How much spinach is too much


(SleepyMotherOf3 🇬🇧) #1

Hi, I’ve been watching a video today about oxalic acid in spinach and it being toxic to eat too much.
I’ve been eating 180g of spinach per day. Does this sound too much? Anyone else eating this much?


(Vincent Hall) #2

Does sound a lot tbh.
I usually eat 25 to 50 grams, but mostly raw or lightly steamed as an addition.
Vary it with other leafy greens, mix it up a bit.?
\v/


(KCKO, KCFO) #3

I easily eat that much in greens. Spinach is not the only green leaf food that has oxalic acid. It is not a problem for everyone, it is if you have kidney stones or are taking some medications like warfarin. I had a friend who pigged out on his homegrown spinach one day and he had another stroke, he was on meds for that. Here is some good info from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/oxalate-good-or-bad

Foods high in oxalate (100–900 mg per 100mg serving) include:

Beet greens
Rhubarb
Spinach
Beets
Swiss chard
Endive
Cocoa powder
Kale
Sweet potatoes
Peanuts
Turnip greens
Star fruit

How to Do a Low-Oxalate Diet
People who are placed on low-oxalate diets for kidney stones are usually instructed to eat less than 50 mg of it each day.

Here are a few tips on how to follow a low-oxalate diet:

Limit oxalate to 50 mg per day: Choose a variety of nutrient-dense animal and plant sources from this list of foods very low in oxalate.
Boil oxalate-rich vegetables: Boiling vegetables can reduce their oxalate content from 30% to almost 90%, depending on the vegetable (17).
Drink plenty of water: Aim for a minimum of 2 liters daily. If you have kidney stones, drink enough to produce at least 2.5 liters of urine a day (6).
Get enough calcium: Calcium binds to oxalate in the gut and reduces the amount your body absorbs, so try to get about 800–1,200 mg per day (1, 16).
Foods high in calcium and low in oxalate include:

Cheese
Plain yogurt
Canned fish with bones
Bok choy
Broccoli

Should You Avoid it?
People who tend to form kidney stones may benefit from a low-oxalate diet.

However, healthy people trying to stay healthy do NOT need to avoid nutrient-dense foods just because they are high in oxalates.

It is simply not a nutrient of concern for most people.


(Troy) #4

The above is a great summary!
You can very lightly steam and add lemon ( counter oxalate)


(SleepyMotherOf3 🇬🇧) #5

I think I’ll half the amount, and up the rest of the salad. Thanks for your replies :slightly_smiling_face:.


(Garry (Canada)) #6

I generally mix my spinach 50/50 with mixed greens for salads. On an average weekly basis, I consume 1lb of raw spinach equating to about 65g/day without issue. I think this is reasonable for most people.


(Steak and iron) #7

I think your toilet habits will inform you if you overdo it


#8

Damn I’ve been eating waaay too much then lmao. I guess I should go back to spinach mixed with lettuce or spring mix haha.


(Brian) #9

Since I like spinach and calcium binds with the oxalate, I have heard that eating something like creamed spinach (spinach along with a very rich source of calcium) is a really good thing. And that’s generally the way we eat it at our house.

Whether that’s the same story as “we use our elephant repellent faithfully, and it must work, because there are no elephants here” or whether there is something to it, I can’t say for sure.


(bulkbiker) #10

Morticians unite… Its Dr Berg!


(Chris) #11

1 leaf is too much.