"Popeye, the sailor man," was the cartoon character who magnified his strength by eating spinach. Even so, spinach never was, nor is now considered a delicacy.

It is virtually a forgotten vegetable, as mothers say to their children, "Eat your broccoli!" That's fine, but other than the iron in spinach, just how valuable is it to our bodies? Is it in the iceberg lettuce category (low value) or in the powerhouse broccoli-cauliflower league?

It's very, very valuable, according to new discoveries by teams of medical scientists at three university medical centers. One group, from the departments of Chemistry, Dietetics and Nutrition at Florida Int. U., of Miami, found that taking the nutrient lutein (found in spinach) significantly raised its level in the blood. This is important, for other scientists have found that a deficiency of lutein is a risk factor for the development of cataracts.

A second group, from the Department of Preventative Medicine at U.C.L.A. and the Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) Research Unit of U.S.C., both in Los Angeles, discovered that lutein reduced the appearance of arthrosclerotic disease in animals.

And surprisingly, another group found that lutein inhibited tumor growth and even enhanced immunity against disease in general in animals.

Spinach, Popeye's Secret Bibliography

Departments of Chemistry, Dietetics and Nutrition at Florida Int. U., of Miami Drs. Chen, Landrum, Bone, Micah, et al.

Department of Preventative Medicine at U.C.L.A. and the Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) Research Unit of U.S.C. Drs. Hassan, Hough, Fogelman, et al.

Drs. Cerveny, Chew, Park & Wong, Dept. of Animal Science, Washington State U., Pullman, WA.