7 Super Health Benefits of Spinach, According to a Dietitian

This nutritious veggie offers numerous health benefits. A dietitian dives deeper into the science behind spinach and how to use it.

By Rachel Gargano, MS, RD, CSSD, CBS

— On Jul 22, 2025

7 Super Health Benefits of Spinach, According to a Dietitian

In this article:

For many, spinach may be just a leafy green vegetable that made an appearance on childhood dinner tables. It’s an incredibly versatile vegetable with vibrant green leaves and is beloved by cooks for its mild flavor and applications in soups, salads, stir fries, and other dishes. Though many of the clients I work with as a registered dietitian have come to appreciate this humble veggie, they’re always surprised to learn just how powerful it is for your overall health.

Whether incorporated in your home cooking or in a powdered greens supplement like Live it Up Super Greens, adding spinach to your regular diet is one of the best and most accessible ways to support your overall health. This article explores some of the amazing health benefits of spinach.

Here are the top spinach health benefits at a glance:

Offers immune support
May help with inflammation
Supports energy and overall vitality
May promote digestion and gut health
May aid with weight management
Supports brain health
May promote eye health

Top 7 Potential Spinach Benefits

There’s no question that spinach is good for you, but how does this leafy green actually impact your health? From immunity to vision support, the nutritional benefits of spinach are far-reaching. Here are some of the top potential health benefits of spinach.

1. Offers Immune Support

One cup of raw spinach contains 7mg of vitamin C, which is equal to 7-10% of your daily recommended intake. Vitamin C is essential for a healthy immune system but is not naturally produced by the body, meaning that the only way to get this vitamin is through your diet.

Once absorbed by your body, vitamin C supports the biosynthesis of collagen, a component of healing wounds, and helps the body fight and fend off illness. Whether eaten raw or cooked, spinach supports strong immune function by providing your body with this essential nutrient.

Dietitian Tip: If you struggle getting fruits and vegetables into your daily diet, consider giving a greens powders a go. These supplements rely on powdered greens like spinach to help with gaps in your diet and deliver all-natural nutrition.

2. Supports Energy and Overall Vitality

Iron is vital to delivering energy throughout your body, so it’s no surprise that iron-rich spinach leaves may offer energy and vitality support. This mineral is integral to delivering oxygen to the body's cells via red blood cells.

Without the oxygen delivered by iron, the body would be unable to function at its full capacity, let alone with energy. 100g of spinach offers 15% of the recommended daily iron intake. This means that you are supporting your body's overall vitality every time you incorporate this nutrient-rich leafy green into your diet.

3. May Help with Inflammation

Antioxidants are a natural defense against inflammation in the body. High in antioxidants and vitamins A, B, C, E, and K, spinach may help inflammation by providing the body with the essential nutrients it needs. Inflammation is the body’s way of protecting itself while it repairs damage to cells.

However, the symptoms of inflammation may be uncomfortable or painful, or you may experience inflammation even when the body doesn’t need to heal any germs, bacteria, or injuries. Incorporating spinach into your diet may help soothe the body’s inflammatory responses.

4. May Promote Digestion and Gut Health

Fiber is crucial for digestive health and overall wellness; this essential nutrient promotes regular bowel movements, thickens stool while reducing the likelihood of constipation, and feeds healthy gut bacteria. A cup raw spinach offers 0.7g of fiber, making digestive support one of the key benefits of spinach. Regularly eating spinach is a great way to help your body get the fiber it needs for healthy digestion.

Since dietary fiber also contributes to the growth of a healthy gut microbiome, incorporating spinach into your diet may support the overall health of your gut. As dietary fiber is processed and fermented by the gut microbiota, the body produces short-chain fatty acids and other beneficial bacteria. Short-chain fatty acids play an important role in not just the health of your gut, but they also act as the “messenger” between the brain and the body, ultimately providing inflammation assistance, immune support, and appetite regulation.

