Can raw spinach cause inflammation?
Anti-Inflammatory Foods
Research shows that vitamin K-rich leafy greens like spinach and kale reduce inflammation, as do broccoli and cabbage.
Spinach is one of the more popular anti-inflammatory superfoods. Swiss chard is a colorful leafy green to add to your diet, and it is believed that the flavonoids found in Swiss chard work as antioxidants to help reduce inflammation.
- Red meat and processed meats, including bacon, hot dogs, lunch meats and cured meats.
- Refined grains, including white bread, white rice, pasta and breakfast cereals.
- Snack foods, including chips, cookies, crackers and pastries.
- Sodas and other sweetened drinks.
- Fried foods.
Green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, Swiss chard, kale, Brussels sprouts and asparagus are filled with Vitamin E; a natural antioxidant which has been shown to reduce inflammation in the body.
But spinach is LIKELY UNSAFE for infants that are less than 4 months old. The nitrates in spinach can sometimes cause a blood disorder (methemoglobinemia) in young infants. Allergies: People who are sensitive to latex or certain molds are more likely to have allergic responses to spinach.
Spinach. The leafy green is packed with nutrients, but you'll absorb more calcium and iron if you eat it cooked. The reason: Spinach is loaded with oxalic acid, which blocks the absorption of iron and calcium but breaks down under high temperatures.
There are not many side effects or allergic reactions known. Spinach may also form insolvent crystals in the kidneys, that may worsen kidney diseases. However, in some cases, spinach may cause serious fluctuations in the blood sugar level in diabetes patients.
Nightshade vegetables, such as potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplants, contain solanine. This substance may increase the leakiness of the intestines and affect the gastrointestinal microbiota, indirectly increasing the inflammation relating to arthritis.
Spinach is especially high in the antioxidant kaempferol, which has been shown to decrease the effects of the inflammatory agents associated with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis in animal studies ( 27 , 28 ).
Spinach is a high-histamine food, which means it naturally has high levels of histamines. Histamine intolerance is difficult to diagnose. Often it requires ruling out food allergies first. If your healthcare provider suspects histamine intolerance, they may recommend a low-histamine diet to see if it helps.
