Spinach, the vegetable that first comes to mind when thinking of foods that strengthen our bodies.

It is becoming known as a healthy ingredient because it is a vegetable that Popeye likes.

However, there are also stories that eating spinach improperly can cause stones to form in the body.

Is spinach, which seemed to have only advantages, also a dangerous food?

Based on the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs data, we explore the misconceptions and truths about spinach.

 

 

Spinach is known as a vegetable rich in nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, and protein.

It is rich in vitamin A, which helps with eye health, skeletal growth, and anti-cancer effects.

Folic acid, one of the B vitamin complexes, is also abundant. 100g of spinach contains about 3.35g of protein.

This figure is approximately twice as high compared to cabbage and water celery, which are vegetables commonly consumed around the same time.

 

 

Does oxalate in spinach cause urinary stones? ... You need to eat about 1kg to reach that level.

 

Even spinach with so many advantages has one unfortunate misunderstanding.

It is a misconception that eating spinach directly blocks calcium absorption in the body and causes stones to form.

This stone forms due to an increase in oxalate content in the urine, and the most common type of kidney stone is calcium oxalate stone.

100g of spinach contains 970mg of oxalate.

Oxalate is a substance that reacts with calcium ions to cause urinary stones.

The claim is that this ingredient is also present in spinach, making it dangerous.

However, this phenomenon is only possible when consuming about 1 kg of raw spinach daily.

There is no need to worry much about the amount of spinach, which is about 30 to 40 grams per meal on average for an ordinary person.

 

If you're still worried about stones forming, there is a way.

You can blanch spinach briefly in boiling water before eating.

The oxalate component of spinach is water-soluble and dissolves well in water. According to the Rural Food Information Nuri,

Even a slight blanching in water reduces the oxalic acid content in spinach by as much as 51.2%.

 

 

Another way is to consume calcium-rich foods together.

Consuming foods rich in calcium such as anchovies, tofu, dairy products, and sesame seeds together

It becomes insoluble oxalate, which is not absorbed in the intestine, thereby preventing stone formation.

 

 

 

To enjoy spinach deliciously... store at low temperatures, add salt, and blanch.

 

Storing spinach at low temperatures is important.

Because respiration and transpiration are active inside the storage, it easily withers.

It is necessary to wrap the newspaper soaked in water with a transparent plastic bag or wrap to maintain humidity.

Considering the growth habit of spinach that grows upward, storing it in a 'standing' position in the refrigerator allows you to enjoy its fresh taste for a longer time.

 

 

The key point is to blanch the spinach quickly in boiling water with a little salt.

This way, we can reduce the destruction of beneficial nutrients.

When boiled or cooked for a long time, the green color of spinach changes, and beta-carotene, folate,

Since vitamins and other nutrients can be destroyed, it is better to lightly blanch before eating.

 

 

Boiling and then washing multiple times or squeezing out a lot of water can reduce the sweetness of spinach.

Wash thoroughly before blanching.

After blanching, drain the water naturally using a colander to retain the flavor and aroma, making it even more delicious.

 

 

Story of Journalist Jeong Hee-eun (eun@kormedi.com)