An agricultural practice to decrease oxalic acid % in spinach

[Guest guest]

" A controlled-environment agricultural (CEA) technique to increase

the nutritive value of spinach has been developed. This technique

makes it possible to reduce the concentration of oxalic acid in

spinach leaves. It is desirable to reduce the oxalic acid content

because oxalic acid acts as an anti-nutritive calcium-binding

component. More than 30 years ago, an enzyme (an oxidase) that breaks

down oxalic acid into CO2 and H2O2 was discovered and found to be

naturally present in spinach leaves. However, nitrate, which can also

be present because of the use of common nitrate-based fertilizers,

inactivates the enzyme. In the CEA technique, one cuts off the supply

of nitrate and keeps the spinach plants cool while providing

sufficient oxygen. This technique provides the precise environment

that enables the enzyme to naturally break down oxalate. The result

of application of this technique is that the oxalate content is

reduced by 2/3 in one week. "

 

This work was done by Corinne Johnson-Rutzke of Cornell Research

Foundation, Inc., for Kennedy Space Center.

 

http://www.nasatech.com/Briefs/Mar03/KSC12240.html

 

If you're wondering why the Kennedy Space Center is interested in

agriculture, NASA has been hiring BAEs (Biological Agricultural

Engineers) and other experts in agriculture for decades to work on

problems like this. They're thinking ahead to long-distance space

flight. For example, if X number of astronaunts are in a space ship

of Y cubic feet, how many tanks of algae will it take to release

enough oxyen, take up enough carbon dioxide, and produce enough food

to keep the astronauts alive?

 

In the BAE curriculum, these types of problems are studied in detail

in " Energy Conversion " or " Energy Management " courses. Another

example of the types of problems considered in these classes is if a

given amount of corn is feed to cattle which become food for humans

instead of being fed directly to humans, what is the amount of loss

of calories? Since not all calories fed to cattle are converted into

flesh - some are used for energy to run the body - there's quite a

loss. The bottom line is that an acre of corn will feed a lot more

people than an acre of corn fed to cattle which are fed to people.

You do need to mix the corn with beans so that all essential amino

acids are present.

[Guest guest]

Corn bred cattle provides beef with a very high ratio of omega 6 to

omega 3 fats, which is not beneficial to humans who already have this

problem due to all the refined vegetable oils we consume!

 

victoria_dragon wrote:

>

> " A controlled-environment agricultural (CEA) technique to increase

> the nutritive value of spinach has been developed. This technique

> makes it possible to reduce the concentration of oxalic acid in

> spinach leaves. It is desirable to reduce the oxalic acid content

> because oxalic acid acts as an anti-nutritive calcium-binding

> component. More than 30 years ago, an enzyme (an oxidase) that breaks

> down oxalic acid into CO2 and H2O2 was discovered and found to be

> naturally present in spinach leaves. However, nitrate, which can also

> be present because of the use of common nitrate-based fertilizers,

> inactivates the enzyme. In the CEA technique, one cuts off the supply

> of nitrate and keeps the spinach plants cool while providing

> sufficient oxygen. This technique provides the precise environment

> that enables the enzyme to naturally break down oxalate. The result

> of application of this technique is that the oxalate content is

> reduced by 2/3 in one week. "

>

> This work was done by Corinne Johnson-Rutzke of Cornell Research

> Foundation, Inc., for Kennedy Space Center.

>

> http://www.nasatech.com/Briefs/Mar03/KSC12240.html

> <http://www.nasatech.com/Briefs/Mar03/KSC12240.html>

>

> If you're wondering why the Kennedy Space Center is interested in

> agriculture, NASA has been hiring BAEs (Biological Agricultural

> Engineers) and other experts in agriculture for decades to work on

> problems like this. They're thinking ahead to long-distance space

> flight. For example, if X number of astronaunts are in a space ship

> of Y cubic feet, how many tanks of algae will it take to release

> enough oxyen, take up enough carbon dioxide, and produce enough food

> to keep the astronauts alive?

