?What Are the Health Benefits of Spinach

Of all the leafy green vegetables, spinach is one of the most versatile. You can add it to smoothies, enjoy it in a chilled salad, steam and sauté it as a side dish, add it to a stir fry, and even blend it into baked goods, like brownies.
Spinach also has several health benefits. It contains vitamins and antioxidants that protect from chronic diseases and promote brain, cardiovascular, and eye health. And you can easily add spinach to your meals to maximize those perks.
Here are six health benefits of eating more of this powerfully protective plant and simple ways to incorporate spinach into your meals and snacks.
It’s Full of Nutrients
Per the Department of Agriculture, three cups of raw spinach provide approximately 20 calories, less than one gram of fat, two grams of protein, three grams of carbohydrates, and two grams of fiber.1
Though it has few calories, spinach is full of nutrients. A three-cup portion provides over 300% of the average daily value for vitamin K. The leafy green vegetable also provides over 160% and 40% of the average daily values for vitamin A and vitamin C, respectively. According to the National Library of Medicine, vitamins K and A support strong bones and vitamin C helps heal wounds.2
Spinach also contains 45% of the average daily value for folate, a B vitamin that helps form red blood cells and DNA. It also supplies iron, magnesium, potassium, calcium, and small amounts of other B vitamins.
It’s High in Antioxidants
In addition to its many vitamins and minerals, spinach provides antioxidants that link to anti-inflammation and disease protection.
Some antioxidants in spinach include kaempferol, quercetin, myricetin, and isorhamnetin—also known as flavonoids. Per the Department of Agriculture, flavonoids are compounds that may help protect you against cancer, as well as cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases.3
It Helps Protect Against Diseases
In a study published in 2016 in the journal Food & Function, researchers summarized the protective effects of spinach.4 They stated that the compounds found in spinach could reduce oxidative stress. Additionally, those compounds trigger the release of satiety hormones that make you feel full and satisfied after eating spinach.
For those reasons, the researchers concluded that eating more spinach may help curb chronic diseases—including heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and obesity.
It Supports Brain Health
The anti-inflammatory effects of spinach make it a key contender for protecting the brain—specifically in terms of aging.
It Helps Manage Blood Pressure
Spinach is also a source of nitrates, which are naturally-occurring chemicals. Nitrates open up or dilate blood vessels. That improves blood flow and eases stress on the heart.
It May Help Eye Health
One of the antioxidants in spinach, lutein, may reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
How Cooking Spinach Affects Its Nutrients
While incorporating spinach into raw and cooked dishes can help maximize its health benefits, some research shows that not cooking the greens preserves its lutein content.
In one study published in 2018 in Food Chemistry, researchers found that, after cooking spinach using various methods, the vegetable’s lutein content gradually decreased. When the researchers fried spinach at a high temperature, a considerable percentage of the lutein decreased after two minutes.9
So, it’s important to consume spinach raw for maximum lutein intake. For example, try incorporating spinach into a smoothie, combined with healthy fat—such as avocado or almond butter. When you chop spinach into small pieces, lutein releases from the leaves. And healthy fat increases the ability to absorb the eye disease-fighting antioxidant.