How Much Spinach Is Too Much?

What Are The Benefits Of Spinach?

Spinach has a wide range of health benefits, making it an essential addition to a healthy diet.

Here are some of the main benefits of spinach:

It’s High In Fibre

We all know that fiber is good for us. But many of us aren’t getting enough.

Eating ultra-processed diets with too many refined grains can mean many of us to struggle with issues such as constipation and hemorrhoids. Both of these common conditions are thought to be made worse by a lack of fibre.

Helpfully, spinach is packed full of healthy stuff. It contains lots of insoluble fiber which can help food to pass through your digestive system healthily.

Many high-fiber foods are also high in carbohydrates, but with spinach, you can get fiber without the blood sugar spike. This also makes it an ideal choice if you are on a paleo or low-carb diet plan.

It Contains Many Different Antioxidants

Antioxidants are absolutely key to maintaining health as you age. They offer valuable protection against environmental nasties called free radicals.

Spinach packs a punch with multiple different antioxidant types.

In particular, it contains good amounts of blood pressure-lowering nitrates. This is the compound that you also find in beetroot- and it can help to keep you off the blood pressure medication.

Spinach also contains quercetin. This antioxidant can come to your aid when allergy season starts. In particular, it can help to lower your levels of histamine, which can be elevated when you have hayfever and other seasonal allergies.

Spinach also contains Lutein which is often added to many eye health support supplements. It can help to stave off age-related eye degeneration and help to keep you seeing clearly day and night.

It’s Packed Full Of Vitamins And Minerals

Spinach is probably best known for being high in Iron.

This means it’s a great addition to a vegetarian or vegan diet which may be lacking in this key mineral.

But that’s not all – spinach is also rich in these other core nutrients:

• Vitamin A: This vitamin is essential for a healthy immune system. It tends to be found in orange and red-colored fruits and vegetables, but there’s also a good dose in spinach.
• Vitamin C: interestingly, Vitamin C helps with iron absorption, so consuming spinach means you are more likely to get the benefits of the iron it contains too. As well as supporting the normal functioning of your immune system, Vitamin C also supports collagen production which can help to keep your skin looking fresh too.
• Folate: essential for pregnant women, folate is also important for red blood cell formation. This is why folate and other B vitamins are often found in energy-boosting health blends.
• Potassium: this is a mineral that also acts as an electrolyte. You can get depleted in potassium if you don’t consume enough fruits and vegetables, exercise a lot, or have a sodium-rich diet.

How Much Spinach A Day Is Recommended?

Generally speaking, it’s important to eat a diverse diet that is full of a wide range of fruits and vegetables.

That said, dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach are some of the most nutrient-dense options. And most people don’t get anywhere near enough.

Aim for around 1 cup of fresh spinach in a morning smoothie or lunchtime salad. If you prefer it cooked, around 1/2 cup of cooked spinach should suffice.

Can You Take Too Much Spinach Per Day?

Most people don’t get enough greens into their daily diet – so if that’s you, it’s more important to focus on increasing vegetables like spinach.

But going overboard on your spinach consumption could have some potential health risks.

Here are some of the issues with having too much spinach:

You Might Get Kidney Stones

Spinach is rich in something called oxalic acid.  In some people, excessive amounts of foods rich in oxalate can contribute to kidney stone formation.

This means if you are regularly consuming spinach, beetroot, rhubarb, nuts, tea, and chocolate you might be increasing your risk of kidney stones.

But, unless you’ve already had kidney stones, eating these foods in reasonable amounts doesn’t mean you’ll end up with them.

So, sticking to the recommended daily intake of spinach is best.

It Might Interfere With Your Blood Clotting Medications

Spinach is also full of Vitamin K – an often overlooked nutrient that plays a key role in helping your blood to clot effectively.

This can be good for most people as it prevents excess blood loss if you get injured.

But if you’re already on blood thinners due to having certain health conditions, too much spinach can interfere with this medication.

If you are on blood thinners and plan to increase your spinach intake to more than 1 cup a day, it’s best to check with a doctor first to ensure it’s safe for you.

How To Increase Your Spinach Intake?

For most people, getting a sensible dose of daily spinach is an easy way to boost your health. But let’s face it, you won’t always manage this.

You might not like the taste of spinach, be unsure how to use it in cooking, or prefer to eat other things.

In this case, you might want to consider taking a Supergreen Tonik instead. This way, you’ll get the health benefits of spinach, along with many other nutrient dense additions.

And the great thing about Supergreen Tonik is you can just add it to your normal diet, without making any special changes or spending hours in the kitchen.

With Supergreen Tonik you’ll get a supercharged dose of spinach and a wide range of adaptogens, vitamins, and minerals.

So if you’re struggling to get enough greens into your daily diet – why not make things simple and use a supergreens blend instead?

Julia Ebbens, MSc

Julia is a health content editor and nutritionist from Norwich, UK. She has worked as a health coach in private practice and for the national health service. She undertook an MSc in nutritional medicine to deepen her knowledge.

She enjoys producing evidence-based content which inspires people to become healthier and happier.