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Q: I've read that, although spinach has vitamins that are usually good for bones, that eating it is actually contraindicated. (I have osteoporosis but like my daily spinach)
Hi Sylvia, welcome... Here's a good quote on this issue of spinach and calcium absorption from Susan Allison RNC, BSN, MPA (WebMD).
"Spinach is a nutritious food with many vitamins and minerals including magnesium, potassium and vitamin K. In addition to calcium and vitamin D, these vitamins and minerals are also important for bone health. While spinach also contains calcium, the calcium is not absorbed well by the body. This is because spinach contains oxalates which interfere with calcium absorption. Some examples of other foods that contain oxalates are beet greens and rhubarb. So while you can't count spinach as a good source of calcium, it's still nutritious and a good part of a healthy well-balanced diet."
Even though I may not get much calcium from spinach, I still enjoy eating it. If you are concerned about this discuss it with your Dr. to see if it is an issue, for some other reason.
Hi Sylvia, it's my understanding that spinaches oxalates will prevent the absorption of calcium, but it shouldn't interfere with the calcium you take at other times of the day.
If you are concerned, just space your calcium supplements/food away from eating spinach. The biological half life of oxalates are approximately 2.5 hours in patients with normal renal activity. If you take your calcium 2.5 hours before or after, eating spinach, you shouldn't have any trouble absorbing it. To verify, you could ask a nutritionist, if you have access to one. Also, if you are still really concerned you may want to cut back the amount of spinach so you aren't eating it everyday, but I don't think that is absolutely necessary; but see if you can get a second opinion on this.
Good luck and let us know if you find out something else about this issue. If you've ever had kidney stones, some doctors will have you limit spinach intake, due to the oxalate contents since it "could" cause oxalate stones. If you've never had this type of problem then you should be okay, but also a urologist could answer this for you as well.
If you have another question don't hesitate to ask. Take Care...
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Thank you for taking the time to answer my question.
Do you mean to say that eating spinach will not interfere with my overall calcium absorption. In other words, is it okay to eat every day?
(Unfortunately, neither of my doctors know much about nutrition or natural cures.)