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Is spinach a healthy food

asked by a Whole Foods Market Customer about 5 years ago
8 answers 776 views
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Miranda Rake

Miranda is a contributor at Food52.

added about 5 years ago

Yes! It's extremely healthful - dark leafy greens are very vitamin-packed! Something to eat lots of!

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added about 5 years ago

But don't eat it too often and don't reheat cooked spinach, not including the frozen kind obviously...

8a5161fb 3215 4036 ad80 9f60a53189da  buddhacat
added about 5 years ago

Spinach has a multitude of health benefits. It is also one of the vegetables with the most pesticide so it works to buy organic. Eat it often and enjoy!

A9f88177 5a41 4b63 8669 9e72eb277c1a  waffle3
added about 5 years ago

The warning above about reheating spinach piqued my curiosity. Checking, here's an explanation, written by a Ph.D. in nutritional science:

I'm still curious about why one might not want to eat it too often.

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added about 5 years ago

My understanding is that spinach is "healthiest" when eaten raw or barely cooked, because the calcium and iron (and maybe other nutrients) in spinach get bound by the oxalic acid and therefore unable to be absorbed by the body.

A9f88177 5a41 4b63 8669 9e72eb277c1a  waffle3
added about 5 years ago

While it's true oxalates in spinach can reduce calcium absorption, I haven't seen any scientific studies showing cooking affects the process.

On the other hand, studies have shown cooking vegetables increases phytochemical availability and antioxidant capacities.

In any case, spinach is a good source of beta carotene, vitamin B6, folic acid, potassium, zinc, magnesium, dietary fiber and a handful of phytonutrients.

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added about 5 years ago

This is a good example of the principle that variety promotes good nutrition. Greens are excellent foods, and they come in many forms -- and from several food families. Eat greens often -- raw, juiced, cooked. Try kale, chard, collards, mustard, bok choy.. all the leafy greens are amazing foods!
Most kinds of lettuce can be cooked like greens, but do not have the levels of nutrients that dark leafy greens do.

Bb911bcd 2446 4d8f 848f cdc2090e999a  leaf cake
added about 5 years ago

I think spinach is number 3 or 4 on the WFM ANDI list.

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