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Article: Spinach: protecting and enhancing this nutrition superstar.
- Article from:
- Agricultural Research
- Article date:
- October 1, 2007
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2007 U.S. Government Printing Office. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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With its attractive, dark-green leaves and big supply of good-for-you nutrients, spinach makes a pleasing, healthy accent to everything from a delectable feta-cheese omelet to an easy-to-make lasagna.
Perhaps best known as a source of iron, spinach also offers several other key nutrients. These include calcium, potassium, vitamins C, D, K, and B9 (folate)--as well as beta-carotene, a molecule our bodies use in making vitamin A.
Unfortunately, spinach is also a favorite of troublesome insects known as "leafminers," says ARS plant geneticist Beiquan Mou. Adult leafminers--shiny black flies about one-tenth inch long--sport a ...