- To get the best out of the antioxidants in spinach in a green smoothie use coconut milk, or medium- or high-fat milk in the drink, a new study suggests.
- One particularly beneficial antioxidant is lutein — a carotenoid associated with improving eye and heart health — which must be liberated from the spinach to be absorbed by the digestive system.
- Soy milk, whipped cream, and Greek yogurt all fared poorly at liberating lutein, according to the study results.
One of the most popular sources of “green” in a green smoothie is spinach.
In addition to a broad assortment of nutrients, spinach delivers important plant compounds such as the antioxidant lutein. Lutein supports eye health and heart health due to its anti-inflammatory properties.
A new study compared 14 liquids commonly used in smoothies to determine which ones would be best at liberating lutein from spinach for absorption by the human intestine. It revealed that not all spinach-based green smoothies are equal.
The findings show that spinach smoothies containing coconut milk with or without additives, and high-fat and medium-fat cow’s milk are best for liberating lutein.
Coconut milk without additives increased lutein liberation by 42%, and with additives by 25%. High-fat cow milk increased lutein availability by 36%, while medium-fat cow milk did so by 30%.
Soy milk surprisingly had the opposite effect, reducing lutein liberation by 61%. For smoothies with soy milk plus additives, the result was better at 40%.
Almond milk and oat milk had no significant effect on lutein liberation.
The study was recently published in MDPI.
“Spinach is rich in dietary nitrates which helps to dilate the arteries, allowing for better blood flow and lower blood pressure,” said Michelle Routhenstein, RD, heart health dietitian at EntirelyNourished.com.
Spinach contains vitamins C and K, as well as carotenoids from which our bodies produce vitamin A.
This dark leafy green also contains iron, folic acid, and calcium, as well as…
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