5. May Aid with Weight Management

Spinach is low-calorie yet nutrient and fiber-packed, making it an excellent option for aiding with healthy weight management. Just 1 cup of raw spinach contains only 7 calories but boasts a gram of protein, fiber, and numerous essential vitamins and minerals.

The fiber content of spinach is perhaps one of the most important characteristics. Studies show that fiber-rich foods help with fullness and may even reduce cravings, factors that may help with weight loss efforts. Although eating bowlfuls of plain spinach is no solution, spinach provides essential nutrition and fiber that, when paired with a well-rounded diet and lifestyle, may contribute to healthy weight management.

6. Supports Brain Health

Thanks to the high levels of vitamin K, antioxidants, and folate, spinach may help your mind feel sharper. A study even suggests that eating leafy greens like spinach can support the brain’s overall health and may even slow the rate of cognitive decline.

Additionally, spinach’s rich antioxidant composition helps repair brain cells from damage caused by free radicals, which may contribute to overall brain health. According to experts, the brain is especially susceptible to oxidative stress due to its weak antioxidant capacity and high energy demand. This means that getting antioxidants through your food plays an essential role in helping the brain naturally repair and protect itself from further oxidative damage.

Did You Know? Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that supports the health of your bones and blood clotting. In addition to spinach, vitamin K is found in other nutrient-rich leafy greens, vegetable oils, meats, and some fermented foods.

7. May Promote Eye Health

Vitamin A contributes to the functioning and wellness of your eyes. According to studies, this vitamin produces eye pigmentation and contributes to your ability to adjust to low light conditions. One cup of these raw leafy greens boasts 141mcg of vitamin A, making spinach a potent source of this valuable vitamin and a potential way to support healthy eyes.

Spinach Nutrition Facts

According to the CDC, adults should aim for 2 to 3 cups of veggies every day, and spinach definitely counts towards this! One cup of spinach per day is the general recommended amount, especially if you have underlying health conditions or are taking medications. However, you may have more than one cup if this leafy veggie works for your body.

Spinach offers a wealth of nutrition. Here's the nutritional content of 1 cup (30g) of raw spinach:

Calories: 7
Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Carbohydrates: 1g
Dietary fiber: 0.7g
Protein: 1g

Key vitamins and minerals in spinach:

Calcium: 29 mg
Iron: 1 mg
Magnesium: 24mg
Phosphorus: 15 mg
Potassium: 167 mg
Sodium: 24 mg
Vitamin A: 2800 IU
Vitamin C: 9 mg
Folate: 58 mcg
Vitamin K: 145 mcg

Possible Side Effects of Spinach

Too much of a good thing is true, even when it comes to spinach. This superfood is designed to be one part of a well-rounded healthy diet and, generally, eating spinach in moderation doesn’t have side effects for most people.

However, side effects may occur for those with food sensitivities, underlying health conditions, or those who regularly eat too much spinach. Some possible side effects of spinach include:

Digestive upset, bloating, and gas: Due to the fiber and nutrient content, spinach may cause digestive discomfort in people who don’t regularly get enough fiber in their diet. This side effect may also occur for those with sensitive stomachs.
May inhibit nutrient absorption, potentially causing kidney stones: Due to the high quantity of oxalates in spinach, too much of this veggie may reduce the body’s nutrient absorption. Oxalates bind to calcium, which prevents the absorption of this nutrient and may even lead to kidney stones.
May negatively interact with medication: Since spinach is high in vitamin K, which plays a role in blood clotting, it is important that people on blood thinners or other medications moderate their spinach consumption. When in doubt, consult your medical practitioner for guidance.

How to Use Spinach

Spinach leaves are an incredibly versatile veggie, making it super easy to incorporate into your daily routine. Thanks to its mild, pleasant taste, you can enjoy spinach raw or cooked.

Spinach pairs well with a wide range of seasonings, flavors, and dishes, and no matter how you prep it, you're still getting plenty of nutrients. The flavor is so mild that it can disappear into sauces, making it easy to sneak some extra nutrition into your family’s meals. Or, the mild flavor can shine when dressed with tangy vinaigrette and salad toppings, or when simply sautéed with a little bit of olive oil and sea salt.

