They claim Spinach is a Superfood... but is it?

26-12-23 00 / episode: 344

Spinach is a superfood. If you eat spinach, you will be Superman. It's the best food for you to eat on a regular basis to make you healthy, strong, and incredible. But is it really? I have a deep suspicion about these claims that superfood spinach is so wonderful. Let's take a look at the spinach superfood in this video. Hi and welcome to the Les Perras podcast episode number 344, which is about spinach, the superfood.

Let's take a quick look at some of the things that spinach has in it: rich in iron, vitamin C and E, potassium, and magnesium

Well, this sounds pretty good.
But since I'm not a chemist, I don't know if it's true or not. I'll just have to take it at face value that these things are in spinach in appreciable quantities. One thing I can be skeptical about is whether these things get absorbed into our bodies. I read that vitamin C gets absorbed into your body much faster and easier when it comes from a fruit then when it comes from a vitamin C pill That means not all vitamin C is equal What about the vitamins and minerals in spinach? Are they in the right condition to be easily absorbed into our bodies? or not? There's a lot of fiber and spinach that could act as transport carriers to pull those minerals away from your body instead of being absorbed. Let's take a look at some of the super food claims.

Prevents Cancer

Any food that actually prevents cancer would be a superfood. It would also be in demand all over the world, and we probably couldn’t make enough of it. These foods don’t exist. Spinach might give marginal help in preventing cancer, but I am sure you would not notice it, and scientists might not even be able to measure it. This claim is just wishful thinking.

Reduces Blood Sugar

Well, this is another silly claim. It might prevent the blood sugar spike. It has fiber that may slow down the absorption of sugar in the meal, but I can’t imagine how it will reduce sugar that is already in the blood. That is the area that insulin works on, not spinach in our guts.

Aids in Good Bone Health

Spinach may have some minerals that help us build bones, but these are trace amounts. Further, they are also present in many other foods. This does not qualify spinach as a superfood in my books.

Aids in Weight Loss

Yeah, it might if you are super careful about what else you are eating and your levels of exercise. Eating it won’t hurt, but I can't see how it is so different from other vegetables. Certainly not a superfood!

Good For Your Eyes

Wasn’t that what carrots were good for? Well, I ate a lot of carrots, and my eyes are still bad. I have also eaten a lot of spinach—hey, I like it—but my eyes are still bad. I can’t imagine spinach actively helping my eyes although you might say my eyes would be worse if I didn’t eat these things. Well maybe but I doubt it.

Reduces Hypertension

Well this one is a maybe because it does have the right combination of minerals that can help reduce blood pressure. I can’t say for sure, especially since I have really good blood pressure and always have even before I started eating spinach.

Has Anti-inflammatory Properties

This is possible but not to a greater extent than other foods. Spinach is good and healthy but it does not seem to have ‘super’ qualities that make it much better than other foods we can easily buy.

Keeps Your Body Relaxed

Why? How? This seems like the most specious claim especially since it’s the most difficult to measure. What is relaxed… and how do you measure it. Is it mood, or are your muscles less tense after you eat spinach. Seems like a strange claim.

Keeps Your Brain Functioning Normally

Well, Vitamin K, folate, and beta carotene may promote brain health and slow cognitive decline but this is far from conclusive. Of course eating spinach won’t hurt you but don’t get your hopes up too high. It’s just food.

Boosts Your Immunity

Yes, I will give it a plus here. It has things like vitamin E, vitamin A, vitamin C, zinc, and magnesium, all things that can assist our immune system.

Prevents Heart Attacks and Atherosclerosis

Well, I won’t say much except that ‘prevent’ is a strong word. It may give a bit of a boost to resisting these things but prevent seems too strong to me.

Prevents Anaemia

Yes, it has a high amount of iron. It can help here. But is it as good as plain old red meat?
Not quite a superfood.

Glowing Skin

Maybe and maybe not. It has vitamin A, vitamin E, and iron which are good for your nails and skin but that does not mean you absorb all of them to get all the benefits.

Prevents Acne

This is like I said before. ‘Prevent’ is just a strong word. Help fight acne might be more to the tune. I will say it again: spinach is not a superfood.

Natural Anti-Ageing Properties

THis is the most witch doctor ish of all. Wow! It sounds super but it’s also the most difficult to believe. It sounds more like sales talk for snake oil. Beware of this claim.