Learn all about the health benefits of your favorite healthy foods: Recipe: Apricot, Banana & Carrot Smoothie, 7 Health Benefits of Green Tea (and How to Reap Them), Oven Roasting Times for 60 Common Vegetables. Only 1.4% of iron from spinach is absorbed, while 20% of iron from beef is absorbed. Spinach is a nutritional powerhouse. A cup of raw spinach has less than 1 mg because of the high water content. In the category of vegetables, we included whole vegetable products in the Top 10 list. However, eating too much spinach can interfere with our bodys ability to absorb some vital nutrients like calcium, magnesium, zinc etc. How to Keep Iron Nutrients in Spinach When Cooking, MyFoodData: 200 Vegetables Highest in Vitamin C, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: A 1-h Time Interval Between a Meal Containing Iron and Consumption of Tea Attenuates the Inhibitory Effects on Iron Absorption, The Journal for Nurse Practitioners: The Effects of Concomitant Use of Proton Pump Inhibitors on Iron Supplements, Taking Multivitamins vs. Iron Supplements. Or should he eat it raw? Since then, also numerous other scientists have measured the iron content of spinach, but the results of the modern studies have disproved the claims of the German chemists. The idea that spinach is an iron-rich food dates back to the late 1800s when German chemists first measured the iron content of spinach. Keep reading to get the full story. For men and older women, that’s a full 13 percent of what they need; but for younger women, it’s only 6 percent. Spinach contains 2.7 milligrams of iron per 100 grams. This is the form of iron added to iron-enriched and iron-fortified foods. For a man, that amount provides 80 percent of his recommended daily allowance of iron… While cooked and raw spinach each offer an excellent mix of nutrients for health, the cooked vegetable stands out. #4 – Spinach: Spinach is famous for its iron content, but it is actually not the most iron-rich leafy green out there. Iron Comparison. Cooked vs. Iron 411: Both raw and cooked spinach are excellent sources of iron, containing twice as much as other leafy greens. Black Turtle Bean: The Healthiest Bean on Earth? Just a half-cup serving provides around 7% of the required iron value. Spinach is low on calories that is good for diet plans. Shellfish like oysters, clams and mussels are especially rich in iron. One cup of spinach contains up to 15 to 30% of your daily iron requirements (Recommended Intakes according to a person’s age and sex). As shown above, 100-gram serving of fresh, uncooked spinach has about 2.7 milligrams of iron, which is equivalent to 15% of the Reference Daily Value for iron. 6. On the positive side, spinach contains molybdenum, a trace element that may help your body utilize iron more effectively, and vitamin C, a nutrient that has been shown to enhance non-heme iron absorption. It is highly rich in nutrients and iron besides there are some reasons to it is a good iron source or not. Cooked spinach delivers significantly more iron than raw. Iron from spinach and other plant foods, however, is not as well-absorbed as iron from animal sources. This will determine how much iron has been lost from the spinach and also give a good indication on which is the best way to cook spinach to preserve as much of the iron as possible. Enjoy this healthy green with any meal. 7. However, this benefit of spinach K could be a side effect for individuals who are taking anticoagulants ( a substance that reduce… © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. In addition to being high in iron, it contains high levels of vitamins B and C, as well as antioxidants like beta-carotene (which the body converts to … Raw Spinach for Iron Content. Calcium. Cooked pumpkin leaves This side effect of spinach is because of the presence of oxalate in spinach. Amount of Iron in Spinach Dip: Iron Fatty acids: Amino acids * The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. Spinach and kale offer a similar amount of several nutrients, but there are some differences as well. Iron deficiency is a common cause of hair loss, which may be prevented by an adequate intake of iron-rich foods, such as spinach. You get heme iron from animal foods and nonheme iron from plant foods like spinach. Haem iron is found in animal products and is the most efficiently absorbed form of iron. It clocks in at approximately 2.6 milligrams of iron per 100 grams (according