Kangkung or Ong Choy is a delicious vegetable like spinach, but it is not spinach and has nothing relate to spinach. Water spinach is a vegetable that belongs to the Morning glory family. This plant is usually cultivated or grows alone in swamps. Also known as swamp kangkung or Chinese water spinach.
Here we will talk about what are the benefits of water spinach for health. Considering this is a green vegetable, of course there are a number of important health benefits. If you are looking for some of the health benefits of Ong Choy or Chinese water spinach, then keep reading our review here about Kangkong or water spinach.
14 Benefits of Water Spinach for Skin, Hair and Health
Water spinach has vines like sweet potatoes but it grows in swamps, there is also a type of cultivation and is planted in dry places but still this type of water spinach requires a lot of water to grow well. Its appearance is similar to that of a morning glory, its stems are vines and hollow. Unlike the case with spinach, the stems are small and not hollow and have rather round leaves, while water spinach has slightly triangular leaves.
This plant is known as Kangkong, it is a semi-aquatic plant that grows a lot in tropical and subtropical areas. Water Spinachor Ong Choy plants are usually found in two types, this is Ching Quat with green stems, white flowers and narrow leaves. Another one is Pak Quat, the leaves are arrow-shaped and the flowers are pink.
Kangkong is usually eaten by the tips of the shoots and leaves because they are rich in nutrients. Lots of water content, rich in vitamin A, Vitamin C, iron, and other minerals. Water Spinach is also sometimes consumed raw or included in salads.
What about the health benefits of water spinach? Here we will discuss it, with rich nutrition, of course water spinach has many health benefits. It is useful for the health of eyes, skin, hair and much more. Immediately, we will see what are the benefits, we have summarized at least 14 health benefits of Ong Choy or kangkong.
Health Benefits of Water Spinach (Ong Choy)
Kangkong is a dark green leafy vegetable that is rich in nutrients. It is rich in iron, vitamin A, protein, calcium, vitamin C, and is rich in fiber and many other minerals. Thanks to being rich in nutrients like this, cassava cannot be separated from the many health benefits, including:
1. Lower cholesterol
Kangkong or water spinach is the perfect vegetable for those who want to lose weight and cholesterol. These are fiber-rich vegetables that can support weight loss and cholesterol.
Research conducted on rats proved that water spinach vegetables can lower cholesterol and triglycoside levels, so water spinach is proven to be an important vegetable for a healthier life.
2. Good for jaundice and liver problems
If you have liver problems, then water spinach is also a solution. In Ayurvedic medicine, water spinach has long been used to treat liver disease and jaundice.
What works here are extracts from plants, where kangkung extract is good at providing protection against liver damage due to chemicals due to enzyme modulation, and it also contains antioxidants that can support this benefit.
3. The benefits of water spinach for anemia
Anemia is a disease characterized by a shortage of red blood cells. Ong Choy or Water Spinach contains a lot of iron which is useful for producing red blood cells and increasing their production. This is good for pregnant women who often experience anemia.
Iron is an essential mineral for the production of red blood cells to form hemoglobin.
4. Indigestion and constipation
Are you constipated? Kangkong is a fiber-rich vegetable that is great for relieving constipation by promoting bowel movements in removing feces and waste.
You can consume boiled spinach juice or eat water spinach as your daily vegetable along with rice. Kangkong or China Water Spinach also contains latex which can be useful in killing intestinal worms.
5. As an anti-diabetic
Eating Kangkong regularly is said to have been proven to relieve oxidative stress due to diabetes.
In pregnant women who have diabetes, water spinach vegetables are also good for consumption to maintain their health.
6. The benefits of water spinach for the heart
Water Spinach also provides protection against the heart. The high content of vitamins A, C, and beta carotene in water spinach acts as an antioxidant that can protect the body from free radicals, free radicals cause cholesterol to be oxidized. Cholesterol that has been oxidized then sticks to the walls of blood vessels, eventually causing clogged arteries, heart attacks, and even strokes.
While the folate present in water spinach is beneficial for changing the chemical homocysteine, this chemical in excess can cause a heart attack or stroke. So, with the presence of folate, these harmful chemicals can be minimized.
In addition, water spinach also contains magnesium, where the benefits are lowering blood pressure and providing protection against your heart disease.
