Spinach: What is in the Leafy Vegetable

Thanks to a misconception, spinach was long considered to be ten times richer in iron than it actually is. But even if spinach now no longer appears in the top ranks on the list of iron-rich foods, the vegetable has a lot to offer. Numerous healthy ingredients and few calories make the leafy vegetable not only a popular ingredient in many recipes, but also the ideal food during a diet. Find out what’s so healthy about spinach and what to keep in mind when preparing it here.

What is spinach good for?

Spinach is not only popular in the kitchen. Also as a medicinal plant, various positive effects on health are attributed to the vegetable:

  1. The cooked leaves can help against flatulence. Also in case of diarrhea spinach is considered an easy-to-digest sparing food.
  2. Spinach seeds are used as a laxative.
  3. Due to its content of magnesium and various other ingredients, spinach can reduce blood pressure.
  4. Thanks to the antioxidants it contains, spinach is believed to have a cancer-preventive effect.
  5. Spinach can promote the growth of muscles. According to an American study, the vegetable contains phytoecdysteroids, which support muscle building – but you would have to eat a kilogram of spinach daily for a noticeable effect. A Swedish study concluded that the nitrate contained in spinach promotes muscle growth.

In folk medicine, spinach is also considered a remedy for loss of appetite and fatigue. It is also said to reduce fever and be suitable for the treatment of inflammation.

Spinach protects the eyes

Spinach has a beneficial effect on the eyes in two ways. First, it contains a large amount of beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A. A deficiency of this provitamin can lead to night blindness. Secondly, the vegetable scores with its high content of the carotenoid lutein. The micronutrient helps to bind free radicals in the eye and protects the sensitive retina from the harmful effects of solar radiation. In addition, lutein is said to help prevent age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Lose weight with spinach – is it possible?

Spinach can also be a good helper when losing weight. Because the thylakoids contained in the leafy vegetable can slow down fat digestion and thus prevent cravings, as a Swedish study showed. In addition, the value of LDL cholesterol decreased in the participants of the study. Who now smells the perfect spinach diet with green spinach smoothies and spinach salad, however, is unfortunately disappointed. This is because, according to the researchers, the thylakoids have to be extracted from the spinach in the laboratory so that they can be used by the body. Nevertheless, spinach can serve well in diets because the vegetable is low in calories and rich in healthy nutrients. Thanks to its low content of carbohydrates, spinach is also great for low carb diets.

Nutritional values and ingredients – that’s what’s in spinach

Spinach has a lot of healthy ingredients. For example, spinach is suitable as a supplier of various vitamins. In addition to the already mentioned beta-carotene, it contains, among other things:

  • Folic acid
  • Vitamin C
  • Vitamin E
  • Vitamin K

So in the vegetables are abundant antioxidants that can help prevent cancer as scavengers of free radicals. The green leafy vegetables are also particularly rich in the following minerals:

  • Potassium and magnesium, which are needed for the function of nerves and muscles, among other things.
  • Calcium, which is essential for growth and new formation of bones and teeth
  • Zinc, which, among other things, strengthens the defenses and is needed for numerous metabolic processes
  • Iron, which is important for the absorption and transport of oxygen

Furthermore, spinach contains approximately 2.5 percent protein, 1.6 percent carbohydrates and 0.4 percent fat and consists of about 93 percent water. And how many calories does spinach have? Fresh spinach is relatively low in calories, containing only twenty kilocalories (kcal) per 100 grams.

Iron content of spinach – myth and truth.

For a long time, spinach was believed to contain about 35 milligrams of iron per 100 grams. Then it turned out that this value was not true – at least not for fresh spinach.The extremely high iron content was calculated in 1890 for spinach powder and later possibly erroneously transferred to fresh spinach – exactly when and how the error occurred is disputed. But calculation error or not: even with “only” 3.5 to 4 milligrams of iron per 100 grams, fresh spinach is still richer in iron than many other vegetables. Nevertheless, spinach is not an ideal source of iron. On the one hand, the body cannot utilize plant iron as well as animal iron. On the other hand, spinach contains oxalic acid, which binds the iron it contains, making it more difficult for the body to absorb the mineral. It is therefore advisable to eat spinach in conjunction with foods that reduce the effect of oxalic acid. These include foods rich in vitamin C, such as tomatoes, potatoes, broccoli and oranges. Calcium also facilitates the absorption of iron. Short cooking or blanching of spinach also reduces the amount of oxalic acid and thus also makes the iron it contains easier to utilize.

