It is almost a century since the publication of the first comic strip featuring the spinach-eating ever-squinting strongman Popeye.
And while that 1929 debut did not yet feature the sailorman downing a tin of spinach before boxing the lights out of adversaries, the cartoon ultimately developed a clear message still worth remembering today: eat your greens.
Spinach and kale, both rich in vitamin K1, could be key to preventing some cases of a chronic lung disease killing millions worldwide, say researchers at Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Australia.
The third leading cause of death worldwide, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) kills more than three million people every year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
A “life-threatening and worsening lung condition that makes it hard to breathe”, according to the researchers, it is often brought on by smoking and pollution, and is responsible for around 6% of global deaths.
But eating leafy greens – not only spinach or kale, but more filling variants such as broccoli too – could mean a 16% better chance of avoiding COPD.
“We tracked more than 179,000 adults over a decade and found that people who ate more vitamin K1-rich green vegetables had better lung function and were less likely to develop COPD,” said study lead author and PhD candidate Li Chengfeng.
“Just one extra serve of leafy greens like kale, about one-and-a-half to two cups a day, is an achievable way to boost your vitamin K1 intake,” he added.
But smokers should not assume that adding a cup or two of green leaves a day to their diet gets them off the hook.
And much the same goes for people living in cities where the air quality is poor due to smog or traffic pollution.
“While the boost from greens appears favourable, researchers are clear on one thing: it won’t cancel out smoking,” the university said.
“The biggest thing you can do for your lungs is to quit smoking and reduce your exposure to environmental pollution,” Li advised. – dpa
