Elderly Should Eat More Strawberries and Spinach
A professor from Boston’s Human Aging Nutrition Research Center recently administered strawberry and spinach extracts to eight elderly women. Results showed both had “strong antioxidant activity,” enhancing their body’s antioxidant capacity by 20%—equivalent to consuming 1,250 mg of vitamin C.
Strawberries and spinach are highly nutritious fruits and vegetables, outstanding sources of antioxidants including vitamins C and E. Antioxidant vitamins C and E help protect cell membranes from oxidative damage and clear metabolic “waste” such as oxygen free radicals; they also prevent or reduce degenerative aging caused by lipofuscin deposits in internal organs. In just 3.5 ounces (1 ounce = 28.3 grams) of strawberry juice, there are 1,270 mg of vitamin C and 1,800 international units of vitamin E.
Strawberries and spinach are also rich in folate, which helps prevent “nutritional macrocytic anemia” (large-cell anemia) and skin itching or bleeding. The flavonoid compounds in spinach help prevent age-related macular degeneration in older eyes, delaying degeneration and aging of the macula that can lead to blindness or vision loss. Currently, the incidence of macular degeneration among China’s elderly ranges from 6.8% to 7.7%. The macula is a small spot located centrally on the retina at the back of the eye, crucial for forming clear visual images, measuring only 1–3 mm in diameter.
However, since spinach has a cold nature, pairing it with pungent-warm condiments like mustard or fresh ginger can counteract the coldness and prevent gastrointestinal cramps or bloating.