In the perception of many people, spinach has always been one of the representative foods with high iron content, and has therefore become a frequent guest on the dining table. However, there has always been controversy over the issue of spinach supplementing iron. What exactly is going on? After a three foot investigation by the butler, it was discovered that the truth was as follows
Low iron absorption rate in spinach
Although spinach has a high iron content, research has shown that only a small portion of the iron in spinach can be absorbed, and most of the iron is "rejected". The absorption rate of iron in beef, animal liver, and fish is many times higher than that in spinach. Other vegetables such as celery and bok choy have higher iron absorption rates than spinach, and their protein and vitamin C content is also higher than spinach. Iron content ≠ absorption rate, don't force your baby to eat spinach.
Easy to form stones
In addition to being difficult to absorb, spinach also has a high content of oxalic acid, which not only affects the absorption of calcium and zinc, but also forms calcium oxalate with the calcium in spinach, leading to the formation of stones, which is the majority of the "rejected" mentioned earlier. What is the correct posture for eating spinach? The butler secretly tells you that whether you want to stir fry or cold mix, it's best to blanch the spinach briefly first, which can remove most of the oxalic acid.
In fact, not only spinach, but also plant-based foods for iron supplementation are not particularly effective. The best one is animal liver. So, although spinach is good, don't be too greedy. Baby's health is more important than anything else, but we also need to master the correct methods, right? Be more sincere and less formulaic. If you have any further questions, you can always ask the butler, and the butler will answer you as soon as possible!
