Popeye gulped down a can of spinach and was super-powered. Imagine! That cartoon sailor was actually right on. The nitrates in spinach help build muscles and make them work better. (Beetroot does the same!) And that's in addition to the other health-building benefits of spinach: better stamina, less stroke risk, and reduced inflammation (which is implicated in everything from cancer to Alzheimer's). What else can spinach and other leafy greens do for you?

1. You'll get smarter! Three plus servings of spinach (or kale) a day can slash your risk of age-related mental decline by up to 40 percent! Foods like spinach are rich in mixed tocopherols — the multiple forms of brain-protecting vitamin E (not in supplements, which usually have only one form of vitamin E). Aim for 100 IU a day of vitamin E from food.

2. Protect yourself from colon cancer. The magnesium in spinach will help. Not a fan of spinach? Try halibut, almonds, cashews, soy, and potatoes.

3. Block the liver-damaging toxin aflatoxin that can show up in corn, peanuts, and wheat. It's the chlorophyll and chlorophyllin in spinach (as well as broccoli) that does the trick.

4. Toss heart problems away with a salad (spinach, chard, and/or wild greens) and a dash of olive oil. The greens pack blood-pressure-lowering nutrients such as folate and potassium.

5. Beat back diabetes: 1 cup cooked spinach or 2 cups — as a salad — daily can cut your diabetes risk by 14 percent.


© 2012 Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.