The case for spinach

1. A leading cause of both macular degeneration and cataract formation is damage caused from oxidation and oxidative stress.
 

Evidence for Protection Against Age-Related Macular Degeneration by Carotenoids and Antioxidant Vitamins by D.M. Snodderly. 1995. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 62: 1448S-1461S.
 

2. Spinach and kale, of all the vegetables tested to date, possess the highest total capacity to inhibit oxidation and oxidative damage, i.e. antioxidant activity.
 

Antioxidant Capacity of Tea and Common Vegetables by G. Cao, E. Sofic, and R.L. Prior. 1996. J. Agric. Food Chem. 44: 3426-3431.
 

3. Spinach consumption significantly increases the total antioxidant activity in the blood.
 

Serum Antioxidant Capacity Is Increased by Consumption of Strawberries, Spinach, Red Wine or Vitamin C in Elderly Women by C. Cao, R.M. Russell, N. Lischner, and R.L. Prior. 1998. J. Nutr. 128: 2383-2390.
 

4. People who eat spinach 5 or more times per week have their incidence of macular degeneration reduced by 88%.
 

Dietary Carotenoids, Vitamins A, C, and E, and Advanced Age-Related Macular Degeneration by J.M. Seddon, et al. 1994. JAMA 272: 1413-1420.
 

5. Cataract surgeries in women who eat spinach 5 or mores times per week are reduced by about 50%.
 

Nutrient Intake and Cataract Extraction in Women: a Prospective Study by S.E. Hankinson, et al. 1992. BMJ: 305: 335-339.
 

6. Sight is improved in macular degeneration patients who eat spinach every day.
 

Part I: A Protocol for the Evaluation and Treatment of Atrophic Age-Related Macular Degeneration by S. Richer. 1999. J. Am. Optom. Assoc. 70: 13-23.

Part II: ARMD-Pilot (Case Series) Environmental Intervention Data by S. Richer. 1999. J. Am. Optom. Assoc. 70: 24-36.

Macular Degeneration Ocuwel Trial (MDOT)
 

7. Lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-carotene are potent antioxidants.
 

8. The human body can not make lutein or zeaxanthin de novo.
 

9. Antioxidant potency is synergistically increased by combining lutein with beta-carotene.
 

Carotenoid Mixtures Protect Multilamellar Liposomes Against Oxidative Damage: Synergistic Effects of Lycopene and Lutein by W. Stahl, et al. 1998. FEBS Letters 427: 305-308.
 

10. Spinach and kale have one of the highest concentrations of both lutein and beta-carotene of any food.
 

USDA-NCI Carotenoid Data on Individual Fruits and Vegetables
 

11. The pigments in the human macula are lutein and zeaxanthin.
 

Carotenoids in the Human Macula and Whole Retina by G.J. Handelman, et al. 1988. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 29: 850-855.
 

12. Lutein can be converted to zeaxanthin in the macula.
 

Distribution of Lutein and Zeaxanthin Stereoisomers in the Human Retina by R.A. Bone, et al. 1997. Exp. Eye Res. 64: 211-218.
 

13. Spinach consumption increases blood lutein concentrations.
 

Postprandial Plasma Carotenoid Responses Following Consumption of Strawberries, Red Wine, Vitamin C or Spinach by Elderly Women by S. AR Paiva, et al. 1998. J. Nutr. 128: 2301-2394.
 

14. Macular pigment density is significantly increased by daily spinach consumption.
 

Dietary Modification of Human Macular Pigment Density by B.R. Hammond, Jr., et al. 1997. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 38: 1795-1801.
 

15. Most people do not eat spinach.
 

Phenol Antioxidant Quantity and Quality in Foods: Vegetables by J.A. Vinson, et al. 1998. J. Agric. Food Chem. 46: 3630-3634.
 

16. Since fresh spinach is 92% water, 3 grams of dried spinach powder, easily consumed in tablet form, is equivalent to a serving of spinach.
 

Ocuwel spinach composition site
 

17. Spinach may help prevent cancer because of its high antioxidant activity and high lutein concentration.
 

Lutein, Lycopene, and Their Oxidative Metabolites in Chemoprevention of Cancer by F. Krachik, G.R. Beecher, and J.C. Smith, Jr. 1995. J. Cell. Biochem. 22: 236-246.
 

18. Spinach may reduce hip fractures because of its very high vitamin K content.
 

Vitamin K Intake and Hip Fractures in Women: a Prospective Study by D. Feskanich, et al. 1999. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 69: 74-79.
 

19. Spinach may help prevent heart disease because of its high folic acid and beta-carotene contents.
 

Low Dose Folic Acid Supplementation Decreases Plasma Homocysteine Concentrations: a Randomized Trial by I.A. Brouwer, et al. 1999. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 69: 99-104.

Dietary Antioxidants and Risk of Myocardial Infarction in the Elderly: the Rotterdam Study by K. Klipstein-Grobusch, et al. 1999. Am J. Clin. Nutr. 69: 261-266.