Can you juice spinach leaves in a juicer?

Juicing leafy greens like spinach is a great way to get a concentrated dose of nutrients. Fresh spinach juice is packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. But can you actually juice spinach leaves in a juicer? Let’s take a look at whether or not it’s possible and the best ways to juice spinach.

Can You Juice Spinach Leaves?

Yes, you can absolutely juice spinach leaves in a juicer! Spinach is one of the most commonly juiced leafy greens. However, juicing spinach does require a high-powered juicer that can effectively extract liquid from the leaves.

A centrifugal or masticating juicer with a strong motor works best for juicing spinach and other leafy greens like kale, chard, lettuce, etc. Centrifugal juicers grind the leaves at high speeds to separate the juice from the fiber. Masticating juicers crush and press the leaves to squeeze out the juice.

Either type of juicer can successfully juice spinach when equipped with the right power and features. The juicer should have a large feed chute to accommodate whole spinach leaves without the need to chop them first.

It also needs a powerful motor (800+ watts for centrifugal, 200+ watts for masticating) and spinning blades or gears that are designed for leafy greens. This allows the juicer to fully break down the cell walls of the spinach leaves and extract the maximum amount of juice.

You’ll get the highest spinach juice yields from horizontal masticating juicers like those made by Omega, Kuvings, and Hurom. Vertical masticating juicers also work well for spinach leaves.

High-speed centrifugal juicers with 3+ horsepower motors and large feed chutes like those made by Breville, Mueller Austria, and Aicook can juice spinach efficiently too.

Best Practices for Juicing Spinach

Follow these tips to get the most spinach juice from your juicer:

• Wash spinach thoroughly to remove any dirt or debris.
• Remove thick stems which tend to jam some juicers.
• Feed spinach leaves gradually into the juicer chute, alternating with pieces of fruits or vegetables.
• Roll leaves firmly or pack into chute to avoid them floating up.
• Combine spinach with high-moisture produce like cucumbers, celery, apples, lemons.
• Strain juice through a fine mesh sieve to catch any leftover spinach bits.
• Drink spinach juice right away or store in an airtight container in the fridge up to 72 hours.

Benefits of Juicing Spinach

Drinking fresh spinach juice offers many important health benefits:

Nutrient Density

Spinach is extremely nutrient-dense, packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and plant compounds that support overall health. Juicing spinach helps concentrate these nutrients into an easy-to-absorb liquid form.

Just one cup of raw spinach contains:

• 56% DV vitamin A
• 14% DV vitamin C
• 6% DV iron
• 5% DV potassium
• Plus vitamins E, K, B2, B6, magnesium, manganese, calcium, and more

Antioxidants

Spinach contains lutein and zeaxanthin antioxidants that help protect eye health. Drinking spinach juice boosts levels of these antioxidants in the body.

Reduced Inflammation

The anti-inflammatory compounds in spinach like quercetin, kaempferol and glycolipids are better absorbed when juiced. This helps reduce inflammation throughout the body.

Cancer Prevention

The phytonutrients and chlorophyll in spinach juice may help block carcinogens and prevent cancer cell growth and tumor formation.

Heart Health

Spinach juice provides nitrates that get converted into nitric oxide to support healthy blood pressure and blood flow. The folate in spinach also helps lower levels of homocysteine, a compound linked to heart disease risk.

Detoxification

The chlorophyll in spinach binds to heavy metals and toxins to help flush them out of the body. Spinach juice can aid detoxification and liver health.

Healthy Skin

Spinach is high in vitamin A to promote healthy skin cell growth. The lutein and zeaxanthin antioxidants in spinach also help protect skin from sun damage.

Nutrition Facts for Spinach Juice

Here are the nutrition facts for 1 cup (240 mL) of raw spinach juice made from approximately 2 cups of spinach leaves:

Nutrient	Amount
Calories	23
Protein	2.2 g
Carbohydrates	3.6 g
Fiber	0.4 g
Sugar	0.8 g
Fat	0.4 g
Vitamin A	56% DV
Vitamin C	14% DV
Vitamin K	145% DV
Folate	16% DV
Iron	6% DV
Potassium	5% DV
Magnesium	6% DV
Calcium	3% DV

As you can see, spinach juice is loaded with vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, iron, potassium, magnesium and calcium. Juicing helps make these nutrients highly bioavailable so the body can readily absorb them.

Spinach Juice Recipe Ideas

Here are some tasty spinach juice recipes to try:

Green Monster Spinach Juice

Ingredients:

• 2 cups spinach
• 1 cucumber
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 apple
• 1 lemon
• 1 inch ginger

Sweet Spinach Detox Juice

Ingredients:

• 2 cups spinach
• 1 apple
• 1 pear
• 1 lemon
• 1 inch ginger

Tropical Spinach Juice

Ingredients:

• 2 cups spinach
• 1 orange, peeled
• 1 cup pineapple
• 1 cup coconut water
• 1 lime

Get creative and add your favorite fruits like berries, mango, banana, or melons to make tasty spinach juice combos.

Possible Downsides of Juicing Spinach

While spinach juice has some benefits, there are a few drawbacks to consider as well:

• Lower fiber content since juicing removes the pulp
• Nutrients may degrade more rapidly in juice form
• Higher glycemic index than whole spinach leaves
• Oxalic acid content may be concerning for those prone to kidney stones

Overall, spinach juice is healthy in moderation as part of a vegetable-rich diet, but shouldn’t replace eating whole spinach and other produce.

Conclusion

You can absolutely juice spinach leaves in a high-powered juicer that’s designed to effectively extract liquid from leafy greens. Juicing spinach enables you to get a concentrated dose of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Drinking fresh spinach juice can boost nutrition, reduce inflammation, promote heart health, aid detoxification and more. Include spinach juice as part of a healthy, plant-focused diet by mixing it with fruits and veggies like apples, cucumbers, celery, lemon, ginger, berries and pineapple.

At the same time, aim to continue eating whole spinach leaves regularly since juicing removes the beneficial fiber. Incorporate a mix of both juiced and whole vegetable sources for optimal health.