Spinach
What it is
Spinach is a leafy vegetable. The reference table describes raw spinach; boiled, drained, frozen, and canned forms have their own food records. A cooked portion and a raw portion should be compared on a stated weight basis.
What it does
Raw spinach in the USDA record supplies folate, vitamin K, vitamin C, and magnesium. It also contains calcium, but nutrient content and absorption are different measures. NIH explains that compounds such as oxalate limit calcium absorption from spinach.
Research context and ingredient forms
The table reports 99 mg of calcium per 100 g of raw spinach; it does not mean that all 99 mg is absorbed. Nor does the table establish whether raw or cooked spinach is best for a particular person. Preparation and the nutrient being compared need to be specified.
Using this information
Use the raw profile for weighed raw leaves. For cooked spinach, select a record matching the cooking method and whether it was drained or salted. A cup of cooked spinach should not automatically be assigned the values for a cup of raw leaves.
Considerations
If you take warfarin, keep vitamin K intake consistent and discuss major dietary changes with your prescriber. This is a consistency issue, not a blanket instruction to stop eating spinach.
Food sources and composition
| Nutrient | Amount and serving basis | Food and source |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 23 kcal per 100 g edible portion | Spinach, raw; Spinach, raw SR Legacy April 2018; FDC published 2019-04-01 |
| Protein | 2.86 g per 100 g edible portion | Spinach, raw; Spinach, raw SR Legacy April 2018; FDC published 2019-04-01 |
| Fiber, total dietary | 2.2 g per 100 g edible portion | Spinach, raw; Spinach, raw SR Legacy April 2018; FDC published 2019-04-01 |
| Folate, total | 194 µg per 100 g edible portion | Spinach, raw; Spinach, raw SR Legacy April 2018; FDC published 2019-04-01 |
| Vitamin K (phylloquinone) | 483 µg per 100 g edible portion | Spinach, raw; Spinach, raw SR Legacy April 2018; FDC published 2019-04-01 |
| Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid | 28.1 mg per 100 g edible portion | Spinach, raw; Spinach, raw SR Legacy April 2018; FDC published 2019-04-01 |
| Magnesium, Mg | 79 mg per 100 g edible portion | Spinach, raw; Spinach, raw SR Legacy April 2018; FDC published 2019-04-01 |
| Calcium, Ca | 99 mg per 100 g edible portion | Spinach, raw; Spinach, raw SR Legacy April 2018; FDC published 2019-04-01 |
Scientific Research & References
- Spinach, raw
2019 · USDA Agricultural Research Service
Limitations: Food/preparation-specific composition; not clinical-trial evidence or an individual absorption estimate.
Source assessment recorded.
- USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Legacy Release: Documentation
2018 · USDA Agricultural Research Service
Limitations: Historical dataset; values may be analytical, calculated, imputed, or assumed zero. Not clinical-outcome evidence.
Source assessment recorded.
- Calcium: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals
NIH Office of Dietary Supplements
Limitations: Official evidence summary, not a new clinical trial; applied only to the cited food-source and absorption statements.
Source assessment recorded.
- Vitamin K: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals
NIH Office of Dietary Supplements
Limitations: Interaction context is specifically warfarin and similar vitamin-K antagonists, not every anticoagulant.
Source assessment recorded.
Related dictionary entries
Products containing it
No label-specific product relationship has been reviewed for this entry.