Supermarket Doing Popeye Proud

March, 9 2010

Those fluorescent lights burning 24/7 at the grocery store have a very positive influence on fresh spinach. That’s what a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry reports. Researchers found that 3 days of exposure to this type of lighting jacked levels of vitamins C, K, E and folate. It also increased the potency of antioxidant lutin and zeaxanthin carotenoids found in spinach. After 9 days, folate levels went up 84% to 100%, while vitamin K shot up 50% to 100% depending on the variety of spinach tested.

Boosting the nutritional value of an already super source of nutrients occurs when the green leafy stuff is stored in well-lighted conditions at around 39 degrees. Scientists think the fluorescent glow might help other vegetables in the same way. The down side? Putting veggies in your refrigerator has the opposite effect, since nutrient levels of spinach stored in dark conditions tend to decline or remain unchanged. So let those greens sit in the supermarket until you’re ready to make a salad with them.