitive decline by protecting the central nervous system from oxidative damage. According to a study published in "The Journal of Neuroscience" in 1999, researchers from Tufts University state one of the major factors involved in age-related decline is oxidation and free radical damage. Flavonoid-rich foods including spinach, strawberries and blueberries were fed to rats in a test to see how a diet high in antioxidants affected age-related decline in animals. Spinach had a significant effect during the study, preventing the onset of age-related cognitive and behavioral problems. Researchers concluded the effect of spinach on the rats occurred by increasing vitamin E levels, inhibiting inflammation in the body and fighting free radicals directly with spinach antioxidants.
Learning and Memory
Spinach helps you learn new motor skills and supports better memory retention, according to research. In a study published in "Brain Research" in 2000, researchers investigated the effects of several antioxidant-rich foods on the cerebral tissues and the motor learning of rats. All the foods tested reversed age-related decline of cell receptors in the cerebellum, and spinach, in particular, improved motor learning and memory in rats. If you are suffering from stroke, a neurodegenerative disease or damage to the nervous system through an accident or some other trauma, antioxidant foods such as spinach may help to improve learning and development of motor skills.
Opiod Receptors
Spinach leaves contain chemicals that may act like endorphins when inside the body. In a study published in "Peptides" in 2003, researchers from Kyoto University in Japan investigated the effects of rubiscolin from spinach on the opioid receptors of rats and found that rubiscolin binds to delta opioid receptors, indicating it may have antidepressant, analgesic and mood-enhancing properties. More research is still required to test the effects of rubiscolin in humans, and whether spinach affects the balance of mood and emotions when ingested whole.
Safety and Toxicity
According to Drug Information Online, spinach leaves are edible, non-toxic and are not related to any adverse reactions or side effects. Cases of spinach allergies have been reported, though these cases may have been due to the presence of molds, fungi or latex present on the spinach leaves. Levels of the anti-nutrient oxalic acid in spinach may cause problems if you suffer from kidney problems or gout, so, in such a case, you should eat spinach sparingly, if at all. Check with your doctor before eating spinach or taking spinach products if you are on prescribed medications, as spinach can interact with some medications such as anticoagulants.
References
- "The Indian Journal of Experimental Biology"; CNS depressive role of aqueous extract of Spinacia oleracea L. leaves in adult male albino rats; Das S, Guha D.; 2008
- "The Journal of Neuroscience"; Reversals of Age-Related Declines in Neuronal Signal Transduction, Cognitive, and Motor Behavioral Deficits with Blueberry, Spinach, or Strawberry Dietary Supplementation; James A. Joseph, et al; 1999
- "Brain Research"; Antioxidant-rich diets improve cerebellar physiology and motor learning in aged rats; P.C. Bickford, et al; 2000
- "Peptides"; Structure-activity relationship of rubiscolins as delta opioid peptides; S. Yang, et al; 2003
- "Drug Information Online": Spinach
