Do You Have to Boil Spinach to Get Its Nutrients?
Spinach is packed with beneficial nutrients, some of which of are enhanced by cooking while others are better retained in raw spinach. The best way to reap the many benefits of this healthy vegetable is to enjoy it both raw and cooked. However, boiling is not a healthy way to cook spinach because the nutrients leach into the water. Instead, preserve nutrients in spinach by steaming, sauteing or cooking it in the microwave oven.
Beta-Carotene and Lutein
Beta-carotene and lutein are carotenoids, antioxidants that protect the body from free radicals, which are molecules that, over time, can damage the cells and lead to illness. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, evidence indicates that adding carotenoids to the diet may bolster the immune system and help protect the body from illness such as cancer and heart disease 1. While beta-carotene and lutein are abundant in spinach and other colorful vegetables, cooking spinach heats the cell walls of the spinach, releasing beta-carotene and lutein and making them more available to the body.
- Beta-carotene and lutein are carotenoids, antioxidants that protect the body from free radicals, which are molecules that, over time, can damage the cells and lead to illness.
- While beta-carotene and lutein are abundant in spinach and other colorful vegetables, cooking spinach heats the cell walls of the spinach, releasing beta-carotene and lutein and making them more available to the body.
Folate and Vitamin C
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Vitamin C has a number of beneficial functions in the human body. It helps maintain healthy bones, tendons, muscles and blood vessels, and like beta-carotene and lutein, acts as an antioxidant that protects the body from free radicals. Folate, a type of vitamin B, helps maintain healthy skin and supports various functions, including the immune system and production of red blood cells. According to Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the high vitamin C and folate content of spinach begins to degrade when the spinach is exposed to heat and light, or when it is stored for long periods. To take advantage of vitamin C and folate, eat the spinach fresh, and as soon as possible.
- Vitamin C has a number of beneficial functions in the human body.
- Folate, a type of vitamin B, helps maintain healthy skin and supports various functions, including the immune system and production of red blood cells.
Saute
To saute spinach, cook it quickly in a frying pan with a small amount of heart-healthy olive oil or canola oil. Heat the oil first. Otherwise, the spinach will be greasy and soggy. Saute the spinach, stirring constantly, until the leaves are crisp-tender, which takes about two to three minutes.
- To saute spinach, cook it quickly in a frying pan with a small amount of heart-healthy olive oil or canola oil.
Steam
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Steaming maintains the quality of spinach because the leaves cook in steam and not water. Place spinach in a steamer or heatproof colander, then put the steamer in a saucepan over about an inch of boiling water. Cover the pan and steam the spinach for no more than three to five minutes.
Microwave
Microwaving spinach in very little moisture retains nearly all of the nutrients in spinach 1. To cook spinach in the microwave oven, place damp spinach in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover the bowl loosely with waxed paper or plastic wrap, and then cook the spinach until the leaves are tender, which takes about four or five minutes.
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References
- University of the District of Columbia Center for Nutrition, Diet and Health: Spinach
- Spinach. FoodData Central. U.S. Department of Agriculture. Updated December 6, 2019.
- Vitamin A fact sheet for health professionals. National Institutes of Health. Office of Dietary Supplements. Updated 2020.
- Nour M, Lutze SA, Grech A, Allman-Farinelli M. The relationship between vegetable intake and weight outcomes: A systematic review of cohort studies. Nutrients. 2018;10(11). doi:10.3390/nu10111626
- Vaňková K, Marková I, Jašprová J, et al. Chlorophyll-mediated changes in the redox status of pancreatic cancer cells are associated with its anticancer effects. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2018;2018:4069167. doi:10.1155/2018/4069167
- Park SY, Na SY, Kim JH, Cho S, Lee JH. Iron plays a certain role in patterned hair loss. J Korean Med Sci. 2013;28(6):934-8. doi: 10.3346/jkms.2013.28.6.934
- Iron fact sheet for health professionals. National Institutes of Health. Office of Dietary Supplements. Updated 2019.
- Vitamin K fact sheet for health professionals. National Institutes of Health. Office of Dietary Supplements. Updated 2020.
- Food allergy overview. American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Updated 2020.
- Park JN, Lee JS, Noh MY, Sung MK. Association between usual vitamin K intake and anticoagulation in patients under warfarin therapy. Clin Nutr Res. 2015;4(4):235-41. doi:10.7762/cnr.2015.4.4.235
- Pendick D. 5 steps for preventing kidney stones. Harvard Health Publishing. Harvard Medical School. Updated 2013.
- Spinach. University of Illinois Extension. Watch Your Garden Grow. Updated 2020.
- Colorado spinach. Colorado Farm to Table. Colorado State University Extension. Updated 2017.
- Vegetable blanching directions and times for home freezer storage. The University of Minnesota Extension. Updated 2018.
Writer Bio
M.H. Dyer began her writing career as a staff writer at a community newspaper and is now a full-time commercial writer. She writes about a variety of topics, with a focus on sustainable, pesticide- and herbicide-free gardening. She is an Oregon State University Master Gardener and Master Naturalist and holds a Master of Fine Arts in creative nonfiction writing.