Spinach has been cultivated for thousands of years, but the varieties of plants grown today are far more luxuriant than their predecessors and their leaves are far tastier than those that were available in Asia at the dawn of cultivation.

Scientists have assured us that spinach is a real fighter against a variety of diseases, including cancer and cataracts. In its leaves and stems, spinach has high concentrations of cancer-inhibiting carotenoid compounds, plus other anticancer compounds such as folic acid.