Everything from goji berries to chia seeds and, more recently, lion’s mane mushrooms have been touted as “superfoods”, a term which lends an almost impossible aura of health to usually pricey, often exotic foods.
There’s a lot to be said for those options, and a diet heavy in fruits and veg is a pretty surefire way to keep your health in check.
But speaking to health provider Cleveland Clinic, registered dietician Dr Kayla Kopp gave a good argument as to why the humble spinach should rank highly among the wellness elites.
“Spinach is one of the most nutritious foods you can eat,” she said, explaining that it may have benefits for your blood, brain, gut, and even eyesight.
How come?
First of all, it’s absolutely packed with nutrients – health information site Medical News Today says: “A 100g serving of spinach contains 28.1 milligrams (mg) of vitamin C, 34% of a person’s daily recommended amount.”
It also contains potassium, iron, vitamin E and magnesium.
Spinach also boasts a compound called alpha-lipoic acid, which has been linked to lowered blood sugar levels and may even make diabetes management easier.
Its potassium content may help to keep your blood sugar in a healthy range too.
Antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin have been associated with better eyesight – a small study showed that eating half a cup of spinach every day over two months was associated with increased lutein levels and eye pigments, which can help to reduce your risk of developing macular degeneration.
“Eating an iron-rich diet that includes spinach can help prevent iron-deficiency anaemia and symptoms like fatigue,” Kopp says, though non-heme (plant-based) iron is harder for our body to absorb. Vitamin C makes it more accesibl
Raw spinach contains gut-health insoluble fibre, which “your body can’t easily break down... so you feel full longer,” Kopp adds.
A study published in Nature even found that “consumption of approximately one serving per day of green leafy vegetables and foods rich in phylloquinone, lutein, nitrate, folate, α-tocopherol, and kaempferol may help to slow cognitive decline with ageing”.
Is spinach ever bad for you?
Spinach is rich in oxalates, which can increase a person’s risk of developing kidney stones if consumed in large quantities.
Those at risk of developing kidney stones should keep their consumption levels under 100mg a day, or 50mg if they’re very likely to develop them; raw spinach contains 970mg per 100g according to Clinical Nutrition Research.
If you’re not used to eating a lot of vitamin K, scoffing a lot of spinach can be disruptive to some people on blood thinners.
Generally, though, spinach is a great addition to most people’s diets – “spinach is good for you, whether you eat it fresh or cooked”, Kopp says.