to the USDA food composition database). As mentioned above, vitamin C makes the iron in plant-based foods, such as spinach, more available to your body's cells. For example, 100 grams of spinach contains 1.1 times more iron than the same amount of red meat … DISCLAIMER: This video is for educational and informational purposes only. If you follow a vegetarian diet, you're only absorbing about 5 to 12 percent of the iron you consume from food, says the National Institutes of Health. Iron: 100 grams of spinach contains up to 1.2 grams of iron. Compare that to a cup of raw spinach – the serving for raw veggies – which offers just 1 milligram of iron. If you eat animal foods, serving cooked spinach with a helping of meat or seafood improves the mineral’s bioavailability. A half-cup of cooked spinach – the serving size for all cooked vegetables – supplies 3 milligrams of iron. A few dietary tricks can boost your iron absorption. 12 Foods with More Iron Than Spinach Jill Waldbieser Updated: Nov. 19, 2019 This mineral keeps your body and mind performing at their peak, but many people just don't get enough. We excluded dried/dehydrated […] In a Canned Spinach ( (1 Cup Serving) ) there are about 49 calories out of which 10 calories come from fat. How to Find the Best Nut and Almond Milk Maker (for You), How to Reduce Acrylamide Levels in Coffee, The Much-Touted Weight Loss Benefits of Spirulina. Packed with a majority of nutrients and vitamins, spinach is at the top of the food chain of “super foods”. While many associate spinach with its iron content, it’s actually the nitrates in those green leaves that give you a real-life power-up. Iron in 1/2 cup spinach - 15%, Spinach. Iron. Cooked spinach has a whopping 6.4 mg of iron per cup. Iron helps create hemoglobin, which brings oxygen to your body’s tissues. The total fat content of (1 Cup Serving) Canned Spinach is 1.07 g. Within the fat content, a Canned Spinach contains 0.17 g of saturated fat, 0 g of trans fat, 0.45 g of polyunsaturated fat and 0.03 g of monounsaturated fat. A cup of cooked spinach contains about 6.5 mgs of iron, which is a fair amount, considering that an average person needs about eight milligrams a day. A great way to supply your body with tons of (plant-based) iron and vitamin C is to enjoy a green smoothie featuring fresh spinach and vitamin C rich fruits such as oranges or kiwis (such as this spinach-based smoothie). The good: This food is low in Saturated Fat, and very low in Cholesterol.It is also a good source of Niacin and Zinc, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Vitamin K, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Copper and Manganese. Avoiding certain foods, beverages and medications at the same time that you eat spinach can also improve absorption. Iron in plant foods such as lentils, beans, and spinach is nonheme iron. The following table shows the approximate iron content of common vegetables per 100 grams (3.5 ounces), based on USDA's nutrient data: *Note: Despite its name, New Zealand spinach (Tetragonia tetragonioides) is not closely related to common spinach (Spinacia oleracea). In regards to iron components, spinach wins the iron battle against kale by a long-shot. Diet Share on Pinterest Raw baby spinach leaves can be … To put 100 grams in perspective, consider alternative measures for this food: 1 cup equals 30 grams. According to the USDA National Nutrient Database, 100 grams of raw spinach contains 2.71 milligrams of iron, whereas the same amount of boiled spinach contains 3.57 milligrams of iron 1. Cooked spinach. The idea that spinach is an iron-rich food dates back to the late 1800s when German chemists first measured the iron content of spinach. Spinach, along with other green, leafy vegetables, contains an appreciable amount of iron attaining 21% of the Daily Value in a 100 g (3.5 oz) amount of raw spinach. And contrary to popular belief, at least one study found that the oxalate in spinach doesn’t interfere with iron absorption. Your body needs the mineral iron to carry oxygen throughout the body via your red blood cells. Spinach is an excellent source of this essential mineral. Iron is much easier to absorb from animal sources (which is why vegetarians can have iron deficiency issues), but even from the plant-based sources, spinach is particularly bad because it contains other compounds which further inhibit absorption. Spinach is good for our all health because of the number of