Nutritional Facts For Raw Baby Spinach

Raw baby spinach has the same nutritional value as regular spinach. There are three varieties of spinach: savoy, semi-savoy and flat. You can determine each variety by observing subtle differences in the leaves. Savoy spinach leaves are curly; semi-savoy are just slightly curly and flat leaves are, of course, flat. What you know as baby spinach is simply small-leaf, flat spinach.

Vitamins

A 3-oz. serving of raw baby spinach provides you with 510 percent of the recommended daily value for vitamin K, 110 percent of the DV for vitamin A and 40 percent of the DV for both vitamin C and folate. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration bases DV on a 2,000-calorie daily diet for adults and children age 4 and older. Vitamin A is especially important for your vision but also helps your body grow and promotes a healthy immune system. Vitamin C improves iron and calcium absorption in your body and repairs cell damage. Vitamin K is essential to helping your blood form clots, and folate is the natural, water-soluble form of vitamin B-9. Vitamin B-9 helps your body metabolize food, as well as produce DNA and RNA.

Minerals

Three ounces of raw baby spinach has 65 mg of sodium, 8 percent of the DV for calcium, 15 percent for magnesium, 40 percent for manganese and 15 percent of the DV for iron. Calcium builds strong bones and teeth, and iron helps your body create red blood cells. Magnesium, one of the most abundant minerals in your body, builds strong muscles and keeps your nerves and muscles in proper working order. Manganese is an essential mineral that helps your body repair wounds, build bones and metabolize food. Sodium is necessary for human life. Your body uses it to help produce energy that your cells need to respond to requests from your brain.

Fiber

Baby spinach is also a source of fiber, 2 g in every 3 oz. While not specifically a nutrient, fiber does help your body maintain good health. Eating fiber can help you avoid constipation and keep your bowels healthy. A high-fiber diet can also aid you in maintaining a healthy weight. Fiber can provide you with a feeling of fullness, allowing you to eat smaller servings at mealtime. Fiber may also provide you with some protection from chronic disease, such as diabetes or high blood pressure.

Considerations

Several factors can affect the nutrient content of raw baby spinach, including the storage time and storage temperature. According to an article published in the December 2004 issue of the "Journal of Food Science," the degradation of fresh spinach increases rapidly as temperatures rise. For instance, only 53 percent of folate is retained when packaged spinach is stored at 68 F for four days.