I heard from a friend that boiled spinach is better for you than raw spinach...is this true?

Printer friendly version

I heard from a friend that boiled spinach is better for you than raw spinach…is this true?

For some people it may be, for others it may not be. For example, boiling might be helpful for individuals with certain kidney problems who need to limit their oxalic acid intake. However, for many people the oxalic acid content in spinach would not be problematic.

In general, nutrients are always lost from food when it is boiled, and raw foods always have greater overall nutrient content than cooked foods. However, this overall higher nutrient content may or may not be best matched for a person’s specific nutrient needs or digestive tract function. Cuisines around the world combine raw and cooked foods, and it is rare to find a long-standing, healthy food tradition that includes only raw or only cooked foods. In the United States, spinach has certainly become a popular vegetable, which is commonly enjoyed in both forms.

Boiling spinach may be important for persons trying to boost their iron reserves. A 2002 study from India showed definite improvements in bioavailability of iron from spinach when the spinach was cooked. Cooking/boiling spinach can, however, cause a reduction in the amount of some other nutrients, such as vitamin C. If increasing vitamin C intake is your top nutritional priority, you might want to select raw spinach.

The method you use to cook your spinach will also affect its nutritional value. We recommend boiling spinach in a uncovered pot of boiling water for just one minute. Boiling frees up the acids found in spinach and allows them to leach out into the water. Although one minute may seem like a very short time, spinach leaves are very delicate and do not take long to cook. This is the best way to reduce the acids found in spinach while still retaining a high concentration of nutrients.

For most people, both boiled and raw spinach are good choices because each provides benefits in their Healthiest Way of Eating.

References:

Astier-Dumas M. . Ann Nutr Aliment. 1975;29(3):239-44.

Edenharder R, Keller G, Platt, KL, et al. Isolation and Characterization of Structurally Novel Antimutagenic Flavonoids From Spinach (Spinacia Oleracea). J Agric Food Chem. 2001:49,( 6):2767-73.

Reddy NS, Sondge CV, Khan TN. In Vitro Bioavailability of Iron From Spinach (Spinacea Oleracea) Cultivated in Soil Fortified With Graded Levels of Iron and Zinc. Plant Foods Hum Nutr.1993;44(3):241-7.

Rutzke CJ, Glahn RP, Rutzke, MA, et al. Bioavailability of Iron From Spinach Using an in Vitro/Human Caco-2 Cell Bioassay Model. Habitation (Elmsford);2004;10(1): 7-14.

Yadav SK, Sehgal S. Effect of Domestic Processing and Cooking Methods on Total, Hcl Extractable Iron and in Vitro Availability of Iron in Spinach and Amaranth Leaves. Nutr Health.2002;16(2): 113-20.