Spinach: Health benefits, facts, and cooked spinach nutrition

Spinach is a leafy green veggie of Persian origin that is closely related to quinoa and beets. It is loaded with antioxidants and nutrients, which is why it is considered highly healthy. From reducing oxidative stress, benefitting eye health, helping to prevent cancer, and reducing blood pressure levels, spinach can help your body and mind in more ways than one. 

Nutritional facts about spinach

Here are the facts for raw spinach nutrition 100g (3.5 ounces):

• Calories- 23
• Water- 91%
• Protein- 2.9g
• Carbs- 3.6g
• Sugar- 0.4g
• Fiber- 2.2g
• Fat- 0.4g

Spinach is also packed full of vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin A, C, K1, and calcium, iron, and folic acid. It is also rich in potassium, magnesium, and vitamins B6, B9, and E.

Health benefits associated with spinach

With all the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that spinach has, it is naturally packed full of varied health benefits, such as:

• Reduces oxidative stress through its antioxidants
• Lutein and zeaxanthin improves eye health
• Helps in cancer prevention by reducing oxidative stress
• Keeps high blood pressure under control
• Helps to keep heart diseases at bay

However, avoid including too much spinach in your diet if you are at high risk for kidney stones or take blood-thinners.

Should you eat spinach cooked or raw?

Generally, cooked spinach nutrition is more than raw spinach, especially when it comes to affecting your heart and lungs. Cooking boosts the antioxidant component of spinach by breaking down the cell walls so that those antioxidants are released. Eating cooked spinach will give you higher blood levels of beta-carotene. It is an antioxidant that guards against lung cancer and heart diseases. 

However, you will have to be careful about how you cook spinach. It is better to eat it blanched, stir-fried, or sautéed because its water-soluble nutrients are lost when steamed or boiled.