Sharply lemony leaf — and the sourness is oxalic acid, which is worth knowing.
Sorrel tastes distinctly of lemon, and that sourness is oxalic acid. It is delicious in small amounts and genuinely worth limiting in large ones.
Leafy greens as a group are the most nutrient-dense food per calorie
available. The practical constraint is not their nutrition but how much of it your body can
actually take up, which depends heavily on oxalate content and on whether fat is present in
the meal.
Per 100g raw.
Based on the nutrients and fibre this food supplies. These are supporting foods, not treatments.
Add fat. Vitamins A, E and K are fat-soluble. Olive oil, ghee or a
handful of nuts alongside greens measurably increases what you
absorb.
Squeeze lemon over cooked greens. Vitamin C converts plant iron
into a form your gut takes up far better. This is the single most useful habit with
greens.
Do not boil and drain. Steam, wilt or sauté — the
water-soluble vitamins leave in the water.
Store in a bag with a dry paper
towel. Moisture is what turns greens to slime.
Two things decide how much you get from greens. Fat is required to
absorb the fat-soluble vitamins — greens eaten without any are largely
wasted.
Oxalates bind calcium and iron in the gut and carry them out.
This green is high in oxalates, so its impressive mineral figures translate into much less absorbed than the label suggests. Eat it, but do not rely on it for calcium.
Kidney stones: high in oxalates. Worth discussing with your doctor if
you form stones.
On blood thinners: high in vitamin K, which interacts with warfarin.
You do not have to avoid it — keep intake steady rather than swinging week to week, and
tell your doctor.
Kidney disease: potassium may need limiting. Ask your doctor for your
numbers.
IBS: several vegetables are high-FODMAP and commonly trigger
symptoms — tolerance is personal.
This is information, not a prescription. If you are managing a diagnosed condition or taking medication, talk to your doctor before making a large change to your diet.
Nutrition figures on this page come from standard food composition data. These links let you check the numbers and read the underlying research yourself rather than taking our word for it.