My question is about spinach and specifically, what are the attributes in spinach that makes one's tongue and teeth feel "funny" after eating? I love spinach, but I don't like this after effect and recently I thought, "Hmm, I wonder if Health meets Food knows what causes this?"
We have asked a few experts about this and performed a literature search. Neither of these yielded a definitive answer, but there are a few possible explanations that came up more than once in our questioning:
1. Iron. Spinach is high in iron and you may be tasting that.
2. Tannins. Spinach, like red wine, is high in tannins. These molecules are the ones responsible for the astringent "puckered" mouth effect.
3. Oxalic acid. (This is the most popular theory.) Similar to tannins, these molecules also have an astringent effect and many describe a "chalky" effect after consuming foods high in oxalic acid.
Thanks for writing.
It’s easy to get answers about health and nutrition! Just send your question by email to ask@culinarymedicine.org and Dr. Harlan will respond to selected questions of general interest..
Please note that this feature is restricted to questions regarding food and nutrition. Due to the many questions we receive, not all questions may be answered. Terms of Use | Privacy Policy