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Basically what happens is that I'll eat cooked spinach and then when running my tongue on the back of my teeth they feel very rough and chalky, like there is buildup there. This only happens when I eat cooked spinach, and does not happen when I eat raw spinach. It also does not happen when I cook anything in the same manner (e.g. in coconut oil), so I think I've done a pretty good job narrowing it down to definitely being the cooked spinach itself. My question is why does this happen and has anyone else has had similar experiences? I like cooked spinach a lot but this makes me avoid it.

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5 Answers

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Google it! http://www.yumsugar.com/Why-Spinach-Makes-Your-Teeth-Gritty-4587973

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Guess that explains why I get the same thing with swiss chard and beet greens, too. – Amy B. Sep 19 at 20:47
I've actually never experienced this. Sounds strange. – Matt Sep 19 at 23:52
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It's not really a "gritty" feeling. More like rough - almost like all the enamel has been stripped off your teeth. – Amy B. Sep 20 at 16:36
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Most likely the Oxalic acid. I have that feeling when I eat it raw, or even sometime with high acid apples.

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Whereas I get that feeling when I eat it cooked! – Renee Sep 19 at 21:00
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It's raw for me, too. One of the weirdest mouth-feels for me! – MathGirl72 Sep 19 at 23:38
@Renee; probably wasn't washed well. I've experienced the same. Even washing and blanching it before sauteing doesn't do much. – Knarf Jan 18 at 21:07
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I get that same feeling when I eat cooked spinach only...

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This just happened to me today at lunch so I did a google search and found this convo. It's a very chalky feeling and drinking water doesn't make it go away. I don't recall ever feeling it in the past but will definitely pay attention the next time I eat spinach to see if it happens again. Very weird.

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Just read the info on Matt's link and that explains it perfectly. I was eating the spinach with a chicken dish that had fresh mozzarella cheese on it. Didn't notice the sensation until I took a bite of the chicken & cheese with a bit of the spinach at the same time. – Elle Jan 18 at 19:58
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For me it only happens with cooked spinach, not raw. My question is this: if it's true that this chalky sensation can be chalked up to (haha) oxalic acid crystals, why is it that it occurs with cooked spinach rather than raw, when cooking supposedly reduces oxalic acid? I realize for other people it's the opposite, but that just suggests (to me) that something else is going on here.

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