Seven Health Benefits of Spinach With Bonus Cooking Video!
- Isabella Boston
- Apr 28
- 4 min read
Updated: Jun 7
Spinach: How it Heals. How it Harms.
"100% of the vitamin A you need every day is in 1/2 cup of cooked spinach."
Spinach is a popular nutrient-dense dark leafy vegetable cultivated for its edible leaves. It is widely used in salads (raw), soups, smoothies, or cooked as a side dish.
Contrary to popular belief, spinach is not a good source of iron, but its dark green leaves do have many other valuable nutrients.
For instance, a 1/2 cup of cooked spinach provides a full day's supply of vitamin A and 419 mg of potassium. It also provides you with vitamin C, riboflavin, and vitamin B6.
To maintain its vitamin content, do not overcook spinach. Instead, you should either steam it or stir-fry it. These cooking methods will also preserve texture and flavor.
How Spinach Harms
Mineral absorption
Kidney and bladder stones
Drug interaction
What Spinach Heals
Macular degeneration
Cancer
Congenital neurological birth defects
Bones
Anemia
Gut health
Seven Health Benefits of Spinach
Improves Eye Health: Spinach is high in lutein and zeaxanthin, antioxidants that protect eyes against ultraviolet (UV) damage and reduce the risk of macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness in older adults. It also protects against cataracts. Cooking spinach helps to convert lutein into more bioavailable forms, making it easier for your body to absorb.
Can Help to Prevent Cancer: The antioxidants and bioflavonoids in spinach help block cancer-causing substances and slow tumor progression.
May Help Prevent Birth Defects: Spinach contains folate, a water-soluble B-vitamin, essential for cell growth, DNA formation, and red blood cell production. It is especially important for pregnant women or for women planning a pregnancy, because it helps prevent congenital neurological defects. Folate deficiency is also linked to a severe type of anemia. A half cup of cooked spinach provides 105 mcg (micrograms) of folate. That's more than 25% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA).
Strengthens Bones: Spinach contains the highest form of vitamin K called Phylloquionone. Vitamin K is needed for proper blood clotting and may play a role in preserving bone health. Research suggests that it might increase bone density and reduce fracture rates. The Nurses' Health Study and the Framingham Heart Study found that people who consume more vitamin K have a lower risk of hip fractures than those who consume less.
Supports Heart Health: Spinach is rich in dietary nitrates, which help relax blood vessels, improve circulation, and lower blood pressure.
Promotes Digestive Health: The insoluble fiber in spinach helps maintain a healthy gut, regulates digestion, and prevents constipation.
Boosts Immunity and Brain Health: Spinach is rich in vitamins C, A, and folate, which support a strong immune system. Other nutrients, such as Phylloquionone, help protect brain cells and cognitive function.
Health Risks
Spinach might interfere with blood-thinning medications. If you are taking heparin or warfarin (Coumadin), you should eat spinach and other vitamin K-rich foods in moderation. Excess vitamin K can counteract the effects of these blood-thinning drugs.
Spinach also contains high levels of oxalic acid, which inhibits the absorption of iron, calcium, and other minerals in spinach.
To increase absorption, eat spinach with foods rich in vitamin C.
Cooking spinach also makes some of its nutrients a bit easier to absorb.
In addition, Oxalic acid can pose a problem for people prone to kidney and bladder stones that form from oxalates.
Old School Wisdom: "When it comes to spinach, raw is always better."
Eating Tips
Use baby spinach on sandwiches instead of lettuce.
Mix chopped cooked spinach and roasted red pepper into hummus.
Top crostini with sautéed baby spinach, garlic, and lemon juice.
Buying Tips
You can buy fresh spinach in supermarkets year-round, sometimes with the roots attached, and sometimes prewashed and bagged.
Choose leaves that are dark green and fresh-looking, not wilted or yellowing.
When buying frozen spinach, select brands with no added sauce.
New Wisdom: "Cooking spinach makes some of its nutrients a bit easier to absorb."
Fun Fact
During WWI, wine fortified with spinach juice was given to wounded French soldiers to help treat hemorrhaging. The high vitamin K content helped to coagulate blood and reduce bleeding in injured soldiers.
YouTube Video: How to Cook Spinach Like a Pro" by Jacques Pepin:
Citations & Sources
7 reasons you should eat more spinach. Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). https://health.clevelandclinic.org/benefits-of-spinach
Foods that harm, foods that heal: The best and worst choices to treat your ailments naturally. (2018). The Reader's Digest Association, Inc.
U.S. National Library of Medicine. (n.d.). National Center for Biotechnology Information. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9925126/
Booth SL; Broe KE; Gagnon DR; Tucker KL; Hannan MT; McLean RR; Dawson-Hughes B; Wilson PW; Cupples LA; Kiel DP; (n.d.). Vitamin K intake and bone mineral density in women and men. The American journal of clinical nutrition. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12540415/#:~:text=The%20study%20found%20that:%20*%20Women%20in,of%20hip%20fracture%20in%20men%20and%20women.
Author’s Bio
Isabella Boston is a wordsmith and the creator of Bella’s Attic Studio®: A multi-media writing platform and storytelling blog specializing in copywriting, marketing, and content writing.
She is well-versed in medical terminology and scientific research with a focus on neuroscience, immunology, and functional health. She is also a diarist, creative nonfiction writer, and self-published author.
Aside from being a writer, Isabella is a book & vintage-fashion lover, a language enthusiast, and, most importantly, a woman of God in Christ Jesus.
"Together we can share your stories, promote your cause, and connect you to your target audience one word at a time."