Dangers due to oxalic acid

The fact that oxalic acid makes it more difficult to absorb the iron in spinach is not its only disadvantage: it binds not only iron but also calcium, which is why it can damage teeth and bones if consumed in excess. In the worst case, the combination of oxalic acid and endogenous calcium can form deposits in the body that develop into kidney or bladder stones. This mainly affects people with a corresponding pre-existing condition. In addition to people with kidney problems, particular caution should also be exercised with regard to oxalic acid in cases of osteoporosis, gout, rheumatism or arthritis. Tip: Eating spinach in combination with milk or dairy products such as cream, crème fraîche or cheese can help reduce the effect of oxalic acid on the body’s own calcium, since the calcium contained in milk neutralizes the oxalic acid already during cooking.

Why does spinach give you dull teeth?

The oxalic acid in spinach is also responsible for another effect: when we eat spinach, a reaction can occur in our mouth between the oxalic acid and the calcium in our teeth. That is why sometimes we have the feeling that the spinach makes our teeth dull. This furry feeling disappears by itself after a short time. Nevertheless, after eating spinach, you should wait at least half an hour before brushing your teeth to avoid further damaging the already damaged enamel.

Can spinach be eaten raw?

Contrary to popular belief, raw spinach is not poisonous. You can eat spinach raw without any problems. However, only young spring or summer spinach is suitable for raw consumption, for example in salads or green smoothies. It contains relatively little oxalic acid. Long-stemmed autumn or winter spinach is always eaten cooked. However, cooked spinach has a higher usability of the valuable ingredients compared to raw spinach – provided it has been prepared gently, for example steamed or blanched.

Nitrate in spinach

Because of its high nitrate content, spinach is said to have many a harmful effect on health. However, a general warning against spinach is not appropriate, as confirmed by the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment. The fact is that when spinach is grown in appropriately fertilized soil, the plant absorbs nitrate from it. In the body or during processing of the spinach, the initially harmless nitrate can be converted into nitrite and then possibly into nitrosamines. This substance is thought to cause cancer if consumed regularly. However, this is no reason to avoid spinach from now on, because it has not yet been proven that nitrosamines are formed in humans. And as is so often the case, it’s the quantity that makes the poison: The daily intake of a certain amount of nitrate is considered harmless to health. Some studies even suggest that nitrate and nitrite have a health-promoting effect. For example, nitrate-rich foods are said to improve blood flow to the stomach lining and lower blood pressure. Nevertheless, the general recommendation is that adults should not eat spinach more than once a week. This is especially true for people with a deficient iodine supply, because nitrate inhibits the absorption and transport of iodine to the thyroid gland. Tip: The nitrate content in frozen spinach is lower than in fresh spinach because frozen spinach has been blanched shortly after harvest.Also, it may be advisable to buy organic spinach (summer spinach is best), since organic farming uses different fertilizers and therefore the nitrate content is lower.

At what age are babies allowed to eat spinach?

The assessment is different regarding the health risks posed by spinach to babies and young children: Nitrite can be harmful to infants because the substance can impair oxygen transport in the blood (methemoglobinemia), which at this age can lead to life-threatening oxygen deficiency (cyanosis). For this reason, children should not eat spinach before the age of six months – and then not raw, only in small quantities and not when the spinach has been reheated. Initially, it is best to use only store-bought baby food with spinach, as this is subject to strict requirements with regard to nitrate content. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) also points out that up to the age of three, eating large amounts of spinach in one day cannot eliminate the risk of methemoglobinemia. Children suffering from a bacterial gastrointestinal disease should also avoid spinach, as such infections promote the conversion of nitrate to nitrite.

