How does the nutritional value of malabar spinach compare to regular spinach?

Answer 1

I don't know, but for those who are concerned about the oxalic acid in spinach and other edible plants, all you have to do is eat it with a good source of calcium to avoid absorbing oxalic acid into your system. Calcium forms an extremely insoluble precipitate with oxalate and if in the digestive system at the same time with the oxalate will combine with it and cheerfully escort it all the way thru the intestinal track and out of your system. If, however, the oxalic acid is absorbed in high enough quantities (how high is high enough may vary from one person to the next, depending on how rapidly it is entering the system and how well the person can metabolize the oxalic acid once it is in the system), and if it is still there when calcium is later consumed, there is the risk of the precipitation forming either in the system somewhere or in the kidneys, forming calcium oxalate stones. Enough magnesium in the diet will prevent the formation of oxalate stones, but I don't know if the normally high magnesium content of greens such as spinach is enough by itself to prevent the precipitation of calcium oxalate. At any rate, even if it isn't, with enough calcium present at the same time as the oxalic acid, the insoluble calcium oxalate will form and will not be absorbed. There is no reason to avoid these nutritious greens out of fear of oxalate kidney stones.