From salads to soups, stir fries, and more, there are endless ways to incorporate this veggie into your meals. Some easy and tasty ways to use spinach include:

Adding a handful to a pasta sauce
Using as a pizza topping
Scrambling it with eggs for a healthy breakfast
Chopping it up with other leafy greens for a superfood salad
Blanching it and blending it into a pesto
Stirring a few handfuls into a soup or stew
Blending fresh or frozen spinach into a superfoods smoothie
Drinking a daily greens powders that uses powdered spinach and other superfoods like chlorella and wheatgrass, such as Live it Up Super Greens

Eat More Spinach and Try Live it Up Super Greens

A Glass of Super Greens Juice Next to a Live it Up Super Greens Package

As a registered dietitian, I understand how hard it can be to find the time to cook nutritious, veggie-filled meals everyday. Live it Up Super Greens offers a convenient and tasty way to ensure you get your daily serving of organic spinach and other potent superfoods like spirulina, kale, chlorella, moringa, wheatgrass, burdock root, and nettle leaf.

The powder simply needs to be mixed with water and you get many of the valuable nutrients your body needs to function at its fullest potential! Plus, Live it Up contains 5 billion CFU of probiotics and digestive enzymes to support the well-being of your gut. I like to think of this daily greens powder as added nutrition enhanced with the elements not often found in our modern diet.

Live it Up’s affordable subscription plan and delicious flavors (read: no grassy, earthy taste) makes getting your greens easy and intuitive. Give Super Greens a try today and discover its benefits for yourself!

Frequently Asked Questions About Spinach

What vitamins are in spinach?

Spinach is good for you thanks to its many vitamins and minerals. This vegetable is both low calories and fat free while boasting good sources of iron, calcium, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C, and fiber. These nutrients make spinach a great addition to any diet.

What does spinach do to the body?

Thanks to the high vitamin and mineral quantities found in spinach, consuming spinach can support your body’s immune system, aid with inflammation, promote digestion and gut health, assist with healthy weight management, support bone health, and contribute to the health of both your eyes and brain. Of course, these possible benefits become more likely when spinach is paired alongside a well-balanced diet and healthy lifestyle.

Is it good to eat spinach every day?

Yes! Spinach is a great veggie to eat every day because it is high in nutrients, low in calories, and has the building blocks for many potential health benefits. However, spinach consumption should never be overdone; aim for approximately one cup of this veggie everyday for the best results.

Is spinach better for you cooked or raw?

Spinach is good for you both cooked and raw. Fresh spinach that has just been harvested is at its highest nutrient potential, so if you're wanting this veggie at its peak of nutrients, opt for bunched spinach over the leaves in a bag or plastic container.

If you choose to cook spinach, worry not. Spinach is one of the most nutritious foods and will still contain plenty of nutrients, even if cooked. Since spinach is mostly water, one cup of cooked spinach likely equals three cups of raw spinach, meaning that you're getting more leaves in, and therefore more nutrients in, with every cup of cooked spinach. However, the cooking process may reduce the quantity of water-soluble vitamins like vitamin C.

How should you eat spinach for the maximum benefits?

You will get health benefits from eating spinach no matter how you choose to prepare it. The most important thing is to ensure your spinach intake is regular and paired with a balanced diet. Whether cooked, raw, frozen, or in a super greens powder, spinach is incredibly nutritious and your body is still getting plenty of vitamins and minerals to lead to numerous potential benefits.

References

About the author:

Rachel Gargano, MS, RD, CSSD, CBS

Rachel is a registered dietitian based in Contra Costa County, California, with over 15 years experience. She specializes in whole-body wellness and plant-based nutrition, helping people understand the dynamic interplay between food and health so they can live life to the fullest. When not helping others, she enjoys spending time with her kids, being physically active, and tending to her abundant household plants.

Learn more