Even with all of its potential, Popeye’s favorite food does have a few drawbacks. Spinach, especially raw spinach, can make some people look gassy. Spinach may taste bland to some palates, but it naturally contains enough sodium that you don’t need to add salt to it. a good thing.

“Too much food is not healthy,” Hord said. “Spinach contains oxalic acid, which can bind minerals in the diet, like calcium, and make them unavailable for absorption.”

If you’re worried about having enough calcium in your system, it may be a good idea to leave spinach out of the cheesy lasagna it’s so often deployed in. Too much oxalic acid is also a recipe for kidney stones and, therefore, added Hord, “it can negatively affect people” who are sensitive to it.

The vitamin K in spinach “may also interfere with the function of blood thinners like warfarin. People who take blood thinners may want to limit their consumption of spinach for this reason,” Hord said.

Now, with all of these conditions in mind, what’s the best way to put spinach to work? With all due respect Popeye, a can might not be the tastiest way to present it to your table. Many people like raw spinach in their salad. This is generally fine – remember that spinach can be a good vehicle for E. coli, Listeria, and other harmful bacteria and germs.