Spinach
Foods
Short answer
Spinach adds vegetables to a meal and supplies magnesium for normal muscle and nerve function and plant iron used to make blood. Pair it with beans, potatoes or eggs and some vitamin-C-rich food to help absorb plant iron. If you have had calcium oxalate kidney stones, ask for tailored advice about spinach. [1][2][3][4]
Spinach is a leafy vegetable for varied meals, supplying magnesium and plant-based iron among other nutrients.
Checked against sources; not clinician-reviewed. Not personal medical advice. Read the disclaimer
Updated: 2026-10-08
Why eat spinach?
- More vegetables: pair fresh or frozen leaves with beans, eggs or grains. Dutch guidance is at least 250 grams of vegetables in total daily. [1]
- Magnesium for muscles and nerves: Voedingscentrum lists 39 mg per 50 grams of cooked spinach, contributing to your dietary intake. [2]
- Plant iron for making blood: add something with vitamin C, such as peppers or fruit, to help absorb this iron. [3]
How much magnesium does it supply?
Voedingscentrum reports 39 mg magnesium in 50 grams of cooked spinach. That figure applies to the stated portion and preparation, not every raw salad or product. Magnesium helps normal muscle and nerve activity; with a diagnosed deficiency the cause and whole diet matter. Spinach joins whole grains, nuts and other vegetables as a food source, not an established muscle-cramp cure. [2]
What about iron?
Iron in spinach is plant-based and less readily absorbed than the iron in meat. What else you eat matters: vitamin C in a meal helps absorb plant iron. A serving cannot necessarily fix diagnosed iron deficiency or anaemia. Tiredness alone does not diagnose a deficiency; have persistent symptoms assessed. [3]
Cook and combine spinach
Wash fresh spinach thoroughly under running water. Add it to eggs, cook it with beans or serve as a side; plain frozen vegetables are practical too. Vary vegetable types. Vegetable juice and powder are not equivalent to ordinary servings, and most people need no special spinach supplement. [1]
When does oxalate matter?
Spinach is high in oxalate. NIDDK notes that people with previous calcium oxalate stones may be advised to limit such foods. This is not a ban for everyone or for every stone type. Fluids, salt and adequate calcium from food also matter. Do not start a severely calcium-restricted diet yourself; get advice tailored to your stone type. [4]
What does spinach not fix?Research and background
Vegetables fit a healthy diet, but a mineral or green colour does not demonstrate detox, diabetes treatment or a cure for anaemia. Investigate a diagnosed deficiency and discuss stones based on their type. Choose spinach for ordinary meals, not as a substitute for a varied diet or clinical care. [1][3][4]
Frequently asked questions
Is fresh spinach better than frozen?
Both can fit a varied diet; choose frozen without added salt or sugar and eat different vegetables. [1]
How much magnesium is in spinach?
Voedingscentrum lists 39 mg in 50 grams of cooked spinach. Portion and preparation affect the value. [2]
How can you absorb more of spinach's iron?
Have a vitamin-C-rich food such as peppers or fruit with the meal. Spinach contains plant iron; diagnosed anaemia still needs its cause assessed and appropriate care. [3]
Should I avoid spinach with kidney stones?
Not automatically. With prior calcium oxalate stones restriction may matter; ask about stone type and tailored advice. [4]
Can I eat spinach with eggs?
Yes. It is one way to add vegetables to a meal. Wash fresh leaves and cook eggs thoroughly for vulnerable groups. [1]
Research and sourcesEvidence overview, methods and complete source list
Research context
Spinach supplies magnesium for muscles and nerves and plant iron for making blood; vitamin C with food helps iron absorption.
Finding: Voedingscentrum lists 39 mg magnesium in 50 grams cooked spinach. This adds to dietary intake but does not treat cramps or diagnosed deficiency.
Magnesium from spinach
Evidence: Institutional dietary guidance; credible for food composition/context, not a food-specific clinical trial.
Studied population: People eating cooked spinach; not an iron-deficiency trial.
Form or context: Specified portion of cooked spinach.
Uncertainty: Dietary context cannot establish individual clinical treatment or a food-specific outcome.
Sources: Magnesium
Finding: After calcium oxalate stones, limiting high-oxalate spinach may help. Stone type determines advice; not everyone with stones must avoid spinach.
With particular kidney stones
Evidence: Clinical information/guidance; useful for assessment or care, not a quantified intervention trial.
Studied population: People with previous calcium-oxalate kidney stones.
Form or context: Spinach as high-oxalate food; tailored diet.
Uncertainty: Clinical context and causes vary; no universal effect size or dose established here.
Safety: Tailored oxalate advice may matter after calcium oxalate stones. Spinach does not replace assessment or treatment of diagnosed iron deficiency.
Sources
- Groente · Voedingscentrum · Institutional information
- Magnesium · Voedingscentrum · Institutional information
- IJzer in voeding · Voedingscentrum · Institutional information
- Eating, Diet, & Nutrition for Kidney Stones · NIDDK, NIH · Public health information