Eat your greens …powder
Many of us growing up were encouraged to “eat your greens” or perhaps it felt more like bribery as we were denied the delicious pudding awaiting us at the end of the meal until they were eaten. Just the very thought of those greens back then may have you conjuring up past images of soggy, lifeless, watery green offerings that were left on our plates until the very end!
Thankfully the way we cook our vegetables today not only looks more appealing, but they are also far more nutritious with cooking methods such as steaming, pressure cooking and stir-fries, as well as in their raw state perhaps enjoying them in fresh juices and smoothies.
We also have improved technology that can dry out our greens and create nutritious concentrated levels of nutrients that we can find in supplemental ‘green powders’. These are classed as functional foods that can offer us a real boost of nutrition throughout the year. Getting our daily dose of greens is certainly far easier than it perhaps was a few decades ago.
Eating fresh fruits and vegetables every day is extremely important to deliver the nutrients we need for optimal health. However, we are living in a world where we are exposed to daily amounts of toxic chemicals in the food, water, air and soil. We can also increase our toxic exposure with the various lifestyle choices we make such as smoking, alcohol, sugar and more.
Bioactive greens powder
We, therefore, need a supply of nutrients today to enable us to buffer or counteract these toxins and support our body and it is often the reason why many individuals want to supplement their diet with a healthy blend of concentrated, functional foods offered in powdered greens.
Other reasons could be:
- After an illness – where our appetite has diminished
- For improved fitness or athletic performance – where more energy is needed
- For those who simply do not eat enough leafy green or other vegetables
- It can be helpful for the elderly who find it difficult to chew and digest vegetables and other foods
- For children or fussy eaters
- For extra nutrient support – when following a detoxification programme
One of our well-known leafy greens called Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) is known as a functional food due to its nutritional (vitamins and minerals) content and bioactive compounds such as carotenoids, flavonoids, anthocyanins, tannins and others. It is also one of the most widely consumed leafy green vegetables across many parts of the world[i] It would appear that Popeye was ahead of his time with his can of fresh spinach (or perhaps it was dried if he was out to sea), he clearly had a good nutritionist!
Bioactive means life or full of energy (from the Greek ‘bios’ and ‘activus’ meaning dynamic or full of energy) [ii] we find these bioactive compounds in our fruits and vegetables which have a positive impact on cellular function and health.
Antioxidants and Chlorophyll
Phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals and bioactive compounds found in spinach and other greens such as Barley Grass and Spirulina offer us cellular protection by way of their antioxidant chemicals. These chemicals help to scavenge reactive oxygen species (also known as free radicals) which are generated from normal cellular processes, as well as created within from certain lifestyle choices (smoking, alcohol, excess sugar), chronically high-stress levels and poor diet which can lead to oxidative stress. We need antioxidants to quench these free radicals that are produced as well as to reduce inflammation.
Research has shown that spinach can offer anti-tumour properties, anti-obesity chemicals as well as blood sugar balancing and lipid (fat) lowering due to its bioactive activities.[iii]
Spinach is also very high in chlorophyll as are other greens, which has been called the ‘blood’ of the plant, it is a natural green pigment found in many of our plant foods, the highest concentrations being found in green vegetables (especially Spinach).
Chlorophyll offers many health benefits including[iv] –
- Antioxidant protection
- Anti-inflammatory activities
- Supports detoxification
- Energy production
- Skin and wound healing
- Immune support
Chlorophyll has also demonstrated blood-building effects and may be helpful in supporting those with anaemia. It has also been beneficial for eliminating certain body odours[v].
Eat your greens
Many people still fail to eat enough green vegetables, despite the afore mentioned and commonly repeated childhood trope “eat your greens”! As a population, we especially do not consume enough dark green leafy types such as spinach, kale, and others owing to the taste or texture. Taking a nourishing, alkaline-forming powder in a smoothie, or juice can be a really convenient way to increase our greens that deliver vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals needed for health and wellbeing.
It is important that when we purchase leafy greens we choose organic produce where possible as our vulnerable leafy greens are heavily sprayed with pesticides, and even more important that when we are adding concentrated green powders into our daily diet we look for organic sources of produce such as barley grass, spirulina and spinach, especially those that have been organically certified.
References
[i] Wang E, Wink M. Chlorophyll enhances oxidative stress tolerance in Caenorhabditis elegans and extends its lifespan. PeerJ. 2016 Apr 7;4:e1879. doi: 10.7717/peerj.1879. PMID: 27077003; PMCID: PMC4830245
[ii] https://www.actascientific.com/ASMS/pdf/ASMS-03-0374.pdf
[iii] Roberts JL, Moreau R. Functional properties of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) phytochemicals and bioactives. Food Funct. 2016 Aug 10;7(8):3337-53. doi: 10.1039/c6fo00051g. Epub 2016 Jun 29. PMID: 27353735.
[iv] https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-chlorophyll
[v] https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322361#benefits
