Rituals—even irrational ones can influence our habits. Like Sneha Kapoor’s spinach ritual. The marketing professional living in Kolkata, swears by it; she saw it first on the internet; the domain of all fads, facts and fiction. Eating raw spinach leaves minus salt and dressing is the new online trend to get on the wellness bandwagon. Influencers call it the ultimate nutrition morning punch, loaded with iron, potassium, and vitamins A, C, and K. Some even claim it resets the taste buds, curbs cravings for carbs, sugar, and sets the tone for a clean-eating day. But is chomping on raw spinach at sunrise actually healthy or just another algorithm-fuelled fad? In place of her favourite morning biscuit-with-tea routine, Kapoor turned to spinach. “I did it for 30 days. In the first week, it felt like I was chewing grass. But over time, my biscuit craving disappeared.”
While her story is anecdotal, behavioural psychologists agree that spinach-eating by itself may not be magical, but the act of making a conscious choice first thing in the morning can shift your mindset. It signals self-control and discipline, which can influence the rest of your day.
The Science of Spinach
The idea that raw spinach can ‘train your taste buds’ or rewire cravings has little basis in science. Spinach is a superfood. It’s packed with non-heme iron, folate, magnesium, and antioxidants like lutein and zeaxanthin. However, the body’s ability to absorb these nutrients from raw spinach isn’t optimal. Additionally, behind the glow of such health trends lies an inconvenient truth: raw leafy greens are among the top causes of foodborne illness globally.
According to a 2013 report by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), leafy greens like spinach and lettuce accounted for 22 per cent of all foodborne illness outbreaks in the US between 1998 and 2008—more than any other food group. Most cases were linked to E coli, Salmonella, and Listeria—bacteria that can cling to leaves during harvesting, packing, or transport. Another study published in ResearchGate in 2021 highlighted that pre-washed spinach still retained microbial loads unless washed again at home with clean, portable water. Then there’s the oxalate issue. Spinach is particularly high in these naturally occurring compounds, which, when consumed daily in raw form, may increase the risk of kidney stone formation, especially in individuals predisposed to such conditions.
A 2020 case report in the National Library of Medicine cited high-oxalate green smoothies, including raw spinach, as a contributing factor in oxalate nephropathy. None of this means spinach is unsafe. But the assumption that raw equals clean can backfire. As with most things in nutrition, dose, diversity, and hygiene matter more than ritual.
Too Much of a Good Thing
Indrani Banerjee, clinical nutritionist and assistant professor in the food and nutrition department at Kingston Educational Institute, says, “Trends like these often ignore how the body actually processes food. Eating something healthy in excess—like raw spinach—doesn’t automatically make it better for you always. For example, you have to be cautious that if you have thyroid issues or sensitivities, or you’re eating it every single day without knowing your own physiological conditions, it might end up doing more harm than good. Balance will always beat obsession.”
Green Flags and Red Alerts
If you love spinach and enjoy eating it raw, go ahead. But don’t expect it to cure your sweet tooth or melt away fat. But while at it, it’s recommended to alternate with other greens like kale or arugula to avoid oxalate overload and ensure you balance it with protein and healthy fats for a more rounded breakfast. For people who are claiming the high fibre content as the magic ingredient, there are better, more sustainable ways. A bowl of oats with flax seeds, or even a smoothie with a variety of greens, is easier on your gut and just as effective.
The Bottom Line
The raw spinach trend is less dangerous than some of social media’s past food experiments. But it’s no miracle fix either. In our quest for quick wellness wins, we often forget that the body thrives on variety and balance, not monotony or extremes. Maybe it’s time to stop chasing hacks and start building habits. Or at least, mix the spinach with some other ingredient to get the most out of the trend.