Use of spinach

Spinach can be prepared in many different ways. A popular traditional dish is potatoes with spinach and fried egg. But also in the form of salmon rolls, pasta with spinach, puff pastry snails or as a vegetarian spinach lasagna, the leafy vegetable finds many fans. As a side dish, spinach harmonizes well with carrots, broccoli, tomatoes or onions. For seasoning, salt and pepper as well as nutmeg and garlic are best.

Prepare fresh spinach – here’s how!

Fresh spinach should be washed thoroughly before preparation, but not left in the water, so as not to flush out the nutrients. It is best to cut off the stems. Then the spinach is blanched, that is, placed in boiling water for one minute. To ensure that the spinach retains its green color and stays crisp, you can plunge it into ice water immediately afterward. Pour the cooking water away afterwards, as it will absorb oxalic acid and nitrite from the spinach. Frozen spinach can be heated directly in the cooking pot without thawing first. This also reduces the risk of germ development. Once thawed, spinach should be processed and consumed as soon as possible. By the way: Since vitamin A, which is so valuable for our eyes, is one of the fat-soluble vitamins, spinach should always be prepared with a little fat. Ideal for this is a cold-pressed oil that contains a high proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as rapeseed oil.

Buying spinach – what do I need to consider?

Spinach can be bought – in one form or another – in any supermarket. There is basically a choice between the tender spring and summer spinach, which is in season between March and May, and the larger and more vigorous autumn and winter spinach, which is harvested from September to November. There is also frozen spinach, which is available year-round. The following distinction is also made in spinach:

  • Leaf spinach usually consists of quite large leaves. It can be purchased frozen or fresh.
  • Baby spinach is particularly tender and available both fresh and frozen.
  • Root spinach is fresh spinach, which is offered with roots.
  • Cream spinach is shredded spinach that has been refined with cream – for vegans and people with lactose intolerance, this, usually available frozen, variant is not suitable.

When buying fresh spinach, make sure that the leaves do not look wilted or sick, but green and crisp. By the way, even though chard is often processed like spinach, these are different vegetables.

Shelf life and storage of spinach

Fresh spinach can be kept in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator for about two to five days. It is best to wrap the leaves in a damp kitchen towel to prevent them from drying out. But what about any leftovers? After all, you always hear that you can’t reheat spinach twice or freeze it again. Is this true?

  • Can you reheat spinach? Yes. However, it should be noted that spinach should not be kept warm for too long, as heat can promote the formation of nitrite. Therefore, always reheat spinach quickly, allow it to cool quickly, and store leftovers in the refrigerator for no more than one day.Young children should not eat reheated spinach.
  • Is it okay to freeze spinach? Fresh spinach can be frozen without problems after brief blanching and quenching and stored for about ten months. However, if it is frozen spinach, refreezing is not recommended. Although refreezing is considered unproblematic as long as food is heated before consumption, it is an advisable precaution not to refreeze food once thawed.

Knowledge for know-it-alls – 5 facts about spinach.

Spinach is surrounded by numerous rumors – from the myth about the high iron value to the assumption that spinach becomes toxic when heated. And even beyond that, spinach is good for many a surprise. Below, we have compiled five amazing facts about spinach for you:

  1. Which contains more iron: Spinach or chocolate? With an average of 6.7 milligrams of iron per 100 grams, dark chocolate is clearly ahead of spinach, which contains only 3.5 to 4 milligrams of iron.
  2. Why do people eat spinach on Maundy Thursday? Although the name Maundy Thursday probably comes not from the color green, but the word greinen (cry), it has become the custom in many regions to eat something green on Maundy Thursday – but that does not always have to be spinach.
  3. Do green gummy bears contain spinach? Indirectly. The green pigment in spinach, chlorophyll, provides the green gummy bears their color. The dye is also used to dye pasta, Easter eggs, mouthwash or toothpaste.
  4. How to remove spinach stains? For fresh stains, warm soapy water helps. Popular home remedies against spinach stains are also spirit or rubbing with raw potato slices.
  5. Why does Popeye eat spinach? The reason for Popeye’s preference for spinach is probably not the iron content of spinach, which at that time was still considered much higher. In the early years of the comic Popeye himself explains, he eats the spinach because of its high content of vitamin A.