Rough teeth after eating spinach?
You know the feeling: you’ve added a generous portion of spinach to your dish. Finally, it’s ready and you start eating. After two bites, your tongue happens to brush against your teeth. Huh? That feels strange—your teeth feel rough and gritty. Don’t worry: there’s an explanation. And we’ll give you a spoiler: it’s not bad for you, and we know the solution.
We learned from Popeye that spinach is super healthy and gives us muscles. But he never taught us that it can give your teeth such a strange feeling. One of the causes is the presence of salicylic acid. Spinach isn’t the only food that contains this compound—raspberries and rhubarb give you the same strange feeling in your mouth. Salicylic acid thins the protective layer of enamel on your teeth. The result: rough teeth. Don’t worry, salicylic acid only causes permanent damage to your teeth in high concentrations. That will never happen from eating spinach.
Crystallization
The real culprit behind the rough feeling on your teeth is oxalic acid. Together with calcium (an important mineral in your teeth), this acid forms so-called ‘oxalate crystals’ on your teeth. These crystals cause the rough feeling. It isn’t harmful, and if you have sensitive teeth, oxalate may even help. One thing you absolutely shouldn’t do after eating spinach or rhubarb: brush your teeth. In the long run, this can damage your enamel.
Different types of saliva
Some people are more sensitive to the spinach effect than others. This may be due to your saliva. Many people have saliva that protects well against acids, but not everyone does. Your eating habits also have an influence. If you chew a lot, the acids pass over your enamel more often, making you more likely to suffer from rough teeth. An obvious solution, then, is to chew less thoroughly or eat fewer acidic vegetables.
The best solution
A better solution is to add calcium-rich ingredients. Think cream, fat or a little milk. The oxalic acid will bind to this calcium instead of your teeth. Now you also understand why you never get rough teeth after eating creamed spinach.
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