7. Prevent cancer
One of the great benefits of consuming water spinach or Ong choy is as an anti-cancer agent. How can you prevent cancer? Kangkong is a vegetable filled with 13 types of antioxidants, making it the perfect ingredient to prevent cancer.
The benefit of antioxidants is to fight free radicals which are known to cause damage to body cells. As a result, the benefits of water spinach are preventing cells from growing abnormally and strengthening the environment around cells so that the body’s cells grow healthily and normally.
Water Spinach is very useful in preventing cancer, especially stomach cancer, colorectal, skin cancer and breast cancer.
8. The benefits of water spinach for the eyes
Vegetables rich in vitamin A and lutein are great for maintaining eye health, not to mention water spinach. These two nutrients are very important for the eyes to stay healthy.
Water spinach different to spinach. Spinach is other vegetables that are rich in this nutrient and are also good for the eyes. Spinach can increase glutathione levels, the benefit is preventing the occurrence or formation of cataracts.
9. Increase body immunity
Another very good benefit of spinach is to increase immunity.
Green vegetables are good for nourishing the body and boosting immunity. Encourage good bone development, neutralize toxins in the body and prevent the body from attacking various diseases.
10. Other Benefits of Spinach Water
Not only the benefits as above, eating cassava regularly can provide many other health benefits that are impossible to explain in detail.
Among the other benefits of water spinach are treating stomach ulcers, nosebleeds, menstrual pain, toothache, smoothing bowel movements, urinating, and so on.
The content of selenium and zinc in water spinach can make the nerves more relaxed and help you sleep better. Spinach juice can also be used as a cold compress to recover from fever.
11. Healing Properties
Water spinach is a green vegetable rich in antioxidants which is good for preventing skin wrinkles, premature aging, preventing skin diseases and dark spots as a sign of skin aging. Antioxidant content not only promotes good skin health but can also fight the various adverse effects of free radicals.
So, by consuming spinach regularly, the body will be fresher and healthier.
The benefits of water spinach for the skin
12. Rejuvenate the skin
Water spinach is also good to be used as an important medicine in treating the skin, kangkong or ong choy shoots are good to be used as poultices to treat ringworm, athlete’s foot, preventing skin cancer in the form of treating acne, eczema and psoriasis.
13. The benefits of water spinach as anti-cancer
Green vegetables such as water spinach are rich in antioxidants, chemicals that prevent free radicals (which cause damage to body cells). Antioxidants make skin cells more resistant to damage caused by exposure to ultra violet rays.
14. Treatment of skin diseases
The benefits of water spinach for the skin are in treating athlete’s foot, ringworm. Water spinach is also good for preventing skin cancer which is used in the treatment of acne, psoriasis and eczema.
To get this benefit, you can make a poultice from water spinach shoots and then apply it as a mask on the skin.
The health benefits of water spinach have been known for a long time and then through research it was discovered that water spinach is rich in nutrients. Among them are vitamin A, vitamin C, lutein, and carotenoids which are essential nutrients for beautiful and healthy skin.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the popular name for water spinach?
Water Spinach is also known by several other names such as Ong Choy, lion spinach, kangkong, china spinach, swamp morning-glory, and water bindweed.
Can I eat water spinach every day?
Yes, you can eat water spinach every day, this green vegetable is loaded with fiber and various other nutrients that can nourish the body as a whole.
Is kangkong a medicinal plant?
Yes, water spinach is a medicinal plant, it is rich in anti-cholesterol, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic. Even in the world of Ayurvedic medicine, ong choy is known to help treat liver and jaundice. But this requires much more research.
Is water spinach better than spinach?
Water Spinach and Spinach are two different types of vegetables but contain almost comparable nutrients. Water Spinach contains less calories and fat than Spinach.
Meanwhile, spinach contains more protein and fiber than water spinach. In terms of minerals, spinach contains more calcium, potassium, and is richer in iron than water spinach.
What does Chinese water spinach taste like?
Chinese water spinach has a slightly bitter taste, especially when eaten raw and has a crunchy texture similar to romaine lettuce.
if stir-fried, water spinach is very delicious and sweet. This is a vegetable that is especially good to eat with rice.
Is water spinach high in uric acid?
Water Spinach contains moderate amounts of purines, and these purines are converted into uric acid in the body. But by boiling it before cooking can reduce purine levels.
