How Much Spinach A Day Should I Eat?

But how much spinach is too much spinach? Or is it even possible to eat too much spinach?

Spinach is very safe to eat every day, but there can be negative side effects to your health if you're doing it wrong.

How Much Spinach Should You Eat In a Day?

By most accounts, a bowl of spinach each day – basically, one cup to two cups – is the most you should eat.

It's important to remember, though, that spinach is only one of the essential leafy greens you need to be eating each day.

What Is the Recommended Amount of Spinach to Consume Per Serving?

Though spinach is mostly water, it does have a concentration of nutrients and vitamins.

Even though there are different types of spinach the basic nutritional profile for 3.5 ounces (100 grams) serving of raw spinach provides:

• Calories: 23
• Water: 91%
• Protein: 2.9 grams
• Carbs: 3.6 grams
• Sugar: 0.4 grams
• Fiber: 2.2 grams
• Fat: 0.4 grams

Most of the carbohydrates found in spinach are in the form of fiber content and not sugars. Although, there is some sugar present in the form of fructose and glucose.

The fiber content is insoluble fiber, which is extremely healthy and aids with digestion.

Related: Calories in vegetables

What Vitamins and Minerals Does Spinach Contain?

That same 3.5 ounces (100 grams) also provides the following RDA (recommended daily allowance) of the following vitamins and minerals.

Vitamin A

High in carotenoids, which the body converts into Vitamin A, a serving provides 9377 IU or 312% of the RDA.

Vitamin C

One of the essential vitamins, and an antioxidant for immunity and skin, a serving of spinach contains 28.1 mg or 47% of the RDA.

Vitamin K1

Critically important for blood clotting, just one spinach leave contains half of your daily dose, with a service providing 482.9 µg or 402% of the RDA.

Folic acid

Also known as vitamin B9, a serving contains 194 µg or 48.50% of your RDA.

Iron

Spinach is one the best sources of iron, with a serving providing 2.71 mg or 34% of your RDA.

Calcium

Essential for bone health, as well as your muscles, one serving provides 99 mg or 10% of RDA.

Other Vitamins and Minerals include

In addition to those, the complete nutritional profile of spinach also provides potassium, magnesium, and vitamins B6, B9, and E and is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids.

Related: Recommended Vegan Multivitamins

The Health Benefits of Eating Spinach

Decrease the risk of heart disease

Eating fresh spinach can help lower high blood pressure, prevent blood clots, improve blood flow, and just relieve stress from the cardiovascular system all of which lower the risk of getting heart disease.

Cancer prevention

The one thing that made spinach a hero in the first place was its amazing ability to prevent cancer. The chlorophyll found in spinach (the stuff that makes it green) is been found to be one of the most potent antioxidants in nature, and a healthy diet with spinach can prevent tumors.

Maintain eye health

Spinach is also great for your eyes. If you consume spinach, you are also consuming lutein and zeaxanthin, the two most powerful nutrients for your eyes. Spinach can even help prevent cataracts

Oxidative stress

Oxidative stress is what kills your cells, but the antioxidant concentrations in spinach have been proven to relieve this stress, thus protecting the cell structure in your body.

The Drawbacks of Eating Too Much Spinach

Kidney stones

Kidney stones are a mixture of two elements, calcium, and Oxalate. While spinach contains both, it's the oxalate (or oxalic acid) in spinach that is the villain here.

Eating spinach excessively can result in too high doses of oxalic acid in the body, which can make a person prone to kidney stones.

Blood clotting

Spinach is a very rich source of vitamin K, and too much vitamin K can have negative effects on blood thinner medications, to the point of making them ineffective.

FAQs

Is spinach better raw or cooked?

Spinach is one of the vegetables that are healthier if eaten cooked. The human body will better absorb the calcium and the iron in spinach if the spinach is cooked.

Spinach contains oxalic acid, which prevents the absorption of calcium and iron. But cooking spinach removes the oxalic acid.

How much spinach should I eat a week?

In general, the government's Dietary Guidelines for Americans state that you should eat 2 1/2 cups of total vegetables in a week.

Of that 2 1/2 cups, leafy greens should max out at 1 1/2 cups. So, if you are only eating spinach during the week, then 1 1/2 should be your max.

Research shows that only one in ten Americans consume the daily recommended fruit and vegetable servings. This is why consumers are turning to green superfood supplements for when nutritional intake is below par.

Will I lose weight if I eat spinach every day?

Spinach contains a lot of water and fiber with very few calories. The effect is that spinach helps you fill up faster and stay full longer.

It has been possible for some people to use daily intake to aid in weight loss. It's not the spinach that results in weight loss though, it's the fact you may eat less overall.

Is spinach good for your skin?

Spinach is great for your skin. Not only does spinach contain beneficial antioxidants that help to prevent cancer, but those same antioxidants also help protect the collagen in your skin. In addition, all of the nutrients that spinach contains are good for your skin. Eating spinach can work like you are cleaning your skin from the inside out.

Related: Collagen with greens powder

Final Thoughts

Spinach is a superfood, there is no doubt about that, but it cannot be the only thing that you eat.

Spinach should play an important role in all healthy diets, whether they are plant-based or animal-based.

It may not make you look like Popeye, but it definitely will make you feel like him.

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