Spinach
From open-encyclopedia.com - the free encyclopedia.
Spinach (Spinacia oleracea, Amaranthaceae) is a vegetable grown for its edible leaves. It was first cultivated in Persia and the word itself derives from Persian اسفناج Esfenaj.
In popular folklore, spinach is supposed to be rich in iron; in reality it has about the same iron content as any other green vegetable. However, spinach is a rich source of Vitamin A, Vitamin E and several vital antioxidants.
The misconception appears to originate in a misplaced decimal point in an early publication on the composition of foods.
Spinach's iron content had been determined in 1870 by Dr. E. von Wolf. In 1937, German chemists reinvestigated this "miracle vegetable". It was described by T.J. Hamblin in British Medical Journal, December 1981.
Trivia
Other species called "spinach"
- New Zealand spinach is a member of the Aizoaceae.
- Various nightshade and legume species, as well as cucumbers, pumpkins, and melons are also known as spinach, wild spinach, African spinach or morogo (in Southern Africa).
External link
de:Spinat es:Espinaca fr:Épinard ja:ホウレンソウ ms:Bayam sv:Spenat zh:菠菜