nutrients present in it. That, however, does not mean that spinach is a poor source of iron. Spinach is an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin A (in the form of carotenoids), manganese, folate, magnesium, iron, copper, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin E, calcium, potassium and vitamin C. It is a very good source of dietary fiber, phosphorus, vitamin B1, zinc, protein and choline. Grams is a measure of weight. Check the Full Report of Spinach Nutrients. The basic type of spinach is Spinach, raw, where the amount of iron in 100g is 2.71 mg. If you've heard about spinach nutrition, you know this leafy green powerhouse provides many vitamins and minerals. For years, people have been eating spinach, both raw and cooked, in an attempt to step up their iron intakes. It is famous for high nutrients food in the world, especially it is known for iron. So, should Popeye stick to eating his canned spinach? Spinach’s iron content actually trumps that of many other vegetables. But there's a catch: the iron in spinach (and other vegetables) is so-called non-heme iron, which is not absorbed as well as the heme iron found in animal-based products. The myth that the superfood spinach contains exceptionally high amounts of iron was debunked by scientists a long time ago. In their childbearing years, girls and women are particularly susceptible to iron deficiency because of their monthly periods. Iron: Raw Spinach versus Cooked Spinach Spinach is a source of non-heme iron, which… In fact, you might need 10 times more ‘spinach iron’ as ‘meat iron’ because spinach for iron has one of the lowest rates of absorption in the vegetable kingdom. This process helps the cells produce energy to run all your bodily functions. It's time to go green: Spinach packs power with 3 mg of iron per half cup of these leafy greens. The leafy green is an excellent source of folate and vitamins K, C and A and rich … Welcome to the nutritional iron content in 10 different types of spinach, ranging from 3.57 mg to 1.19 mg per 100g. Spinach is an excellent source of vitamin K which plays a very important role in blood clotting. Although you’ll get some iron from your favorite leafy green, it shouldn’t be the only source of iron … Today, we know that the claim that raw or cooked spinach contains extremely high levels of iron is simply a persistent myth, based on old and erroneous data (dried spinach is a different story). While we have tried to … In fact, a comparison of the iron content of common vegetables reveals that raw spinach contains a fairly good amount of dietary iron. How to Cook Spinach for Maximum Iron. It is important to note that there are two forms of dietary iron: ‘haem’ iron and ‘non haem’ iron. Leafy Greens Leafy greens, such as spinach, kale, swiss chard, collard and beet greens contain between 2.5–6.4 mg of iron per cooked cup, or 14–36% of the RDI. Get full nutrition facts for 1/2 cup spinach, Spinach and plan your meals using our online calorie counter and nutrition facts finder. Low in calories and packed with numerous vitamins, minerals and beneficial phytonutrients, spinach ranks at the top of the superfood list. Paula Martinac is a nutrition educator, writer and coach. Spinach jumped to center stage when it appeared in every episode of Popeye the Sailor Man in the '70s and '80s. One cup of raw spinach has .81 milligrams of iron, while the same amount of broccoli has .66 mg. Kale has .24 mg, and brussels sprouts have 1.2 mg per cup, even more than the cup of raw spinach. Proton pump inhibitors – prescription medicines for heartburn – also interfere with your body's ability to absorb iron, according to a 2017 article in the Journal for Nurse Practitioners. Iron Content of Spinach. But because nonheme iron doesn’t absorb as well as heme, you need to maximize the iron a serving of spinach provides. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Nutrient Database reports that spinach is rich in iron -- each cup of cooked spinach contains 6.4 milligrams of the vital mineral. Also foods that contain phytic acids, such as grains and legumes, may reduce iron absorption from foods. Her areas of research interest include stress, weight management and women's health. How much Iron is in Spinach Dip? Dr. Andrew Weil suggests that soaking grains in buttermilk or lemon water prior to cooking with them may reduce their phytic acid content. 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