Does spinach inhibit the absorption of calcium?

[Longhorn]

hka's post reminded me that I had been looking for a creamed spinach recipe earlier this year. I didn't like the one in Betty Crocker so I ended up looking in my Joy of Cooking. Sure enough, they had a tasty-looking creamed spinach recipe (it was actually fairly similar to the one posted by hka). In the short paragraph before the recipe it mentioned that spinach was a "controversial" vegetable because it was believed to inhibit calcium absorption. Well, I went ahead and made the recipe since I already had the ingrediants, but I've been avoiding spinach ever since. I keep meaning to check into this claim. I had never heard this before. Does this sound familiar to anyone out there? Can you refute the claim (pleeeease, I really love spinach)?
Thanks!

[Ohioan]

I believe it's the oxalic acid in spinach that inhibits the absorption of calcium. But it just inhibits it; it doesn't prevent it altogether. What that means is that you should have a little more calcium than usual on days when you have your spinach. And of course, much of the calcium that you've add earlier in the day than the spinach has already been absorbed by the time you send the spinach down after it. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

Cheers,
Phoebe

[karole]

my daughter i were very sad to see that we shouldn't go overboard on spinach. also doesn't it have iron & we are cautioned not to have too much iron.

[junietoo]

Well, Longhorn, I'm no professional nutritionist, but I do remember from my college nutrition classes that spinach contains oxalic acid which binds with calcium and prevents (or inhibits) its absorption. Oxalic acid in higher quantities is poisonous (the quantity in rhubarb leaves, for instance, may kill you), but not the levels in spinach. And, spinach IS high in iron.

WebMD has a blurb on this:
http://my.webmd.com/content/article/1680.51669

Scroll down to the heading of "Preventing Osteoporosis."

I guess the advice would be: "Don't take your calcium pill with a spinach chaser (and absolutely NO spinach yogurt.)" http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif

[Grace]

I can add also that when the oxalic acid binds with calcium, it can cause kidney stones, for those who may be susceptible to that painful condition.

[Longhorn]

Thanks for the good information everyone! I'm glad to know that I can start eating spinach again -- very carefully!

[SusanL]

I also read that same info on Epicurious yesterday and it blew me away. Having osteoporosis and arthritis, I have to be careful- but I grow spinach in the summer and eat it at least twice a week, more in the summer. Guess I better give my doctor a call- do you think?
We truly LOVE spinach, oh dear, see what too much information can do to you?! Perhaps taking more calcium in the morning- I hate when this happens!!