>

> In the BAE curriculum, these types of problems are studied in detail

> in " Energy Conversion " or " Energy Management " courses. Another

> example of the types of problems considered in these classes is if a

> given amount of corn is feed to cattle which become food for humans

> instead of being fed directly to humans, what is the amount of loss

> of calories? Since not all calories fed to cattle are converted into

> flesh - some are used for energy to run the body - there's quite a

> loss. The bottom line is that an acre of corn will feed a lot more

> people than an acre of corn fed to cattle which are fed to people.

> You do need to mix the corn with beans so that all essential amino

> acids are present.

>

>

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

A great reason to eat locally grown organic spinach.

It is amazing that science takes so long to catch up some times.

victoria_dragon <victoria_dragon wrote:

" A controlled-environment agricultural (CEA) technique to increase

the nutritive value of spinach has been developed. This technique

makes it possible to reduce the concentration of oxalic acid in

spinach leaves. It is desirable to reduce the oxalic acid content

because oxalic acid acts as an anti-nutritive calcium-binding

component. More than 30 years ago, an enzyme (an oxidase) that breaks

down oxalic acid into CO2 and H2O2 was discovered and found to be

naturally present in spinach leaves. However, nitrate, which can also

be present because of the use of common nitrate-based fertilizers,

inactivates the enzyme. In the CEA technique, one cuts off the supply

of nitrate and keeps the spinach plants cool while providing

sufficient oxygen. This technique provides the precise environment

that enables the enzyme to naturally break down oxalate. The result

of application of this technique is that the oxalate content is

reduced by 2/3 in one week. "

 

This work was done by Corinne Johnson-Rutzke of Cornell Research

Foundation, Inc., for Kennedy Space Center.

 

http://www.nasatech.com/Briefs/Mar03/KSC12240.html

 

If you're wondering why the Kennedy Space Center is interested in

agriculture, NASA has been hiring BAEs (Biological Agricultural

Engineers) and other experts in agriculture for decades to work on

problems like this. They're thinking ahead to long-distance space

flight. For example, if X number of astronaunts are in a space ship

of Y cubic feet, how many tanks of algae will it take to release

enough oxyen, take up enough carbon dioxide, and produce enough food

to keep the astronauts alive?

 

In the BAE curriculum, these types of problems are studied in detail

in " Energy Conversion " or " Energy Management " courses. Another

example of the types of problems considered in these classes is if a

given amount of corn is feed to cattle which become food for humans

instead of being fed directly to humans, what is the amount of loss

of calories? Since not all calories fed to cattle are converted into

flesh - some are used for energy to run the body - there's quite a

loss. The bottom line is that an acre of corn will feed a lot more

people than an acre of corn fed to cattle which are fed to people.

You do need to mix the corn with beans so that all essential amino

acids are present.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Chinese Traditional Medicine , sam steffens <samsteffens

wrote:

>

> A great reason to eat locally grown organic spinach.

> It is amazing that science takes so long to catch up some times.

 

I very much agree.

 

As recently as two decades ago a lot more people in the US still had

gardens than have them today. Even people who lived in towns

frequently plowed up part of the back yard and planted a few

vegetables. As a result, a lot more people were eating healthy back

then than today.

 

There's another reason to grow at least some of your own veggies.

The taste of fresh garden grown spinach is far superior to canned and

even frozen spinach. My husband describes the taste of most store-

bought tomatoes as " anemic " .

 

Even for people who don't want to plow up the backyard or don't have

one, some things can be grown in pots. Lettuce, radishes, collards,

and mustand have done very well for me in pots. I haven't had any

luck with spinach in pots. This year I'm trying spinach in a raised

bed.

 

I'm also experimenting with herbs in pots, including some Chinese

ones. The ones common in the West like sage, chives, oregano, thyme,

bee balm, etc. have done very well in pots. The Chinese herb

codonopsis has done very well in pots where I live. (I don't know

how it would do in other parts of the country or other countries.)

When I ordered seed I made sure I got the variety of codonopsis that

is used in TCM. I'm getting ready to transplant some of the plants

to a raised patio bed.

 

Licorice in pots didn't do as well as the codonopsis. I'm waiting to

see if the few plants that did develop from seed made it through this

winter. A few Ma Huang plants have survived. They've grown very

slowly.